Request for New Course
EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
DIVISION OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
REQUEST FOR NEW COURSE
DEPARTMENT/SCHOOL: ________PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY_________________COLLEGE:
ARTS AND SCIENCES
CONTACT PERSON: _____________ERNIE BEHRINGER______________________________________________________________
CONTACT PHONE:
(734) 487-8799
CONTACT EMAIL:
EBEHRINGE@EMICH.EDU
REQUESTED START DATE: TERM______SUMMER_______YEAR____2016_______
A. Rationale/Justification for the Course
As a result of two internal program reviews since 2003, our Master’s Program in Physics changed to more efficiently
use resources while incorporating more writing (via the inclusion of a new course, PHY 510 Proposal Writing in
Physics) and computation (through the inclusion of new courses, PHY 530/531 Topics in Computational and Advanced
Physics I/II). During the past few years, analysis of the transcripts of our graduate students has convinced us of the
need to have a program option based solely on taking courses. Additionally, data from the American Institute of
Physics indicate that laboratory skills and skills related to project management are valuable in the post-graduate careers
of physicists. Consequently, we propose adding two laboratory courses to make possible a coursework-only program
option. PHY 517 Experimental Project in Physics is one of these courses, and guides students through a self-contained
project that involves the design, construction, performance, analysis, computational modeling, and communication of
an instructional laboratory experiment. By conducting all aspects of this project, students will gain valuable skills and
knowledge while providing an experimental apparatus to the Department for future use in instructional laboratories.
This course will be especially valuable for students interested in pursuing a career in college-level teaching. A faculty
load of 3 credit hours is requested for the Summer I term in alternate years.
B. Course Information
1. Subject Code and Course Number:
2. Course Title:
PHY 517
Experimental Project in Physics
3. Credit Hours:
2
4. Repeatable for Credit? Yes_______
No___x___
If “Yes”, how many total credits may be earned?_______
5. Catalog Description (Limit to approximately 50 words.):
A laboratory course that provides experience in experimental design and construction, data acquisition and analysis,
computational modeling, and technical communication in the context of generating an experiment and apparatus for
teaching upper-level undergraduate laboratory skills and concepts. Instruction consists of four hours of laboratory per
week during a summer term.
6. Method of Delivery (Check all that apply.)
a. Standard (lecture/lab)
On Campus
b. Fully Online
c. Hybrid/ Web Enhanced
Miller, New Course
Sept. 09
x
x
Off Campus
New Course Form
7. Grading Mode:
Normal (A-E)
x
Credit/No Credit
8. Prerequisites: Courses that MUST be completed before a student can take this course. (List by Subject Code, Number and Title.)
9. Concurrent Prerequisites:
Code, Number and Title.)
Courses listed in #5 that MAY also be taken at the same time as a student is taking this course. (List by Subject
10. Corequisites: Courses that MUST be taken at the same time as a student in taking this course.
(List by Subject Code, Number and
Title.)
11. Equivalent Courses. A student may not earn credit for both a course and its equivalent. A course will count as a repeat if an equivalent
course has already been taken. (List by Subject Code, Number and Title)
12. Course Restrictions:
a. Restriction by College. Is admission to a specific College Required?
College of Business
Yes
No
x
College of Education
Yes
No
x
b. Restriction by Major/Program. Will only students in certain majors/programs be allowed to take this course?
Yes
No
x
If “Yes”, list the majors/programs
c. Restriction by Class Level Check all those who will be allowed to take the course:
Undergraduate
Graduate
All undergraduates_______
All graduate students__X__
Freshperson
Certificate
Sophomore
Masters
Junior
Specialist
Senior
X
Doctoral
Second Bachelor________
UG Degree Pending_____
Post-Bac. Tchr. Cert._____
Low GPA Admit_______
Note: If this is a 400-level course to be offered for graduate credit, attach Approval Form for 400-level Course for Graduate
Credit. Only “Approved for Graduate Credit” undergraduate courses may be included on graduate programs of study.
