Academic Centre
At the end of the year, UL Foundation announced that the UL’s perennial patron “Mikrotīkls” LLC has accepted the funding of UL Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Optometrics (UL FPMO) Physics department’s previously submitted project for acquiring the funds for supplement of equipment for the Laboratory workshop of the Physics department with equipment which would enable the students of physics laboratory to make remote work much more convenient.
Due to the spreading of Covid-19, the learning circumstances are limited, including gaining of practical skills and laboratory work in person. That is why, already since spring the teaching staff, including laboratory and practical supervisors, are forced to come up with solutions for working remotely.
The main goal of “Development of physics practical studies based on modern educational principles” project is to change UL FPMO practice’s laboratory workshops, making them more available remotely for students while studying. If looking at the bigger picture, the possibility to provide a study process of a higher quality and proactively responding to challenges will innovatively and progressively invigorate the image of UL.
The equipment of the laboratory workshop will be supplemented while realizing the project. For the use of UL FPMO it is planned that 38 iOLab devices will be obtained, which are equipped with different amount of sensors e.g. magnetometer, 3D accelerometer, light sensor, force sensor, displacement measurer, giving the opportunity to make measurements remotely and export the data on the computer. Adding to this, these devices provide the opportunity to analyze the data and manipulate with the results. While using iOLab sensors, even when handing them over to students for use at home, students will have a chance to participate in laboratory activities online while remaining at home.
Image : iOLab sensor device (Source : www.iolab.science)
This work must be provided to many students at once. That’s why it is planned to provide 16 web cameras and eight laptop computers while realizing the project. This is how the existing technical equipment will be supplemented, giving the chance to connect remotely to the digital devices (sensors, interfaces and software) which will be provided by the help of UL Foundation and the donations from the patron “Mikrotīkls” LLC.
The equipment, which will be obtained while realizing the project, will be annually used by 500 students. Most of them will be from bachelor study program “Physics”, but also students from other UL’s faculties, such as Medicine, Chemistry, Biology and Business, Management & Economics who are studying the physics course.
The equipment, which will be acquired from UL Foundation’s and “Mikrotīkls” LLC’s supported project “Development of physics practical studies based on modern educational principles” will be used also after the Covid-19 pandemic when doing onsite studies. Project will be realized from 1st of February 2021 to 30th of June.
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About the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Optometrics
UL Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Optometrics is a basic academic unit of UL, which was established to provide academic activities for the following science industries: physics, astronomy and math.
About patron “Mikrotīkls”
UL Foundation platinum patron “Mikrotīkls” LLC is a company, which develops MikroTik RouterOS software and manufactures RouterBoard devices with the goal to provide accessible, powerful and easy-to-use network management tools for a wide range of users. “Mikrotīkls” LLC has been a patron of UL since 2011. They have made more than 2 million euros of donations in total.
About the University of Latvia Foundation
Since 2004, the UL Foundation provides an opportunity to patrons and cooperation partners to support both the University of Latvia and other leading higher education institutions of our country, thereby investing in the future of Latvia. The priorities of the UL Foundation are to support the most outstanding, dedicated students and researchers, to advance creation of a modern study environment, as well as to promote construction and refurbishment of university’s buildings.
