disseminating high-quality, computer-based resources for physics education, emphasizing student engagement through computation and computer modeling. The project has evolved significantly since its inception in 2002, expanding its scope, technological base, and global reach, receiving numerous accolades for its contributions to physics education.

Main Themes and Important Ideas:

• Focus on Interactive and Computational Physics Education: The core mission of OSP is to enhance physics learning by leveraging the power of computers. This involves providing interactive simulations, tools for computational modeling, and resources that encourage students to engage actively with physics concepts. The project recognizes the increasing importance of computational skills in modern physics education, stating that "computational physicists have specialized curricular needs that can be addressed only by having access to source code."
• Evolution from Physlets to Open Source Code Libraries: The project's initial efforts centered around Java Applets known as Physlets, which provided ready-to-run interactive curricular material. While successful and widely translated, Physlets had limitations for computational physics education due to the lack of source code access. This led to the development of an open-source, object-oriented Java code library, which became a foundational element of OSP.
• Development of Key Educational Tools: The OSP code library facilitated the creation of significant educational tools:
• Tracker Video Analysis and Modeling Tool (Douglas Brown): This tool allows students to analyze real-world videos and create computational models based on their observations.
• Easy Java Simulations (EJS) (Francisco Esquembre): EJS is a programming and modeling tool designed to allow educators and students to create their own interactive simulations without extensive programming knowledge. A later version, developed collaboratively with Felix Garcia, produces JavaScript simulations compatible with various platforms, including mobile devices.
• Expansion of Curricular Resources and Author Contributions: The accessibility and utility of the OSP code library attracted numerous educators who developed a wide range of simulations and accompanying materials for various physics topics and educational levels. Examples include astronomy simulations by Todd Timberlake, medical and amusement park physics simulations by Michael Gallis, and interactive e-books by Kyle Forinash.
• Emphasis on Dissemination and Accessibility: Recognizing the importance of reaching a broad audience, OSP has focused on effective dissemination strategies. Initially relying on in-house servers, the project partnered with the AAPT-ComPADRE National Science Digital Library in 2008. This collaboration led to the creation of a comprehensive digital library, the OSP Collection, which currently contains over 2000 items and serves over 200,000 users worldwide. A second digital library was established in Singapore in 2012, further expanding the project's reach.
• Recognition and Awards: The OSP project and its components have received significant recognition for their contributions to education, including:
• 2002 MERLOT Editor’s Choice Award for Physlets.
• 2011 AAAS Science Prize for Online Resources in Education (SPORE) Award for the AAPT-ComPADRE OSP Collection.
• 2015 European Multimedia in Physics Teaching and Learning (MPTL) Award for the AAPT-ComPADRE OSP Collection.
• 2016 UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of ICT in Education for the Singapore OSP site.
• 2020 APS Excellence in Physics Education Award: This prestigious award recognized OSP's "Sustained commitment to computational physics education through creating and disseminating programming environments, books, software, simulations, and other tools to support computational thinking, and for research establishing the value of these tools and best practices for their use."
• Ongoing Development and Collaboration: The project continues to evolve, with ongoing development of tools and resources, as evidenced by the numerous recent projects and hackathon activities listed on the Singapore site. The collaborative nature of the project, involving physicists and educators from various institutions and countries, is a key factor in its success.
• Open Licensing: OSP resources are generally licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Singapore License, promoting the free use, adaptation, and sharing of materials. However, the EasyJavaScriptSimulations Library has a separate commercial use license.

Key Quotes:

• "The Open Source Physics (OSP) Project is a group of physicists and educators working to provide high quality computer-based curricular resources to engage students in physics, computation, and computer modeling."
• "...although Physlet-based material worked well for general purpose ready-to-run curricular material and was translated into multiple languages, it was not well suited for computational-physics education because computational physicists have specialized curricular needs that can be addressed only by having access to source code."
• "In response, the Davidson team began rewriting and organizing Physlet code into an open-source object-oriented Java code library for computational physics."
• "Dissemination is an essential component of a curriculum development project."
• [Regarding the 2020 APS Excellence in Physics Education Award]: "Sustained commitment to computational physics education through creating and disseminating programming environments, books, software, simulations, and other tools to support computational thinking, and for research establishing the value of these tools and best practices for their use."

Conclusion:

The Open Source Physics Project represents a significant and influential effort in the field of physics education. By developing and sharing open-source tools, interactive simulations, and curricular materials, OSP has empowered educators worldwide to incorporate computational thinking and active learning strategies into their classrooms. The project's sustained growth, numerous awards, and expanding global reach underscore its value and impact on the teaching and learning of physics. The recent activities highlighted on the Singapore site demonstrate the ongoing dynamism and relevance of the OSP project in addressing the evolving needs of physics education in the digital age.

