Making holograms: an educational CD-ROM

Pearl John; Elaine Janelle Poche

doi:10.1117/12.549296

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29 June 2004 Making holograms: an educational CD-ROM

Pearl John; Elaine Janelle Poche

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Proceedings Volume 5290, Practical Holography XVIII: Materials and Applications; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.549296
Event: Electronic Imaging 2004, 2004, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

The Columbia Career Center high school SPIE chapter has created an educational CD-ROM to teach holography to students on the threshold of a career path in Photonics. This paper examines the development of the CD-ROM as an educational project from the perspectives of both teacher and student. Holography has been used successfully in educational institutions as a motivational tool for students and a vehicle for the teaching of a wide variety of skills. These include problem solving, teamwork, safety, communication, research, mathematics, analysis of data, documentation, equipment handling, and knowledge of light theory, which involves the principals of reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference and polarization. All of these skills are essential to the photonics industry and, as a result, holography is considered by the Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD)1 to be a national photonics skill standard for Laser Electro-optical Technicians (LEOTs). Thus, training in holography - using both simple and advanced techniques and equipment - prepares students for a variety of vocations involving laser technology. However, the teaching of holography can be beneficial at many different levels of education, including middle and high school students, college students and interested adults. The educational CD-ROM, "Making Holograms," is the first of its kind. It includes both simple, single beam holography using a laser pointer, and more advanced split-beam setups using helium neon lasers. This paper outlines both the benefits and challenges involved in the production of an educational CD-ROM on holography by high school students and their advisor in an SPIE high school chapter.

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Pearl John and Elaine Janelle Poche "Making holograms: an educational CD-ROM", Proc. SPIE 5290, Practical Holography XVIII: Materials and Applications, (29 June 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.549296