Converting Physlets and Other Java Programs to JavaScript

Physlets, educational applets developed at Davidson College, are a widely used teaching resource designed to simulate a variety of physical phenomena. Originally, each Physlet was a Java simulation that was embedded in an HTML page as an applet and then customized using JavaScript to simulate a specific physics concept. The use of Java to simulate the physics and HTML+ JavaScript to add narrative and to customize the web page allowed teachers to create thousands of Physlet-based illustrations, explorations, and problems. Unfortunately, changes in technology standards have required a drastic change in how these learning resources can be delivered.