Physics adds applied introduction courses

Starting this fall, science and engineering majors will have the opportunity to take a new set of physics courses—specifically 2211 and 2212—that are tailored to equip students with skills required in the real world and are also more conceptually advanced than the traditional set of courses.

“It’s the same set of courses, but it’s a new curriculum,” said Michael Schatz, associate chair for the School of Physics. “It is updated and makes introductory physics more appropriate for scientists and engineers.”

“The courses take classical ideas such as mechanics and electromagnetism and puts them in a broader context,” Schatz said.

Matthew Kohlmyer, a Physics postdoctoral fellow, said that the salient themes of these classes revolved around the internal connections between different areas of physics. According to Kohlmyer, an example of the curriculum changes would be the discussion of momentum in terms of relativity, thereby putting the theories in context.

“[These courses] allow a deeper unification of physics overall,” Kohlmyer said. “For example, standard physics has no thermal [physics]. Now, thermal physics and mechanics are linked in 2211.”

All these modifications characterize a curriculum that brings in an emphasis between the macroscopic and microscopic worlds, something that—according to Schatz—is a deviation from the norm.

“Typically, we have focused on big things, but there is an emphasis on the microscopic world because of the focus on nanotechnology,” Schatz said.

Schatz said that the connection between small scale and large scale is the main theme throughout 2211 and 2212. “It’s an important concept for engineers to have in their toolkit,” Schatz said.

Schatz said that since this curriculum is set out from the engineer’s viewpoint it wields three basic tools: theory, experiment and computer modeling. “There’s a very heavy emphasis on fundamentals,” Schatz said. “You can’t get away with simple formula memorization.”

According to Kohlmyer, the labs for the new courses have been given a complete overhaul.

“There will be problem-solving in recitation, as well as computer modeling and hands-on experiments,” Kohlmyer said.

The new curriculum will also allow students to use computers more. “In the standard course, computers are not used the way engineers use them,” Schatz said.

Instead of just using computers to turn in homework and check grades, students will be using computing tools to investigate real-life problems such as students using graphics to visualize the movement of a charge in space.

Kohlmyer said students will have to modify their thought process in order to succeed with the new curriculum. “In the new curriculum, you are solving problems where you have to make assumptions. This is unlike the standard course where you just look up formulas,” Kohlmyer said. “We want to know you can create assumptions to make sense of the situation. An example would be the assumption of a ball-spring model for solids whereas they’re not really like that at microscopic level.”

According to Schatz, the curriculum would also be attractive to pre-med students. He felt that the syllabus, updated with content pertaining to biology, would help more on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).

Tech is not unique in its introduction of this curriculum.

“It’s a well tested curriculum,” Schatz said. “North Carolina State and Carnegie Mellon are already offering it. Purdue will start this fall.”

The School of Physics is stretching the introduction of these courses over the upcoming summer and fall semesters. In the summer the new 2211 will be taught by Kohlmyer, while the fall will feature both new courses. Schatz will be teaching 2211 and Kohlmyer will be teaching 2212.

These initial courses will be taught in sections of about 40 students each, whereas standard courses have lectures consisting of 200 or more students. According to Schatz, the smaller class size will help foster student-lecturer interaction.

According to the professors, both courses will always be offered. Students are free to take any course and can move between the different sets. For example, a student could take standard 2211 and then take the updated 2212; conversely he could take the updated 2211 and then register in regular 2212.

Labs, however, do not offer the same flexibility as their lecture counterparts in terms of interchangeability. If a student takes standard 2211, does poorly and takes the updated 2211, he cannot option out of the lab as he could if he repeated standard 2211. This is due to the difference in experiments in the updated lab.

Some students had mixed opinions of the new courses. “I think it’s a good idea because if you’re an engineer, you can concentrate on the engineering aspects of physics,” said Matthew Buckner, a second-year Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering major.

“Practical knowledge of physics is useful, but I’m happy [with the current class],” said Andrew Myers, a first-year Computer Engineering major.