Internet Pedagogy
EDUB 5840
Krysta Pooley
Sparkvue for Mac
PASCO Sensors
Grade level: Primary, Middle, High School and University
Subject Areas: Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Earth and Environmental Sciences,
Engineering,
Website: www.pasco.com
What you need:
1. Various PASCO sensors depending on your needs.
2. At least one of the following PASCO interfaces:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Handheld device (PASPORT interface or SPARK element)
USB connection to laptop (simplest and cheapest option)
Bluetooth interface
Universal interface (data collection that requires downloading later)
One of the stand-alone learning systems with a screen
3. A laptop or tablet if not using the stand-alone interface
4. Data collection and analysis software – either Sparkvue or PASCO capstone
5. PASCO lesson plans http://www.pasco.com/products/curriculum/index.cfm
Sensors
There are hundreds of sensors specific to the various curriculum areas. Some of the
most diverse sensors that can be applied to multiple labs and curriculums are:
a. pH
b. Temperature
c. Force
d. GPS position
e. Spirometer / Breath rate
f. Blood pressure / EKG
g. Optical Dissolved Oxygen
h. General science Sensor – light, temperature, sound and voltage
measurements.
i. Advanced Chemistry Sensor – pressure, temperature, pH and
conductivity capabilities.
Sensors I tested to learn the software:
- pH, Temperature, Spirometer / respiration rate
Some sensors that I would love the opportunity to try in the future:
a. Goniometer – measure joint movements
b. Displacement sensor
c. Acceleration sensor
d. Broad spectrum light sensor / infrared sensor
Sparkvue Software for Mac
The use of PASCO sensors and the Sparkvue software provides intuitive, real-time
data analysis in the classroom. I found this software to be user friendly and did not
feel that it required a large learning curve for someone who has some
understanding of graphing software (Microsoft excel).
There is a free trial of Sparkvue that can be downloaded from the PASCO website for
use on computers or laptops. There is also a free app that can be used on any
android or apple tablet. The app does require the purchase of a WiFi compatible
interface whereas the computer program only needs the PASCO USB connection to
collect the data from the sensors. All prices are available on the website
www.pasco.com through their online catalogue.
Using Sparkvue
For this section I will briefly walk you through the use of the software using
screenshots taken from using a temperature sensor.
Once you have downloaded Sparkvue
and created a login for your free 60-day
trial account, the program loads quickly.
The screen is simple and relatively easy
to navigate. There is no word that pops
up when you put your mouse over the
various navigation buttons explaining
what each button does – this could be
an improvement for a future update.
However, once you search through all
the option buttons, the meaning of the images is easy to understand and you can
always go back if you click the wrong one.
As soon as you connect the USB adapter
to the laptop and attach the temperature
sensor, the program recognizes the type
of sensor it is immediately and starts
displaying data. There is no scrolling
through menus of possible sensors to
locate the one you are using.
With this sensor, it demonstrated what
room temperature was and fluctuated so
you knew it was working.
Next you can click on the “open” tab and it
will take you to an “experiments” folder.
With the free version this folder will only
fill with the experiments you have saved.
In the paid version with a site license,
PASCO uploads all of their lesson plans
here and you can have the class see the
lab on their device and switch between
their data collection and the theory,
calculations, and lab procedures. This is a
fantastic feature, as often having paper
around during labs is a safety concern.
If you have no experiments loaded, click on “build” to enter your data collection
parameters based off the units that sensor has the ability to collect. You can also
choose your method of data collection; graph, table, digits or meter. The preview is
great for students who do not know how to differentiate between those options.
Different methods of viewing data:
1. Graph: I will focus on this particular
method in the next few sections.
2. Table: This shows the concrete
numerical data. One way I thought to use it
was to print this and have students create
their own graph and then compare it to the
actual one produced by the program. Grade
10 physics students often struggle with
interpreting graphs and figuring out how to
use the data.
3. Meter: Looks like the speedometer of a car. This would be a good method of
recording data for some students who need a
visual representation. I know for certain, this
would work great with a couple of my special
needs students who rows of numbers are
meaningless, but could answer questions from
watching a meter change.
4. Digits: Another method for students to watch the changes numerically. They
can switch between this and the graph view at
any point. Works well for students who struggle
to interpret graphs. This way they can clearly see
the changes occurring and make connections to
the spikes and dips their graph.
Graphing
Once you have collected your data you
can do many different things with the
graph.
1. Data experiment tools: In this
software you have the ability to
manage the various runs, ensure
the sensor is properly calibrated
for the particular data collection,
add specific calculations to shape
the data, change the units and see different variations.
2. You can stretch or shrink
the graph to shorten or
widen the space between the
points.
3. You can zoom in to specific
sections of the graph (a good
section or one that may have
an error). For example, while taking body temperature I had to sneeze. So I
let go of the sensor to blow my nose. The temperature dropped rapidly for
those few seconds. This option is great for teaching students graph trends so
they can accurately analyze
the data and answer analysis
questions.
4. Change the fit of the line: depending on what you are trying to study and
compare, you can add a linear, quadratic, inverse or sine fit. These include
the formulas and are easy for students to manipulate.
