The (Short) Story of Gameport Probeware...
In the summer of 1997 I was introduced by a fellow colleague (David Rodriguez) to the Partners in Science program (funded by the M. J. Murdoch Charitable Trust and Research Corporation). This was a fabulous experience that paired me (a high school science teacher) with a university professor (Dr. David Cleary at Gonzaga University) doing real world research. My job was to interface computers to analytical probes and I was given great liberty to investigate all apspects, e.g. programming, interfacing, communication and calibration protocols. I spent a lot of time planning on how to bring what I learned back into my high school classroom, but cost always seemed to be a road block.
In January of 1999 I finally found the answer to my science lab ambitions! After my Partners in Science final presentation in Tucson, Arizona I attended a workshop titled: "Resurrecting Dinosaur Computers" by Dr. Luis A. Martinez-Perez and Shawn E. Beightol (Florida International University and Miami-Dade County Public Schools, respectively). In a short time we learned how to use an inexpensive gameport adaptor and make probes from phone cable and inexpensive off-the-shelf electronic components. To top it all off, the software to read these probes was free!I could now create a lab station with 3 common probes (light, temperature, and force) for as little as $5! Compared to CBL-type alternatives this was a savings of over $200 per station ! It is now my mission to promote this Gameport Probeware to all teachers and students, especially those on a limited budget!
--- Scott Jacobson
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