Miller, New Course
Sept. ‘09
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New Course Form
Note: Only 500-level graduate courses can be taken by undergraduate students. Undergraduate students may not register for
600-level courses
d. Restriction by Permission. Will Departmental Permission be required?
Yes
No
(Note: Department permission requires the department to enter authorization for every student registering.)
13. Will the course be offered as part of the General Education Program?
Yes
No
x
x
If “Yes”, attach Request for Inclusion of a Course in the General Education Program: Education for Participation in the Global Community
form. Note: All new courses proposed for inclusion in this program will be reviewed by the General Education Advisory Committee. If this
course is NOT approved for inclusion in the General Education program, will it still be offered? Yes
No
C. Relationship to Existing Courses
Within the Department:
14. Will this course will be a requirement or restricted elective in any existing program(s)? Yes
x
No
If “Yes”, list the programs and attach a copy of the programs that clearly shows the place the new course will have in the curriculum.
Program
Masters of Physics
Required
Program
Required
15. Will this course replace an existing course? Yes
No
x
Restricted Elective
Restricted Elective
x
16. (Complete only if the answer to #15 is “Yes.”)
a. Subject Code, Number and Title of course to be replaced:
b. Will the course to be replaced be deleted?
Yes
No
17. (Complete only if the answer #16b is “Yes.”) If the replaced course is to be deleted, it is not necessary to submit a Request for
Graduate and Undergraduate Course Deletion.
a. When is the last time it will be offered?
Term
Year
b. Is the course to be deleted required by programs in other departments?
Contact the Course and Program Development Office if necessary.
Yes
No
c. If “Yes”, do the affected departments support this change?
Yes
No
If “Yes”, attach letters of support. If “No”, attach letters from the affected department explaining the lack of support, if available.
Outside the Department: The following information must be provided. Contact the Course and Program Development office for
assistance if necessary.
18. Are there similar courses offered in other University Departments?
If “Yes”, list courses by Subject Code, Number and Title
Yes
No
x
19. If similar courses exist, do the departments in which they are offered support the proposed course?
Yes
Miller, New Course
Sept. ‘09
No
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New Course Form
If “Yes”, attach letters of support from the affected departments. If “No”, attach letters from the affected department explaining the lack of
support, if available.
D. Course Requirements
20. Attach a detailed Sample Course Syllabus including:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
Course goals, objectives and/or student learning outcomes
Outline of the content to be covered
Student assignments including presentations, research papers, exams, etc.
Method of evaluation
Grading scale (if a graduate course, include graduate grading scale)
Special requirements
Bibliography, supplemental reading list
Other pertinent information.
NOTE: COURSES BEING PROPOSED FOR INCLUSION IN THE EDUCATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE GLOBAL
COMMUNITY PROGRAM MUST USE THE SYLLABUS TEMPLATE PROVIDED BY THE GENERAL EDUCATION
ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THE TEMPLATE IS ATTACHED TO THE REQUEST FOR INCLUSION OF A COURSE IN THE
GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM: EDUCATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY FORM.
E. Cost Analysis (Complete only if the course will require additional University resources.
Fill in Estimated Resources for the
sponsoring department(s). Attach separate estimates for other affected departments.)
Estimated Resources:
Year One
Year Two
Year Three
Faculty / Staff
$_________
$_________
$_________
SS&M
$_________
$_________
$_________
Equipment
$__1000___
$__1000___
$___1000__
Total
$_________
$_________
$_________
F. Action of the Department/School and College
1. Department/School
Vote of faculty: For ____9____
Against ____0_____
Abstentions _____0___
(Enter the number of votes cast in each category.)
Department Head/School Director Signature
March 31 2016
Date
2. College/Graduate School
A. College
College Dean Signature
Date
B. Graduate School (if Graduate Course)
Miller, New Course
Sept. ‘09
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New Course Form
Graduate Dean Signature
Date
G. Approval
Associate Vice-President for Academic Programming Signature
Miller, New Course
Sept. ‘09
Date
Page 5 of 5
PHY 517
Experimental Project in Physics
Syllabus and General Information for Summer 2016
Brief Description:
A laboratory course that provides experience in experimental design and construction, data
acquisition and analysis, computational modeling, and technical communication in the context of
generating an experiment for teaching upper-level undergraduate laboratory skills and concepts.
