SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Mar 30, 2005--What do piloting helicopters, playing Zeus with lightning bolts or creating a nine-string musical instrument have to do with teaching physics to high school and college students? Plenty, if you`re digital curriculum creator Kinetic Books Company. The company, based in Seattle, today announced general availability of its first products: a comprehensive physics textbook and a suite of virtual physics labs. These new products offer an alternative to expensive textbooks and do so with the dynamism available on computers.
After 4 years of testing and refining, the textbook and labs are currently in field trials with over 4,000 students in about 100 high schools and colleges throughout the United States and Canada. The result is glowing reviews from students and teachers alike.
''Who would have thought juggling, or bazooka-wielding monkeys, for instance, could be seamlessly integrated into a physics textbook?'' said Peter Rasmussen, a 15-year-old high school student from Lakeside High School in Seattle. ''I love the readability of the explanations and the relevant games so much more than any other textbook I have used in the past. It`s not many school courses that genuinely change the way you look at everyday life.''
The products are rich and engaging: the textbook contains hundreds of simulations and thousands of animations. The variety of the material -- text, animations, audio and simulations -- supports pupils with a variety of learning styles.
''Our goal is to assist physics educators and students by demonstrating that physics is about how things work and how fun it is to make things work,'' said Kinetic Books Co.`s Founder and President Bruce Jacobsen. ''This creates a passion for physics in the students. Instructors tell us that this passion not only leads to better learning of physics fundamentals, but also enhances students` problem-solving skills. The opportunity to actively experiment and explore proves superior to the reading of passive gray text.''
In addition to the different levels of textbooks, the company is selling a set of computer-based labs. The labs cover topics from one-dimensional motion to special relativity, and contain complete instructions, interactive simulations and questions for the students. Students can work in groups or individually, at their own pace. Kinetic Books` Virtual Physics Labs is a stand-alone product consisting of 16 labs, and does not require calculus or the use of Kinetic Books` textbooks.
''The students work in groups of twos or fours and solve the virtual lab problems together,'' said Diane Riendeau, a physics teacher at Deerfield High School in Deerfield, Ill. ''A program like Kinetic Books definitely contributes to and facilitates the team-building process by giving an opportunity for small groups of students to work together on a problem.''
Other teachers express the benefits of computers and technology as a way to help students gain a better understanding of physics.
''Advancements in technology bring solid advantages for teachers and their students,'' according to Ken Tong, a physics teacher at Ballard High School in Seattle. ''In my classroom, I am observing that the difference between looking at a static picture of a trajectory triangle and firing a cannon to determine trajectory is comparable to watching a movie with the sound off versus sound on in full stereo.''
Kinetic Books offers three digital textbooks at different levels:
-- ''Physics for Scientists and Engineers.'' Calculus-based introductory physics textbook.
-- ''Principles of Physics.'' Algebra-based introductory physics textbook; appropriate for the non-calculus AP physics exam.
-- ''Conceptual Physics.''
The textbooks and labs are shipping on the Windows platform. They are available for evaluation on the Macintosh platform and will be available for sale on that platform shortly.
Both the textbook and labs are offered in four pricing strata, starting at $29.95 for individual pricing. Class Set, Computer Lab and Web Access pricing models are also offered. Evaluation copies are available for instructors at no charge. For more information about Kinetic Books` digital curriculum, visit the company`s Web site at www.kineticbooks.com, or call the company at 877-4-KBOOKS (452-6657).
About Kinetic Books:
Kinetic Books Co. creates digital curriculum. The Seattle-based company`s first products are a set of digital physics textbooks and a set of virtual labs designed for physics students in high school and college. The people behind Kinetic Books are physics, math, education, and computer science professionals who enjoy physics, education, and contributing to the future through affordable, high-quality, digital curriculum. Experiment with Kinetic Books` physics curriculum, or find out more about the company, at www.kineticbooks.com. For those who prefer to reach the company by phone, call 206-448-1141.
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