Physics
overview:
The primary focus of the Science Education Initiative in the Physics Department is the improvement of upper-division, junior-level courses, namely the first semester of Electricity and Magnetism and Quantum Mechanics. The department has a strong history of course transformation, using research-based interactive techniques such as peer instruction, "clicker" questions, and small group tutorials, but these efforts have been primarily directed towards lower-division introductory courses.
The aim of the SEI is to investigate the application of these techniques to the junior-level courses, and to research their effect on student learning. These courses are characterized by a higher degree of mathematical rigor and sophistication than the lower division courses, and populated by students who have made some level of commitment to the physical sciences -- the majority are physics and astronomy majors. For this specialized group, do some of the same student-centered teaching techniques help students learn more than traditional lecture? We will attempt to address this question, as well as compile resources that may be useful to faculty in teaching an effective course.
Our accepted Science Educatsion Initiative proposal can be reviewed here.
Click here to get course materials for Physics 3310 (Electricity & Magnetism 1).
Click here to get course materials for Physics 3220 (Quantum Mechanics 1).
