Teaching physics with basketball

Abstract

Recently, technologies and computer takes important roles in learning and teaching, including physics. Advance in technologies can help us better relating physics taught in the classroom to the real world. In this study, we developed a module on teaching a projectile motion through shooting a basketball. Students learned about physics of projectile motion, and then they took videos of their classmates shooting a basketball by using the high speed camera. Then they analyzed videos by using Tracker, a video analysis and modeling tool. While working with Tracker, students learned about the relationships between three kinematics graphs. Moreover, they learned about a real projectile motion (with an air resistance) through modeling tools. Students' abilities to interpret kinematics graphs were investigated before and after the instruction by using the Test of Understanding Graphs in Kinematics (TUG-K). The maximum normalized gain or <g> is 0.77, which indicated students' improvement in determining displacement from the velocity-time graph. The minimum <g> is 0.20, which indicated that most students still have difficulties interpreting the change in velocity from the acceleration-time graph. Results from evaluation questionnaires revealed that students also satisfied with the instructions that related physics contents to shooting basketball. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.