School and college science experiments can use sensors to measure parameters, such as temperatures, that change. For example in a biology practical, instead of watching a bubble in a tube to monitor transpiration, we could use a pressure sensor with some software to record and analyse the data. (The Roger Frost website outlines hundreds of ideas for experiments). It was Roger Frost’s ‘job’ to not simply modernise science, but improve learning outcomes. As it happens there are benefits galore in this kind of endeavour.
The thing was that back in the day (1989 – 2010) much of this was very hard to do: the computers were flakey, bulky and expensive. And juggling skills were needed to manage a class doing experiments like these. We didn’t have say, fitness watches that effortlessly sent data to the cloud as we have today.
Here are pictures of labs, data loggers, sensors and experiments from those times. You’ll see different solutions to fitting lots of (expensive) computers in a lab and for example, different colorimeters and different ways to measure acceleration. It’s a bit random, but luckily I (RF) often took photos back then – and here they remind how tricky it was to do data logging however aluable it was.
Here’s the kind of classroom that we no longer found inspiring or fit for purpose. When schools ordered a new lab, I’d sometimes be asked to advise on the IT equipment that suited. At a guess the above is Steve Nugus’s lab in Dover, just before demolition and just before he worked for Edxcel.I found the above in a US science catalogue. Placing the gear on shelf cleared bench space. Even today I think a keyboard shelf would be welcomed.The science department often got to own the old computers thrown out by the IT department. Having several computers in the same room offered huge amenityHaving a few computers at least was a first objective for a science lab. Here in West London the department had a stack of laptops and a trolley that could wheel them to where they were needed.
Use of lab space and computer equipment storage were unexpected things to think about.
Not always was equipment well stored for use next time. I used an audio cassette box to store a single kit.In contrast to the above, I had (and still have) ten of these complete kits in zip up bags that can be distributed to groups doing an experiment. I had vinyl number stickers to help ensure each kit was put back correctly afterwards. Above you see a LogIT datalogger, serial cable to the computer and two temperature sensors. Thanks to a grant from the Wellcome Foundation, I replaced the above with ‘LogIT Datameters’ and USB cables that I could run training events all over the UK. OMG. This is the equipment most people struggled with in 1989. This expert chap wasn’t struggling on this course I ran at West Dean College.Course I ran at West Dean college – that’s Paul in the foreground.John Hood at the course I organised at West Dean college. (Hello you). Also Tim and Freda.At a push you could feed the computer output to a decently big TV using an aerial convertor – long before HDMI and USB-C and big screen projectors.a fun wish to measure acceleration in a country park in Ireland on a residential w/e course.Measure acceleration in an exhibition (expo) hall (Olympia, London)A pocket microscope – it was exciting to see close-ups on a bigger screen with this – and also the Intel microscope below.Intel USB microscopes like this were donated to every UK school in 2000. At £2000 each a classroom set of laptops deserved a secure storage solution,I attended a course run by PASCO in Roseville, California. PASCO equipment was the tier one stuff. sensors such as this colorimeter from Pasco or Vernier could sometimes be connected to Texas Instruments calculators with the right interface cable (2000)A makeshift colorimeter, vintage 1989.
I recently rediscovered a unilab powerbase in my loft it’s been there for a long long time, I remember getting it as part of a job lot from a school in the late 90s. I’ve cleaned it up cosmetically and I’m just about to fix some leaky caps and replace the internal battery. I would like to do something with it but I have no manual or software and references to it online are almost non existent. Do you know or any sources for manuals/software?
This early 90’s interface predates internet and Adobe Acrobat manuals. It was more capable and expensive and not very popular – though it probably sold because it came from UNILAB who were known for ‘good stuff’. I saw it but unlike most other stuff never used it. I think it could record data very fast physics experiments. You’d send a 0 – 1v signal from a sensor into an analogue input and see the reading on a graph.
I can’t even tell you the name of the software but my friend Laurence at Insight Resources it more likely to know. Go here for his email https://insightresources.co.uk/iLOGstudio/page12.html
Good luck Andrew. Do report anything useful.
The following contacts may stored a manual – the addresses from Data logging & Control (on this site) will have changed
SSERC, Scottish Schools Equipment Research
Centre, 23 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AE. Tel: 0131
558 8180. Fax: 0131 558 8191 http://www.sserc.org.uk
CLEAPSS, School Science Service, Brunel
University, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH Tel: 01895 251496 Fax:
01985 814372 http://www.cleapss.org.uk
rogerfrost.com is a compendium of ideas for using technology with sciencey questions in mind. Started in 1995 to offer ideas to school science teachers, its coverage now extends to gadgets, home automation, home living and sensors to help understand what’s going on around the house.
It’s fully indexed so you can use keywords and the search box above to find content.
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Roger Frost (his cv) has been writing about technology since 1988 and this web includes his articles; tutorials, lesson outlines and radio interviews.
I recently rediscovered a unilab powerbase in my loft it’s been there for a long long time, I remember getting it as part of a job lot from a school in the late 90s. I’ve cleaned it up cosmetically and I’m just about to fix some leaky caps and replace the internal battery. I would like to do something with it but I have no manual or software and references to it online are almost non existent. Do you know or any sources for manuals/software?
This early 90’s interface predates internet and Adobe Acrobat manuals. It was more capable and expensive and not very popular – though it probably sold because it came from UNILAB who were known for ‘good stuff’. I saw it but unlike most other stuff never used it. I think it could record data very fast physics experiments. You’d send a 0 – 1v signal from a sensor into an analogue input and see the reading on a graph.
I can’t even tell you the name of the software but my friend Laurence at Insight Resources it more likely to know. Go here for his email https://insightresources.co.uk/iLOGstudio/page12.html
Good luck Andrew. Do report anything useful.
The following contacts may stored a manual – the addresses from Data logging & Control (on this site) will have changed
SSERC, Scottish Schools Equipment Research
Centre, 23 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AE. Tel: 0131
558 8180. Fax: 0131 558 8191 http://www.sserc.org.uk
CLEAPSS, School Science Service, Brunel
University, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH Tel: 01895 251496 Fax:
01985 814372 http://www.cleapss.org.uk