The images were exhibited in a class and participants' views were recorded ... Firstly a course about. CP899 ... C. Rose, 24 Saatte Photoshop CS2, Sams & Alfa,.
Using Gif (Graphics Interchange Format) Images In Physics Education M. Sahin BULBUL Department
of Physics Education,
Kafkas University, Faculty of Education, Turkey, kafkasfizik(3)y ahoo.com
36100,
Kars,
Abstract. In Computer Based Physics Education, Java and Flash programs are used. However learning how to use them is rather difficult and their preparation takes a long time. Although the usage and preparation of GIF images are easy they are largely neglected in Physics Education. This study suggests that they can be used effectively in Physics Education. In order to prove this a number of methods were used. Twenty students were selected and they taught how to prepare GIF images. Then, they were given certain topics with which they were not familiar and were asked to prepare one GIF image. After this, they were also asked to asses this learning process. The images were exhibited in a class and participants' views were recorded. The data collected for this study indicates that by using this method students can learn more effectively certain topics. Keywords: Gif Images, Physics Education. PACS: 01.50.Hmegabyte (mb) picture with BMP extension takes 70 kilobyte (kb) place without losing its quality [3]. While one picture can be changed in gif, more than one pictures can be changed into gif picture. Gif pictures, which contain more than one picture as only one picture, allow moving pictures with its form like cartoons. More than one pictures are firstly prepared one by one because they will be seen after each other. After then, gif is obtained with using software program. Obtained gif pictures are carried as one picture, but when it is watched, it shows the pictures in significant time intervals. This provides us to create moving picture and also moving gif pictures are used in internet site, presentations and computerassisted communication.
INTRODUCTION Studies about how to teach recent done physics more effectively generally focus on computer- assisted education [1]. However in this study, topic was selected as the use of gif (Graphics Interchange Format) pictures in physics education, because this topic is about computer- assisted education and this method has not been used in physics education. Gif pictures are the most used picture format in web and it has been improved by CompuServe Information Service [2]. It is used by most of the picture processing programs and whole browsers that have the graphic processing ability recognize gif format. This algorithm got plaudits because its dissolution was easy and it provided strong compression. It can make compression up to 25% of picture size without any color and image lost. Because it is quick download and quick dissolution, it uses a little band breadth. Furthermore it takes a little place. For example; 1
METHOD In this study, gif pictures are used for education. A study group with 20 people included random and voluntary students was composed from Education Faculty of Kafkas University. Firstly a course about
CP899, Sixth International Conference of the Balkan Physical Union, edited by S. A. Cetin and I. Hikmet © 2007 American Institute of Physics 978-0-7354-0404-5/07/S23.00 481
how to create gif was given to these students and then some physics topics, which students indicate that they do not know very well, were given them as homework to study. They were wanted to prepare gif with using basic school books in homework. After preparing these homework, students were asked that what this homework gave them. Furthermore, prepared pictures were presented to 100 people in festival that mostly students participated and opinions were taken. The reason of this application is to show that this practice is not only a didactic method for preparators but also it is didactic method for first time observers. It is very easy to find free registered program in internet for studies. During this study a gif- marker program called "animator" was used. There is not any need for developed special features in required computer. Computer that can open whole internet pages completely will be sufficient.
creativeness ability. When the pictures contain meaning and these pictures are put in order meaningfully; students are provided to put physical steps rightly. ".. .There is always a requirement for computer for preparing and using it..." To this critical opinion, the answer can be given as, computers are commonly used in schools and computers are used in the whole part of life. Observer's opinions While majority of visitors specified positive critical, negative critical was about rather than the method as that the gifs can be made with more realistic photographs by preparators, but instead of using more realistic photographs, videos could be used. This method provides students to transform a physical situation to cartoon easily. Visitors indicated that physics has many issued and while giving this kind of homework to students, their opinions on physical situations will develop. While 95% of visitors think that this method can be used in physics education, 92% of visitors think that homework by using gif will be effective in physics education. People with negative opinion indicate that teachers should give information about the topics. At the end of the study, gif preparators were asked questions about the topic and their control on the topic was conspicuousness. Furthermore, it was seen that participants, who have very strong drawing picture ability, gave more successful products during the studies. It was determined that visitors that observed the gifs could understand topics easily. While some visitor's question about adding sound was incongruous for structural format of picture, making visual material in aural form is an important request for bringing sound in picture. As a result; according to both preparators and observers, studies made by using gif contribute students to understand the topic well.
FINDINGS AND RESULT In this study, two types of opinion were referred, one of them was opinions of students, who prepared the gifs, the other one is opinions of observers, who saw the gifs for the first time. In this part some important opinions will be indicated and success of the method will be discussed. Opinions of preparators "....Gif, was the picture format that can be learned very easy. I showed it to my brother, he understood it immediately..." As seen in these descriptions, preparation of gif is very easy. The difficult part of the work is to put all pictures in right order through your objective. When you use gif pictures instead of normal pictures in presentations, your presentation will get more value because of moving image. Same visual richness will be valid for your prepared page. ".. .1 learned it in one hour course, but now I put the materials of the topic, which I thought how to teach to my students, on the desktop. When I will be teacher, I will project this moving image to screen by projection while I am going to give my lesson..." "...I do not recognize that I have prepared homework easily like this ..." When the last two opinions are examined, it is people, who are given homework, thought that this method is permanent and easy to prepare. The process of students' transforming a topic, which was given as homework, to gif increases their
REFERENCES 1. N. Yigit, Fizik Ogretiminde Bilgisayar Destekli Uygulamalarm Basariya Etkisi, Journal of Milli Egitim, 2004, pp. 160-171 2. C. Rose, 24 Saatte Photoshop CS2, Sams & Alfa, 2005, pp. 35-41 3.G. Baykal, Photoshop CS, Pusula Press, 2006, pp.112- 35
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