Realistic Multimedia Simulations for Informatics Students

Realistic multimedia simulations are effective in helping students overcome their fear of physics and gain fundamental knowledge of physical processes. An elective course has been designed in the Applied Informatics and Multimedia Department at TEI of Crete to help informatics students overcome their physics shyness by hands-on experience on scientific multimedia simulations. The approach is justified in terms of the rich employment opportunities in the game and multimedia industries where a sound basis in physics, mathematics and numerical analysis is a necessity. Student feedback shows that they embrace the adopted approach, which uses open source tools to minimize programming so as to allow both instructor and students to focus on the science and complete a greater number of simulations.