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One model for an integrated math/physics course focusing on electricity and magnetism and related calculus topics

American Journal of Physics -- August 2000 -- Volume 68, Issue 8, pp. 749-757

Issue Date: August 2000
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KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords
PACS
  • 01.40.Di
    Communication, education, history, and philosophy Education Course design and evaluation
  • 01.50.-i
    Communication, education, history, and philosophy Educational aids
  • 02.30.-f
    Mathematical methods in physics Function theory, analysis
  • YEAR: 2000

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PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN:
0002-9505 (print)  
Publisher:
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Jason W. Dunn
Department of Physics, Union College, Schenectady, New York 12308

Julius Barbanel
Department of Mathematics, Union College, Schenectady, New York 12308
Over the last decade, there has been an increasing, widespread pedagogical interest in developing various types of integrated curricula for science and engineering programs. Over the last three years, a year-long Integrated Math/Physics course has been developed at Union College. This paper will focus on a model for a one-quarter integrated course organized around a traditional set of electricity and magnetism (E&M) physics topics, integrated with appropriate mathematical topics. Traditional, nonintegrated E&M physics students often struggle with challenging vector calculus ideas which may have been forgotten, not yet encountered, or introduced with different notation in different contexts. Likewise, traditional vector calculus mathematics students are often unable to gain intuitive insight, or fail to grasp the physical significance of many of the vector calculus ideas they are learning. Many of these frustrations are due to the fact that at many schools, the physics and calculus teachers teaching separate courses probably have little or no idea what their fellow educators are actually doing in these courses. Substantial differences in context, notation, and philosophy can cause breakdowns in the transfer of knowledge between mathematics and physics courses. We will discuss the methods, philosophy, and implementation of our course, and then go on to present what we feel were the substantial strengths and insights gained from a thoughtful integration of the two subjects. In addition, some problem areas and recommendations for probable student difficulties will be addressed. ©2000 American Association of Physics Teachers.
History: Received 9 July 1999; accepted 5 October 1999
Permalink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.19537

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