5. Calculations: If you have a specific
calculation you are doing (math or physics),
students can enter the base calculation and
have the data alter to fit those parameters.
6. Multiple runs: you can show up to three
runs in a single graph. One outcome we
always teach science students is accuracy of
collected data. They do this by doing
multiple trials and averaging the
results. This is a clear and easy way to
accomplish that. The runs will show
up in different colours. You can easily
delete one or multiple runs as well
and replace them with a new one in
case there was some error. This way
you do not need to start all over. This
option is also great to compare
different students’ results. For example, with the heart rate activity, you can
compare three different students at
the same time and then brainstorm
what may have caused the various
differences you will see in the results
(age, sex, current health etc).
Undo
An option that I thought I would hate at first but actually really liked after using the
program for a while was the fact that there is no “undo” button. If you make a
mistake or go into the wrong screen, all you do is unclick whatever change you
made and it will go back to the original data. This option makes it easy for students
to quickly see the different relationships of the data. They can make a change and
then undo it, make another change, undo it, all without making a lasting effect to the
original data.
Snapshots
The program allows you to take snapshots that will save with your original data file.
So students can make changes, add lines and formulas, take a snapshot to include in
their lab report, then undo those changes and have their original data unchanged.
Some lesson plans I could use PASCO sensors for:
1. Food sciences: Determining the energy content of foods
This lab uses the temperature sensor to determine the caloric content of
various food products. You need to create a calorimeter with very simple
materials (paper clip, soup can, lid from a jar and a stand). Once you have
created the calorimeter system, you can add any food that will burn safely (I
would stay away from very oily foods – for this I
tried it with Cheetos). Students need to have a
basic understanding of reading food labels and
understanding caloric content of food. They need
two formulas, how to convert calories into joules
(to determine energy) and a heat
formula that takes into
consideration how hot the food
source burns along with the size
of the sample. You place the
temperature sensor in the soup
can with cold water and the
temperature change gets plugged into the
calculation. You can also determine the amount
of sugar in various fruits using the spectrophotometer provided you have
that sensor (which I do not).
2. Physiology: I have students complete these labs manually, however you
cannot guarantee the accuracy of them counting their own pulse or using
manual blood pressure cuffs and stethoscopes. It would be great to compare
the manual results with the sensor data.
a. Exercise and heart rate  Heart rate sensor
http://www.pasco.com/experiments/new-pasco-sparklabs/heartrate.cfm
b. Respiration rate  using the spirometer
c. EKG exercise vs. rest  EKG and Blood pressure sensors
d. Stomach acid  using a pH sensor and a demo of milk of magnesia
(MOM), universal indicator and hydrochloric acid, you can
demonstrate how antacids work to make you feel better and limit
heartburn. Not only can the students see the immediate colour change
of the solution they can see the spikes of acidity and neutralization on
the graphing software.
3. Physics  In grade 10 physics, students learn how to interpret graphs and
how to alter data to move between various types of graphs. Some of these
include position-time, displacement-time, acceleration-time graphs.
a. Displacement-time sensors
b. Acceleration http://www.pasco.com/experiments/originalsparklabs/acceleration.cfm
Limitations
Unfortunately I am limited to a small amount of older sensors. I find it would be
difficult to engage students with this great experimentation tool when there is only
one pH sensor and two temperature sensors for a classroom of 30 students to share.
This would be great if I took the class time to scaffold these lessons by having them
complete the lab without the sensor, determine their results from regular
experimentation and then repeat the lab by using the sensors.
I tried to use the Sparkvue app to make a comparison to the computer program
however I could not get it to recognize the sensors. I contacted PASCO and found out
that the older versions of the sensors are not compatible with the newer Wi-Fi
interfaces that would allow us to bring these experiments outside or have multiple
groups of students’ access the data wirelessly. This was my solution to the limited
amount of sensors so I am disappointed to hear that it cannot be done without some
costly upgrades. The newer versions only require a single sensor connected to an
interface or computer, and you can have an unlimited amount of Wi-Fi connections
through the SparkVue app so students can view the live data and then play with the
results on their individual devices. This is a great initial teaching tool as all students
are working with the same data set. Then, provided you have access to enough
sensors, groups of students can do different tests and compile their data as a class.
Other learning opportunities:
Their website offers a page on professional development
http://www.pasco.com/resources/professional-development/index.cfm
Here there are links to upcoming workshops, three-day summer institutes for
teachings to get hands on training at a cost of $375 (unfortunately only offered in
the states at the moment), and co-teaching models.
I contacted PASCO to find out information about Canadian workshops and was told
they are working on them. The interest for purchasing these sensors in Canada is
not as high. They did offer to try and connect me with other schools in Winnipeg
who have purchased large amounts of sensors to see if they would be willing to
collaborate in a professional development session in the future.
PASCO offers training sessions in person or via Skype with one of their
knowledgeable representatives. Currently, they do not have a Manitoba
representative, but there is a retired teacher named Bill Konrad in Ontario who is
willing to skype with any staff interested in learning how to use the software and
how to incorporate lessons using probeware into the classroom effectively.