For each specialty studies program (and as applicable for each endorsement program or graduate program) prepare a program narrative (5-6 page maximum) which:
a. Describes the philosophy, rationale, and objectives of the program and explains how the program is consistent with the philosophy, rationale, and conceptual framework of the unit.
b. Describes the sequence of courses and/or experiences to develop an understanding of the structures, skills, core concepts, ideas, values, facts, methods of inquiry, and uses of technology.
c. Describes how candidates are prepared to utilize a variety of instructional approaches to address the various learning styles of students.
d. Describes any differences that may exist between elementary or secondary preparation to teach in each major or minor area (e.g. instructional resources, field placements, instructional techniques).
e. Describes how the program incorporates gender equity, multi-cultural, and global perspectives into the teaching of the subject area.
f. Describes how the program covers multiple methods of student assessment appropriate to content area.
While we use as our benchmark the NSTA Standards for Science Teacher Preparation (November 1998) and the content covered in the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification, the field of physics is well established and there is a broad consensus regarding the core of the program. An intensive two term (ten credit hour) introductory sequence required of majors and minors surveys all of the key topics in classical physics. Topics addressed include classical mechanics, waves, electricity, magnetism, and light. A recent change has removed the thermodynamics component from the overcrowded syllabus of the introductory sequence and added a required thermodynamics course to the program. A survey course in modern physics completes the overview of all of the key topics in physics. The remaining courses explore some of these topics in more detail and provide a more advanced laboratory experience.
Physics courses at the high school level typically devote a significant amount of time to the study of classical mechanics, in part due to the very visual nature of this topic and its ability to be readily illustrated by examples from everyday experience and simple laboratory experiments. For this reason, a junior level course in classical mechanics is also required for all majors and minors. By the same token, electrical and magnetic phenomena are often treated in detail at the high school level owing to their practical applications (in e.g., household circuits), and hence a junior level course in that area is also required of all majors and minors. Finally, to address the concerns of how physics has an impact on our society and to address the topic of laboratory ethics, majors in this program are required to take a senior level course covering ethical issues in physics.
Recognizing the importance of active, hands-on learning and of providing ample opportunity for scientific inquiry, there is a requirement of three laboratory-based courses for majors (one for minors). This requirement is in addition to the basic laboratory that accompanies the introductory sequence. We require this laboratory experience because a physics teacher must be capable of setting up and running laboratory experiments for their class. At the same time, the "lecture demonstration", typically a tabletop experiment performed in front of a class, is a fundamental pedagogical tool in this science. Requiring students to have a substantial amount of background in laboratory work will sharpen their lecture demonstration skills as well as present them with specific ideas for demonstrations.
Majors are required to take other specialized upper level courses to fulfill the minimum number of physics hours required. This flexibility allows students to explore in greater depth topics of particular interest to them. A recently introduced capstone course rounds out the educational experience for our majors by giving them the opportunity to engage in a group research project and to report on it in both written and oral forms. While this course was not required during the time period covered by this report, we anticipate it will become a strong component of our program.
Throughout this sequence of physics courses, students see and work with equipment ranging from the very basic, which can be used in classrooms operating on a shoestring budget, to some of the most advanced equipment available. Hence, one day they may be using simple sunglasses to study polarization while on another day they may be using oscilloscopes to study AC circuits. It is of fundamental importance that students see the full range of possibilities for physics applications. Experiments using elementary equipment often do an excellent job of illustrating the most basic principles in the context of everyday experience. Using sophisticated equipment, on the other hand, gives students the opportunity to make more precise measurements and also to work with advanced technology.
Extensive math training is required of both majors and minors in the physics program, and math is an essential element of all required physics courses with the possible exception of Ethical Issues in Physics. Majors and minors take at least one life sciences course, and majors also take an astronomy course and a chemistry course. These requirements help broaden the scientific perspective of the student and allow for the identification of basic themes found in all branches of science.
Physics and Astronomy faculty use a wide range of instructional approaches, including (but not limited to) traditional lectures, peer teaching, group learning experiences, open-ended projects, and learning through laboratory exercises. Thus majors and minors alike experience a wide range of techniques from the perspective of the learner. Furthermore, the unit in CURR 305 and the student teaching unit require both variety in teaching strategies and reflections on how the unit meets the needs of diverse learners.
The diversity of faculty in the Physics and Astronomy department helps promote an atmosphere in which gender equity, multicultural, and global perspectives are taken into account (50% of the tenure/tenure track faculty in the department are white males). Global perspectives on society and technology issues are addressed in PHY 406 Ethical Issues in Physics as are gender equity issues within the US physics community. Multicultural reflection questions in both CUR 305 and student teaching require students to reflect on gender and multi-cultural issues regarding their unit.
EDPS
340 requires the CAP (Classroom Assessment Plan) which requires students
to develop both traditional and authentic assessments. In student teaching,
students must create and implement an assessment plan for their unit, documenting
evidence for student learning. Furthermore, in the Physics and Astronomy
Department, students also experience a variety of assessment approaches,
ranging from traditional multiple choice and problem solving tests to problem
sets, papers, lab reports, and oral presentations.
Based on a review of our program, we are instituting the following
changes. In the Fall of 2003, the topics of cryogenics and liquid nitrogen safety
will be added to PHY 360 Heat and Thermodynamics. Classroom and laboratory safety
guidelines identified by the Council of State Science Supervisors will be reviewed
in PHY 332 Intermediate Mechanics Laboratory. A separate assessment of this material
will be made in the context of that course. We are also going to require a new
capstone experience for all of our physics majors, PHY 420. This course gives
students an extended group project experience supplemented by instruction on
project design and analysis and on oral and written presentations. We will also
explore significant additions to content coverage in PHY 370 Introduction to
Modern Physics to include topics in nuclear physics, elementary particle physics,
the theory of solids, and relativistic electro-dynamics. We will likely need
to increase the number of credit hours in the course to accommodate the additional
material, so that implementation would not occur until Fall 2004 at the earliest.