摘要:

In the fall of 1969, MIT extended an open invitation to all of its undergraduate students to join the professional research activities of the faculty. This undergraduate research program rapidly increased in size, scope, impact, and diversity. In this article we report on the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) in the MIT Physics Department: the philosophy and objectives of the Physics program, its organization, rules, funding, growth, atmosphere, problems, and accomplishments. By the end of its first three years, Physics UROP included more than 50% of all the undergraduates enrolled in physics. Evaluations of UROP by faculty, administrators, and students were uniformly enthusiastic. This article presents the outline of how Physics UROP was established and how it evolved. Now in its seventh year, UROP has survived to maturity without becoming a cumbersome bureaucracy.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.10456

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1976

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

Small‐scale trials of the Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) in physics at MIT under the sponsorship of the Education Research Center were followed by adoption of large‐scale introductory PSI courses in the Department of Physics. After four semesters, all introductory physics PSI courses were suspended. This study investigates what happened. We point out organizational difficulties in going from small‐ to large‐scale use of the PSI method. We also identify certain conflicting perceptions among participants and observers that contributed to the suspension. The study, we hope, is an example of an informative ’’postmortem’’ of a type much needed in higher education.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.10457

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1976

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

This article describes the investigation and teaching of two general cognitive skills important in introductory physics. We first analyzed the various abilities needed for understanding a relation (definition or law) well enough to use it appropriately. Then we developed two different instructional methods for teaching students the general learning skill of gaining such an understanding of any new relation. We further taught students a simple strategy for problem solving. Our results indicate that students can indeed be taught such general cognitive skills and that they can transfer these skills to areas outside of physics.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.10458

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1976

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

Increasingly during the past 20 years intellectual development has been recognized as the central purpose of education. The Piagetian model of intellectual development tells us that each student must engage a subject in a manner appropriate to his or herpresentstage of development if he or she is to advance to thenextstage of development. When applied to college physics teaching, this theory implies that the large fraction of introductory physics students who are at the concrete operational stage of development must observe physical phenomena directly while they themselves are manipulating the equipment. Only in this way can they progress to the formal operational stage that characterizes professionals in the field.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.10459

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1976

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

Prepared at the request of the AAPT Editorial Board for Resource Letters. This is one of a series of Resource Letters on different topics intended to guide college physicists, astronomers, and other scientists to some of the literature and other teaching aids that may help improve course contents in specified fields. No Resource Letter is meant to be exhaustive and complete; in time there may be more than one letter on some of the main subjects of interest. Comments on these materials as well as suggestions for future topics will be welcomed. Please send such communications to Professor Aaron Owens, Editor, Resource Letter Board, Department of Physics, Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, Illinois 60045.Notation: The letter E after an item number indicates elementary level; the letter I indicates intermediate level; and the letter A indicates advanced material. An asterisk (*) indicates those references we feel to be especially helpful.Reprints: When ordering, request Resource Letter RC‐1. Enclose 75 cents per copy (not in stamps) together with a stamped and self‐addressed envelope and send to Melba Phillips, Acting Executive Officer, American Association of Physics Teachers, Graduate Physics Building, SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.10460

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1976

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

’’The Age of Newton’’ is an intensive course in mathematics (calculus), mechanics, optics, and astronomy directed mainly toward nonscientists. Although it introduces the subjects in a consciously historical context, it is a course in—not merely about—science and mathematics. The course is divided into a central lecture series, at which guest lecturers may participate, a series of topical tutorial lectures, and four workshops or laboratories, one each in mathematics, mechanics, optics, and astronomy. Original sources, notably Newtons’sOpticsand Galileo’sTwoNewSciences, are used as far as practicable. Special apparatus was built to allow the performance of the experiments described by Newton and Galileo, in addition to modern experiments with air tracks, spectroscopes, lasers, and the rotating room.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.10461

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1976

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

A course that has been given at Michigan State University for nonscience upper‐class students is described. Its aim is to present the salient ideas of relativity and quantum physics in association with the lives of Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr. Generally qualitative arguments and discussions of key experiments are used to convey the scientific content. The controversy between Bohr and Einstein on quantum theory is included, and serves to point up a basic philosophical innovation in twentieth century physics. Some attention is also given to the attempts of both Einstein and Bohr to influence political events.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.10462

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1976

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

This paper provides information to aid in starting a course in musical acoustics. The selection of topics for lecture, a project‐mode laboratory, texts, references, equipment, and lecture demonstrations are covered.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.10463

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1976

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

A steerable 0.25‐m Ebert monochromator and photomultiplier detector were employed to measure the spectra of the clear daytime sky (Rayleigh scattering). The day sky intensity as a function of wavelength was observed to vary as λ−4in agreement with Rayleigh’s predictions and observations. The same monochromator and detector with the addition of a multichannel scaler were used to observe the night sky spectra (airglow). The oxygen (OI) emission at 557.7 nm was observed from the ground by using this technique.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.10464

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1976

数据来源: AIP

摘要:

The aim of this paper is to exhibit the relationship, for free electrons in two dimensions, between the dispersion relation ε=ε (k) = (h/2/2m)(kx2+ky2), the contours of constant energy, and energy band structures in various directions. It has been found that these results, while well known, are not usually interconnected and presented together for the student.

ISSN:0002-9505    

DOI:10.1119/1.10465

出版商:American Association of Physics Teachers    

年代:1976

数据来源: AIP