Title: Simulations and Hands-on Experiments: Understanding the Rehabilitating (or Strengthening) Exercise for Quadricep Muscles Using Physics
Stream: Teaching Experiences, Pedagogy, Practice & Praxis
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Authors:
Hashini Mohottala, University of Hartford, United States
Basim Althani, University of Hartford, United States
Brent Higgins, University of Hartford, United States
Abstract:
We report the combined use of hands-on activities and simulations in a course designated to teach Mechanics in the Human Body. When teaching relatively challenging subjects like math and physics at the introductory level, carefully designed simulations and hands-on activities can be used to interpret the complexities of science concepts associated with some problems. To demonstrate the physics behind physical therapy designed for the Quadriceps muscle, we built a simple device that followed the function of a human knee. There, we applied a force to the lower part of the leg (ankle area) to check the resultant force on the Quadriceps muscle, and a set of data points were taken by manually changing the applied force while measuring the force transmitted onto the upper muscle. Students did the theoretical calculations on a side and compared their results to find they both agree with a ~ 7% of error. This helped students understand how torque works on a system and the direct applications of Newton's Laws in rotational motion. As an extension, we developed a simulation using javascript illustrating the movements of a human knee. It displays the static equilibrium and small-angle rotations of the lower leg around the knee joint. This simulation created a user-friendly atmosphere and invited users to change parameters, the program itself, and test. We will present the data gathered over three semesters. The students were tested and compared their grades for questions that showed direct correlations with the simulations. We analyzed the proportion data using Z-test.
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