PHYSICS TEACHING ONLINE QUIZZES, AN APPLICATION OF PHPTRIAD AND MySQL IRINA RADINSCHI 1 , LUMINITA SCRIPCARIU 2 , BRINDUSA CIOBANU 1 , MIRCEA FRUNZA 2 1 Department of Physics, “Gh. Asachi” Technical University, Ia ºi, 700050, Romania radinschi@yahoo.com 2 Faculty of Electronics and Telecommunicationa, “Gh. Asachi” Technical University, Iaºi, 700050, Romania Received September 26, 2006 In this paper we describe an assessment quiz tool and how it has been integrated in our lecture courses of physics in a powerful way. Our experience demonstrates that this computational method appears to be one of the most preferred modes of instruction. The topics within the quizzes make them an efficient tool. The web-design and database are elaborated using PHPTriad and MySQL programs. PHPTriad is a powerful program that contains the main modulus composed by a server running in Apache, the connection with the database which is elaborated in MySQL and, also, the connection with the web-design through PHP-html. MySQL is recognized for superior ease of use, performance, and reliability. It is a program designed for the creation and administration of databases. It provides security to the online quizzes which are password protected with Java Script. The online quizzes are designed to remedy some of the students’ deficiencies and help them to their homework. The online test is a reliable tool for the content and structure of students’ knowledge of physics. Key words: on-line quizzes, PHPTriad, MySQL. INTRODUCTION The years of experience [1–6] has demonstrated that the computational programs are powerful computer-based instruction systems. Also, the compute- rized homework assignment helps students to learn and solve homework in a new way. From our experience we have concluded that students have a little fear of what is behind the equations that describe the physics phenomena. Also, they come from high schools with an established view of both the physical world and learning and, also, they have poor math’ skills. But physics relies heavily on mathematics. An interesting question arises: what are more important, converting words and events into mathematical concepts or have a good understanding of Paper presented at the National Conference on Applied Physics, June 9–10, 2006, Galaþi, Romania Rom. Journ. Phys., Vol. 53, Nos. 1– 2 , P. 423–427, Bucharest, 2008