Instruction consists of four hours of laboratory per week.
Prerequisites:
None.
Required Course Materials:
•
•
PHY 517 Course Pack
A quadrille-ruled, bound laboratory notebook (loose leaf pages are unacceptable)
Course Learning Objectives:
By the end of this course, I expect you to be able to:
•
•
•
•
Safely and skillfully use a range of equipment found in upper-level instructional laboratories.
•
•
Develop a budget for an experimental apparatus.
•
•
•
Collect data using the constructed apparatus.
•
Construct your own understanding of physics concepts and experimental techniques relevant
to your project.
•
•
Write an organized, concise, and readable report on your project.
Work independently to achieve experimental objectives.
Maintain a detailed laboratory notebook that could be useful to you five years from now.
Design an experimental apparatus, including mechanical and/or electrical schematics,
estimates of the size of the effects one should expect to observe.
Construct an experimental apparatus, including the production of necessary custom-made
parts, the assembly and troubleshooting of the apparatus and any data acquisition software.
Analyze and computationally model the collected data.
Read, understand, and communicate the contents of a peer-reviewed technical article
(research paper).
Generate and deliver an oral presentation using professional software describing your
project.
Meeting Times:
PHY 517 is scheduled to meet Tuesday from 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM, and Friday from 9:00 AM –
11:00 AM in Room L51 of the Science Complex beginning Tuesday, May 5, 2016. The last class
meeting will take place on Friday, June 24, 2016.
PHY 517
Summer 2016
Page 1 of 4
Eastern Michigan University
E. Behringer
Attendance, Participation, and Conduct:
This is a laboratory course. It is necessary to be active in lab to achieve the objectives of this
course. Because of the requirement to perform laboratory activities, the importance of
attendance and participation cannot be overemphasized. To get the most out of this course, we
will conduct ourselves in accordance with the Student Conduct Code (see:
http://www.emich.edu/sjs/conductcode.html).
Special Needs:
If you have special learning needs documented by the EMU Disability Resource Center (DRC),
please provide me with the documentation no later than the first class meeting so that I can
accommodate those needs. The documentation process may be facilitated by the EMU DRC in
240K Student Center, which can be reached by phone at (734) 487-2470. For more information,
see www.emich.edu/drc/ .
F and J Visa International Students:
The Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) requires F and J students to report
the following to Office of International Students, 229 King Hall, within ten (10) days of the event:
§
Changes in your name, local address, major field of study, or source of funding.
§
Changes in your degree-completion date
§
Changes in your degree-level (ex. Bachelors to Masters)
§
Intent to tansfer to another school
Prior permission from the Office of International Students is needed for the following:
§
Dropping ALL courses as well as carrying or dropping BELOW minimum credit hours
§
Employment on- or off-campus
§
Registering for more than one ONLINE course per term (F-visa only)
§
Endorsing I-20 or DS-2019 for re-entry into the United States
Failure to report may result in the termination of your SEVIS record and even arrest and
deportation. If you have questions or concerns, contact the Office of International Students at
(734) 487-3116, not your instructor.
Academic Honesty:
There is a fundamental expectation of academic honesty -- that the work you submit for grading
during this course is your own. You are certainly encouraged to interact with your peers and with
me to discuss the work in advance of its submission, but the work you submit must belong to you.
Academic dishonesty of any kind (e.g., plagiarism) will be penalized (see the Student Conduct
Code at: http://www.emich.edu/sjs/conductcode.html).
Design, Budget, and Construction: (250 points; 25% of your course grade)
After you have selected your project in consultation with the instructor, you will design an
experimental apparatus, which includes estimating the magnitude of observable effects and
making all necessary mechanical and/or electrical drawings. You will also generate a budget
corresponding to your finished design. After acquiring the necessary materials, you will construct
the apparatus and make design changes as needed. Documentation of the design, budget, and
construction is required.