Frequently Asked Questions about Open Source Physics (OSP)

1. What is the Open Source Physics (OSP) project?

The Open Source Physics (OSP) project is a collaborative effort by physicists and educators dedicated to creating and disseminating high-quality, computer-based resources for physics education. The project aims to engage students in physics through interactive simulations, computational modeling, and open-source tools. It builds upon the principles of the Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) project and focuses on providing materials that are not only effective for learning physics concepts but also accessible and adaptable by educators.

2. How did the OSP project originate and evolve?

The OSP project began in 2002 with a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant awarded to Wolfgang Christian and Mario Belloni at Davidson College. Their initial work focused on developing interactive, web-deliverable curricular materials using Java Applets called Physlets. Over time, recognizing the need for computational physics education resources with accessible source code, the project shifted towards creating an open-source, object-oriented Java code library. This library facilitated the development of more advanced educational tools and attracted contributions from other educators, leading to the creation of significant tools like Tracker Video Analysis and Modeling Tool and Easy Java Simulations (EJS).

3. What are Physlets and how did they contribute to OSP?

Physlets were interactive Java Applets designed to illustrate physics concepts through simulations. They served as the initial core of the OSP project, providing ready-to-run curricular material that was widely adopted and translated into multiple languages. While effective for general physics instruction, their closed-source nature limited their utility for computational physics education, which led to the development of the open-source OSP code library.

4. What is the OSP code library and why is it important?

The OSP code library is an open-source, object-oriented Java library containing code specifically designed for computational physics. Its significance lies in providing educators and students with the ability to access and modify the underlying code of simulations. This is crucial for computational physics education as it allows for customization, integration of numerical analysis, 2D and 3D visualization, and graphical user input-output components, catering to the specialized curricular needs in this area.

5. What are some key tools and resources developed by the OSP project?

The OSP project has led to the development of several notable tools and resources, including: * Physlets: Interactive Java Applets for illustrating physics concepts. * OSP code library: An open-source Java library for computational physics. * Tracker Video Analysis and Modeling Tool: Software for analyzing and modeling motion in videos. * Easy Java Simulations (EJS) and Easy JavaScript Simulations: Tools for creating and modifying interactive simulations without extensive programming knowledge. * Numerous interactive simulations and models covering various topics in physics and other sciences, often available as JavaScript/HTML5 applets for cross-platform compatibility. * Curricular materials such as books, worksheets, and instructor manuals (e.g., Physlet Physics, Physlet Quantum Physics, An Introduction to Computer Simulation Methods).

6. How are OSP resources disseminated and made accessible to educators and students?

Initially, OSP resources were distributed through web servers at Davidson College and Eckerd College. The Beyond Question Learning database was also established for sharing Physlet and OSP-based materials. Recognizing the challenges of managing a growing collection, the OSP project partnered with the AAPT-ComPADRE National Science Digital Library in 2008, which created a dedicated digital library framework for the OSP Collection. Additionally, a second OSP-based digital library was established in Singapore in 2012. These platforms host a vast collection of materials, making them accessible to a global audience of educators and students.

7. What recognition and awards has the OSP project received?

The Open Source Physics project and its resources have received significant recognition, including: * 2002 MERLOT Editor’s Choice Award for Exemplary Online Learning Resources for Physlets. * Undergraduate Computational Engineering and Sciences (UCES) Award from the Krell Institute for Physlets. * 2011 AAAS Science Prize for Online Resources in Education (SPORE) Award for the AAPT-ComPADRE OSP Collection. * 2015 European Multimedia in Physics Teaching and Learning (MPTL) Award for the AAPT-ComPADRE OSP Collection. * 2016 UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of ICT in Education for the Singapore OSP site. * 2020 APS Excellence in Physics Education Award for sustained commitment to computational physics education.

8. What is the impact and future direction of the OSP project?

The OSP project has had a significant impact on physics education by providing educators with high-quality, interactive, and customizable resources that promote computational thinking and deeper engagement with physics concepts. The transition to open-source tools and web-deliverable formats, including JavaScript/HTML5, has increased the accessibility and usability of these resources across various platforms. The continued development of new simulations, tools like Tracker and EJS, and the active involvement of a community of contributors suggest that the OSP project will continue to be a valuable resource for physics education, adapting to evolving technologies and pedagogical approaches.