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4 USEFULNESS
The web portal for the levelling of knowledge, i.e.
the zero course, has only recently been implemented
in the web server so that it has not been used by
students. However, some pilot validation tests have
been conducted with different users taken at random
and from different educational levels and they have
all reported two important aspects of this
application; on one hand, that it is easy to use, and,
in the other, that it has helped them to improve
concepts. In addition, one section which has greatly
interested them is the one corresponding to
curiosities, in which the reasons for certain facts
observed by the students in their daily lives are
explained to them.
In a second stage of the project, this tool will be
implemented for the newly arrived students and the
results obtained in teaching them will be studied.
This software application is specially directed at
the Physics Department of Córdoba University
(UCO). It was developed from thinking about the
needs of that department, but, due to its portability,
it can be installed in a server of any department of
that university since the title of the portal can even
be changed. This, for the want of any other, is called
Introduction Course to Physics.
Finally, and in spite of being an application
exclusively developed for a specific department, it
has been attempted to make the software as portable
as possible so that, if necessary, it can be used for
something more than one single department.
5 CONCLUSIONS
The main objective pursued with the development of
this project has been fulfilled in the creation of a
virtual learning course of initiation which permits
the student to be introduced to basic concepts of
physics in order to tackle his/her corresponding
university studies.
A highly educational application has been
obtained to allow the student to overcome a series of
conceptual lacks. For that purpose, an extensive
tutorial of theoretical-practical concepts has been
included as well as a module of practical exercises
with answers, with a section containing
questionnaires to evaluate the students’ knowledge,
and there is also a chapter of curiosities to answer
everyday questions on the application of physics.
Thirdly, this software can be executed in a
multiplatform environment. Its users, with the sole
means of a browser, can employ the application
regardless of their operative system or of the
characteristics of their computer system.
The portal is accessible to any user who wishes
to employ it by connecting to the server
http://rabfis15.uco.es/cursocero/.
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