PHY 517
Summer 2016
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Eastern Michigan University
E. Behringer
Data Acquisition and Data Analysis/Computational Modeling:
(500 points; 50% of your course grade; 250 points data acquisition, 250 points
analysis/computational modeling)
Upon completing the construction of the apparatus, you will use it to acquire data that was
anticipated during the design phase. You will analyze the acquired data using an appropriate
computational model of the physical system. Documentation of the data acquisition and of the
analysis is required.
Technical Communication: (250 points; 25% of your course grade; 150 points
written report; 100 points oral presentation)
Upon completion of the analysis, you will generate both a written report and an oral presentation
describing the entire project: design, budget, construction, data acquisition, and data
analysis/computational modeling.
Course Grade:
Your course grade will be calculated from your scores for the different phases of the project:
design, budget, and construction 25%; data acquisition and data analysis/computational modeling
50%; and technical communication 25%. There is no curve for this class: you are competing
only against yourself, not your fellow students. That is, you must earn more than 90% of the total
points possible to earn an "A" grade of some type, 80% to earn a "B" grade of some type, 70% to
get a "C" grade of some type. For example: say that you scored 95% of the design, budget and
construction points, 85% of the data acquisition and data analysis/computational modeling points,
and 75% of the technical communication points. On a 1000 point scale, that gives (.95 x 250 =
237.5) + (.85 x 500 = 425.0) + (.75 x 250 = 187.5) = 850.0, which is a B.
Total Points
930.00 or greater
900.00 to 929.99
870.00 to 899.99
830.00 to 869.99
800.00 to 829.99
Grade
A
AB+
B
B-
Total Points
770.00 to 799.99
730.00 to 769.99
700.00 to 729.99
Less than 700
Grade
C+
C
CF
Instructor:
Dr. Ernie Behringer. Office: 317 Strong Hall. Office telephone: (734) 487-8799.
E-mail: ebehringe@emich.edu
Office hours:
WR 1:30 – 3:30 PM; F 11:00 AM - noon AM; and by appointment. These office hours may
change during the semester. If so, then I will notify you of these changes during class and also
by e-mail. If you see that my office door is open, don't hesitate to drop by; I’m happy to talk with
you!
A Rough Overview of the Semester (this is not exact!):
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
PHY 517
Summer 2016
Dates
May 3, 6
May 10, 13
May 17, 20
May 24, 27
May 31, June 3
June 7, 10
June 14, 17
Laboratory Topics
Selection of Experiment, design
Mechanical/electrical design, budget, materials acquisition
Data acquisition design and data analysis scheme
Construction
Construction and data acquisition
Data acquisition and data analysis
Data analysis and technical writing
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Eastern Michigan University
E. Behringer
8
June 21, 24
Technical writing and technical presentation
Bibliography:
There are several resources that may be useful for you, depending on the physics content of your
project. For example, mechanical and/or electrical schematics can be drawn using a variety of
free software; data acquisition can be done with Arduino, Raspberry Pi, PASCO or Vernier and
even National Instruments hardware and software; and data analysis can be done using
spreadsheets (e.g., Excel) and/or structured language programming (e.g., Python). Examples of
websites and texts that may be useful are listed below.
1. Free software such as QCAD for 2D mechanical drawing, and tinycad for electrical
schematics.
2. Information about Arduino can be found at http://www.arduino.org/
3. Information about Raspberry Pi can be found at http://www.raspberrypi.org
4. Information about PASCO hardware and software can be found at http://www.pasco.com
5. Information about Vernier hardware and software can be found at http://www.vernier.com
6. Information about National Instruments hardware and software can be found at
http://www.ni.com . Particularly useful for learning LabVIEW is Hands-On Introduction to
LabVIEW for Scientists and Engineers, by John Essick (ISBN-10 0195373952; ISBN-13
978-0195373950).
7. The Python programming language is described at https://www.python.org/ Free
distributions that can be easily installed include the Canopy distribution and the
Anaconda distribution. PC users should note that the Anaconda distribution does not
contain an integrated development environment.
PHY 517
Summer 2016
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Eastern Michigan University
E. Behringer