CURRICULUM PROPOSAL FORM #4
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-WHITEWATER

CHANGE IN OR DELETION OF EXISTING COURSE
Type of Action
 
  Course Deletion      Requisite Change
X Course Revision   Repeatability Change
  Description Change    Diversity Option
  Title Change   General Education Option
  Number Change    area:
  Contact Hour Change    Computer Requirement
X Credit Change    Writing Requirement
  Add Cross-listing    Other  
Effective Term: Spring 2002   
New/Current Course Number: PHYSCS - 489 /  Crosslist Number: -
Old Course Number: ________-______/_______   
New/Current Course Title:  Physics Senior Seminar
Old Course Title:  
15 Character Abbreviation:   
25 Character Abbreviation:   
Sponsor(s):  Kenneth Menningen 
Department(s):   Physics
College(s):   Letters & Sciences
Other Programs Affected:   N/A

Check if course is required in: _X_Major/Emphasis (specify): all emphases of Physics major

____Minor/Emphasis (specify):

____Other (specify):


I.     Detailed explanation of changes

Credit Change FROM: 1 credit
TO: 2 credits
The goal of this course has expanded from not only training students to make scientific presentations to also summarizing the academic content of the major and assessing their understanding of the material. Because the workload will increase the credits should also increase. The plan is to meet twice a week, once to train students in reading, summarizing, and presenting scientific work and once to review physics concepts and methods in preparation for the Educational Testing Service’s Major Field Test. The test is to be administered as a final exam for the course, with no more than 1/3 of the course grade to be determined by the student’s performance on the final exam.

Catalog Description Change FROM:

Students will demonstrate mastery of methods of summarizing work in progress, including literature citation, work summary and proposal for future work; will demonstrate proper methods of verbal and visual presentation by delivering a graded series of talks, concluding with a satisfactory colloquium on a physics topic.

Prereq: Students must possess senior-level standing in the major to receive credit for participation. Students with less than senior standing are encouraged to attend in preparation for full participation when they become seniors.

TO:

The course will train students in making scientific presentations, summarize the concepts and methods taught in the physics major curriculum, and prepare them for the Physics Major Field Test as the final exam in the course. Students will become familiar with physics literature and learn to write abstracts and project proposals. They will demonstrate proper methods of verbal and visual presentation by delivering a graded series of talks, concluding with a satisfactory colloquium on a physics topic. Two one-hour sessions a week.

Prereq: Students must possess senior-level standing in the major to receive credit for participation. Students with less than senior standing are encouraged to attend in preparation for full participation when they become seniors.

 II.     Justification of changes The addition of the Major Field Test and curriculum review activities to the course will strengthen it as a capstone course for the major, will solidify the student’s understanding of the material, and will greatly aid the department in the assessment of its program.
 
  Example Syllabus:
 
Required texts: Public Speaking for Scientists & Engineers, Peter Kenny
(available at Text Rental)  

Course Objectives: This course has the following objectives:

These objectives will be reached by assigning library work, making and evaluating presentations, and working selected homework problems as a review.

Attendance: There are 30 class meetings, and you may miss two of them with little consequence. For each additional missed class your final grade will be lowered by one letter.

Grading policy: The course grade is based upon homework, presentations, and the final exam, weighted approximately as follows:
 
Grading Scale

 
Grade Breakdown

 
Letter
Score
  
Assignment
Weight
A
75-100
   Presentations
40%
B
60-74
   Written reports
20%
C
50-59
   Final exam
20%
D
40-49
   Homework
20%
F
0-39
      

 

Exams: The final exam is a multiple choice, standardized exam from Educational Testing Service called the Major Field Test. It is scheduled for Wednesday, May 10 at 3:15 pm.

Homework: A few example problems will be assigned at each lecture to be turned in the following week. The goal is to help you review all the physics you’ve learned and to prepare you for the final exam.

Tentative Course Schedule:
 
Week
Presentations session
Review session
1
 intro, launch library search mechanics
2
 elements of a presentation gravity & periodic motion
3
 public Q & A session relativity
4
 writing project proposals electrostatics
5
 hints on public speaking electrodynamics
6
 short talks laws of thermodynamics
7
 short talks gas kinetics & statistical mechanics
8
 short talks optics & waves
9
 evaluate a research article quantum mechanics
10
 evaluate a research article angular momentum, Bohr atom
Spring Break
11
 evaluate a research article blackbody radiation, Zeeman effect
12
 writing abstracts and articles radioactive decay
13
 final colloquia solid state physics
14
 final colloquia laboratory instrumentation, error analysis
15
 final colloquia astrophysics
               
16
        Final Exam Major Field Test