SIMULADOR DIDÁTICO DA ACOMODAÇÃO DO OLHO HUMANO

Abstract

The Simulator Didactics of Accommodation of the Human Eye is a set of activities that have as objective facilitate the teaching-learning process on optics and, especially, on the process of human accommodation. The educational product explores concepts of geometrical optics (light rays and refraction) in the paraxial approximation and its applications to spherical lenses. Didactic simulator was built with a flexible lens, produced with a latex-made male condom filled with water. Its spherical shape, with a diameter of approximately , was compared with the theoretical model of the “ball lens”. We have experimentally determined its focal length ( and compared it with the corresponding theoretical value, obtaining a accuracy. The flexibility feature of this lens gives the possibility to simulate the accommodation process of the eye in two different situations: for diverging and parallel light beams, corresponding to objects near and far from the observer, respectively. These concepts were addressed in the educational spirit of the meaningful learning of David Ausubel. It has been proposed 4 lesson plans from the previous organizers (taught in 8 lessons), 1 lesson plan for application of the didactic simulator (3 lessons) and 2 meetings for application and discussion of the questionnaires (2 lessons), summing up 13 classes. We have used several resources: lectures, computer simulators, construction of one darkroom, dissection of the bull's-eye and a experimental apparatus produced by students. Adding to other support materials, these instruments facilitated the learning of content offered and the better understanding of the students. This is proven by the results obtained in 42 questionnaires applied. Of these, 24 were before and 18 after the application of the project. There has been an increase of ~200% in the number of hits in the second stage. The proposal has been applied in a class of 39 students, where we had a meaningful learning of over of the class. One should stress also the impact on students, who were more willing to learn, requiring better quality lessons, both in content and evaluation of them.