Post-Use Review of the Pasco Xplorer GLXBradley W. Rausch, Dept. of Physics, SUNY-Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, NY 14222; Physical Science Teacher, The Gow School, 2491 Emery Road, South Wales, NY 14139, [email protected] Keywords: Xplorer, GLX, Pasco, Microcomputer-Based Laboratories, datalogger, datalogging, MBLPACS Codes: 01.50.Pa, 01.50.hv, 07.05.-tAbstract: A new datalogging tool called the Xplorer GLX by PASCO was implemented into mechanics laboratory exercises of an introductory physics course at Buffalo State College to determine if the cost, usability, portability, reliability, ease of use, and updateability of the GLX is on par with Vernier Logger Pro, or if there are any features (or lack thereof) which set it aside from Vernier Logger Pro. It was found that the portability of the GLX system was its defining feature, and that other aspects such as input and output, sensor reliability, graphing, ease of use, and quality of graph were similar to other systems.Acknowlegements: This manuscript addressed the requirements for PHY690: Master’s Project at SUNY-Buffalo State College. Pasco provided Xplorer GLX devices and sensors. Parker Troischt, Physics Department, SUNY-Buffalo State College, allowed forthe implementation of the GLX probes into the classroom. Comments from Edward VonIderstein and Kathleen Stadler, Lab Assistants, Physics Department, SUNY-Buffalo State College. Error and omissions are responsibility of the author.Datalogging tools allow students to collect and analyze data in real time. For a review of how datalogging devices with the appropriate curriculum and environment can increase the gains of conceptual understanding of kinematics in students see Rausch (2006). The advantages of incorporating dataloggers into the physics curriculum outweigh any potential drawbacks and, so, dataloggers should seriously be considered foruse in the teaching of kinematics.Data collection sensors are usually interfaced with a desktop or laptop computer. Current methods of portable datalogging involve the use of calculators, such as the TI-83,which are designed for other tasks and typically have a poor interface for the tasks necessary in datalogging. However, a new datalogging device by Pasco called the Xplorer GLX can capture, analyze, store, display, and print data without being connected to a computer or calculator, providing a portable and powerful science lab.Figure 1The GLX has a 320 x 240 grayscale screen (with backlight) that allows the user tosee a graph generated in real time. The GLX has four sensor ports that can connect to PASPORT sensors directly or to ScienceWorkshop sensors with use of an adapter. Also, it has 4 specific built-in ports for sound, voltage, and two temperature probes. Ten megabytes of internal memory and a rechargeable NiMH battery allow for manyexperiments to be created and stored throughout the day. The GLX also has a USB port which allows for the use of a mouse or keyboard, printing right from the device, and communication with a computer (although the GLX is a stand-alone machine, it can be used as the interface between the sensors and a desktop or laptop computer running the included software). The firmware installed on the GLX is upgradeable for free at Pasco’swebsite and allows the company to add new features to the program responsible for data collection, graphing, etc, and remove or fix any bugs that there may be in the programming.For this review, the Xplorer GLX was implemented into mechanics laboratory exercises of a college level introductory physics course at Buffalo State College. The laboratory exercises used were Lab 1 and 2 of Real Time Physics by Laws, Sokoloff, and Thornton (1994) and included investigating distance-time graphs, velocity-time graphs, and acceleration-time graphs by use of a PASPORT motion sensor, cart, track, and fan. Lab instructions were minimally modified to accommodate the use of the GLX instead ofa computer based system (e.g. hitting the “►” button instead of clicking the “Collect” button on the computer screen). The class was broken down into groups of 2-4 students and half the class used the Xplorer GLX, while the other half used Vernier LoggerPro system. The groups then switched devices for the second lab so that all groups used the GLX system. During laboratory exercises, the students were monitored by the author, teacher and lab assistants. A qualitative comparison between the two datalogging systems was observed with respect to students’ time on task, the amount and types of questions they were asking, and whether the students were focusing more on the principles behind theexercise or on the technology. After both labs, the students were asked to fill out a mini-questionnaire asking them to rate various attributes of the GLX and provide comments about using the GLX. From personal experience and from the questionnaires the students filled out, the best feature of the GLX system is its portability. Portability allowed students to perform laboratory exercises without being restricted by a cable within two meters of a computer and allowed us to use the whole classroom. When space was limited, some parts of the experiment were even done in the hallway, giving the students more freedom to move around when using the motion sensors. Another feature of the GLX system is ease of set up and use. While some systemsrequire the user to run specific applications, connect interfaces, calibrate sensors, or do allthe necessary steps to collect data; the GLX only requires you to turn it on and plug in a sensor. Furthermore, during data collection, the graph is automatically scaled to produce the best visual graph for the screen, and the device automatically saves every “run” or trial when repeating the experiment, giving the opportunity to compare a graph to anotherrun of the same experiment. With the ease of setting up and using the GLX, cognitive overhead can be reduced as to allow the user to focus more on the data and experiment, and less on how to use the tool.An advantage of investing in the GLX is getting free firmware updates through the Internet. At first, I thought that this was a neat idea and that I could take advantage ofin the future, but I found out that it was necessary for smooth operation. Right out of the box, the GLX devices contained an older version of the firmware and were freezingseveral times during a class period. After
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