Virtual Science UK

I have taught in schools, colleges and universities, from primary to post-grad. Created educational resources for Astronomy, Physics, Computer Science and Languages. These Physics e-practicals are the result of years of research into online Physics education supported by published research.

Learning by doing. All the e-practicals are highly interactive and require the learner to fully engage with the tasks. To get good results requires attention to detail and the realisation that the immersive environment of the virtual laboratory is dynamic, batteries go flat, objects may cool or heat, objects can fall onto the floor.

The Association of Science Education's Green Tick. I've found your software very useful when a concept comes up with pupils and I have to demonstrate something really quickly without having the time to set up a formal experiment for them. The graphics are great and I really like the ability to move around the classroom and observe the experiment from different aspects. I am far more likely to go to one of your interactive experiments if it's demonstrating something that we don't have equipment for.“ Andrew McPhee Wellington School I thought that the controls were pretty easy to get used to and the detail in the apparatus was excellent being able to zoom in and see the set up of the multi-meter and read scales, being careful of parallax. This type of software is most useful in experiments which can't be done in the lab like the gravity on the moon or where the equipment is too expensive or difficult to use like the Millikan Oil drop." ​Physics Scholar Coordinator.

BSc Hons Mathematics (Dunelm), Msc Astronomy (Sussex), PhD Computer Science (CNAA).

Selected publications Lucas R. J. High School and Undergraduate Physics Practicals with 3d Simulations. CRC Press. 2022. ISBN 978-1-032=20129-0 Lucas R. J. Advanced Physics Practicals with 3d Simulations. Cre-atespace. 2017. ISBN 97815447218455 Lucas R. J. How to install and setup an EQ6 wedge. BBC The Sky at Night, October 2016. Lucas R. J. How to build your own science experiment in a virtual world. Proceedings of the 13th European Conference on e-Learning. October 2014, Edited Dr. Rikke Orngreed and Dr. Karin Tweddell Levinson. ISBN 978-1910309-67-4. Published by Academic Publishing Limited. Lucas R. J. Virtual Spaces for 3D Animation, The Journal of the Stereoscopic Society Volume 195. Summer 2012. Edited by Hibbert, W. Lucas R. J. How to represent a frog that can be dissected in a virtual world. Proceedings of the 10th European Conference on e-Learning Brighton Business School, University of Brighton UK. 10-11 November 2011. Edited by Asher Rospigliosi University of Brighton ISBN: 978-1-908272-23-2 CD Published by Academic Publishing Limited. Holmes S, Kolb U, Haswell CA, Burwitz V, Lucas RJ, Rodriguez J, Rolfe SM, Rostron J, Barker J, 2011, PIRATE: A Remotely-Operable Telescope Facility for Research and Education, PASP Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 123, 1177-1187 Lucas R. J., Kolb U. Software architecture for an unattended remotely controlled telescope. Journal of British Astronomical Association. October 2011. Vol121. No. 5. Preprint available from: http://arxiv.org/abs/1012.3058 Lucas R. J. How to drift align using a camera. BBC The Sky at Night, November 2010. Lucas R. J. Software emulation of an unattended remotely controlled telescope. Physics Higher Education Conference. Glasgow September 2010. Proceedings. ISBN 978-1-903815-28-1 Kolb, Ulrich; Lucas, Robert; Burwitz, Vadim; Holmes, Stefan; Haswell, Carole; Rodgriguez, Juan; Rolfe, Samantha; Rostron, John and Barker, John. PIRATE - the piCETL Astronomical Telescope Explorer. In: Norton, Andrew ed. Electronic Resources for Teaching and Learning (In press). The Open University, pp. 58–64. Lucas, R. J. Using a virtual world for teaching the motion of projectiles. In Norton, Andrew ed. Electronic Resources for Teaching and Learning (In press). The Open University, pp. 58–64. Lucas, R. J. The Celestial E-Sphere. In Norton, Andrew ed. Electronic Resources for Teaching and Learning (In press). The Open University, pp. 58–64. Burwitz, V.; Pietsch, W.; Henze, M.; Updike, A.; Milne, P.; Williams, G.; Hartmann, D. H.; Rodriguez, J.; Holmes, S.; Kolb, U. and Lucas, R. (2010). Apparent Nova in M31: M31N 2010-01a. International Astronomical Union, Cambridge, MA, USA. Henze, M.; Burwitz, V.; Pietsch, W.; Rodriguez, J.; Haswell, C. A.; Holmes, S.; Kolb, U. and Lucas, R. (2010). Confirmation of a nova candidate in M 31 in optical and Swift UVOT observations. The Astronomer's Telegram (2727). Burwitz, V; Rodriguez, J; Holmes, Stefan; Kolb, Ulrich and Lucas, Robert (2009). Apparent Nova in M31: M31N 2009-11a. International Astronomical Union, Cambridge, MA, USA. Lucas R. J. 3-D Immersive Screen Experiments. Physics Community & Cooperation Selected Contributions from the GIREP-EPEC & PHEC 2009 International Conference, (Groupe International de Recherche sur l'Enseignement de la Physique, European Physics Education Conference, Physics Higher Education Conference) 17-21 August 2009 Leicester University. Editors: Derek Raine, Cheryl Hurkett, Laurence Rogers. (ISBN 978-1-4461-6219-4). Lucas R. J. Construction of an Astronomical Pier. BBC The Sky at Night. February 2010. Kolb U, Lucas R and Burwitz V. Students capture living Universe with PIRATE. Proceedings GIREP-EPEC & PHEC 2009. 17-21 August 2009 Leicester University. Lucas R. J. The design of an image bank. New Directions Issue 5. UK The Higher Education Academy, Physical Sciences Centre. http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/physsci/publications/newdirections (ISSN 1740-9888). Lucas R J, Kolb U. Use of 3-D Virtual Environments in Teaching Physics and Astronomy. Proceedings of Frontiers In Science Education Research. Cyprus March 2009 Eastern Mediterranean University press 2009. ISBN 978-975-8401-67-3. Lucas R J, Kolb U. Use of 3-D Virtual Environments in Teaching Astronomy and Physics. Proceedings of Physics Higher Education Conference. University of Edinburgh 2008. Published by the Higher Education Academy Physical Sciences Centre. ISBN 978-1-903815-21-2. Lucas R J. Starfield – a fly through view of the Milky Way. BBC Sky at Night Cover disk Headlining entry, August 2008. Lucas R J. The Celestial E-Sphere. BBC Sky at Night Cover disk, July 2008 Lucas R J. Plotting the orbit of a Satellite. A pilot GReTL case study using Moodle. Second Workshop on Geographically-Referenced Teaching and Learning, 12th July 2006. Available at The OU Knowledge Network http://kn.open.ac.uk/document.cfm?documentid=8548