Request for New Course
EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
DIVISION OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
REQUEST FOR NEW COURSE
DEPARTMENT/SCHOOL: ______Physics & Astronomy____________________COLLEGE:
Arts and Sciences
CONTACT PERSON: __Dr. Diane Jacobs________________________________________________________________
CONTACT PHONE:
487-8646
CONTACT EMAIL:
djacobs@emich.edu
REQUESTED START DATE: TERM_____Fall________YEAR_____2012______ (This course has been taught twice as PHY 590.)
A. Rationale/Justification for the Course
This course serves as an introduction to teaching physics as a graduate teaching assistant at Eastern Michigan University. It is a
discipline-specific course required for all new graduate teaching assistants in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. The
class is designed to prepare teaching assistants for their new role as laboratory instructors at Eastern Michigan University as well
as for potential careers involving instruction at other institutions or in other professional capacities.
This course for general elective credit for the majors listed under item B.12.
B. Course Information
1. Subject Code and Course Number:
2. Course Title:
PHY 550
Supervised Teaching in Physics
3. Credit Hours:
1
4. Repeatable for Credit? Yes_______
No__X____
If “Yes”, how many total credits may be earned?_______
5. Catalog Description (Limit to approximately 50 words.):
Mandatory course for teaching assistants in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Topics, specific to the experiments
they will be teaching, include: teaching theory, effective teaching methods, casting educational objectives, laboratory safety,
proper laboratory procedures, and grading by rubric.
6. Method of Delivery (Check all that apply.)
a. Standard (lecture/lab) X
On Campus
X
Off Campus
b. Fully Online
c. Hybrid/ Web Enhanced
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.)
None
9. Concurrent Prerequisites:
Code, Number and Title.)
Miller, New Course
Sept. 09
Courses listed in #5 that MAY also be taken at the same time as a student is taking this course. (List by Subject
New Course Form
None
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.)
None
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)
None
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
X
No
If “Yes”, list the majors/programs
Master of Science in Physics (PHY)
Master of Science in Physical Science
Master of Science in Physics Education (PHYE)
c. Restriction by Class Level Check all those who will be allowed to take the course:
Undergraduate
Graduate
All undergraduates_______
All graduate students____
Freshperson
Certificate
Sophomore
Masters
Junior
Specialist
Senior
Doctoral
Second Bachelor________
UG Degree Pending_____
Post-Bac. Tchr. Cert._____
Low GPA Admit_______
X
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.
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?
Miller, New Course
Sept. ‘09
Yes
No
X
X
Page 2 of 4
New Course Form
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
No
X
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
Required
Restricted Elective
Program
Required
Restricted Elective
15. Will this course replace an existing course? Yes
No
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
No
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.
Miller, New Course
Sept. ‘09
Course goals, objectives and/or student learning outcomes
Page 3 of 4
New Course Form
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
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
$_________
$_________
$_________
Total
$_________
$_________
$_________
F. Action of the Department/School and College
1. Department/School
Vote of faculty: For _10_________
Against ___0_______
(Enter the number of votes cast in each category.)
Abstentions _____0_____
Department Head/School Director Signature
Date
2. College/Graduate School
A. College
College Dean Signature
Date
B. Graduate School (if Graduate Course)
Graduate Dean Signature
Date
G. Approval
Associate Vice-President for Academic Programming Signature
Miller, New Course
Sept. ‘09
Date
Page 4 of 4
PHY 550
Supervised Teaching in Physics
Fall 2012
Email: djacobs@emich.edu
Web: www.physics.emich.edu/djacobs
Instructor: Dr. D. Jacobs
Office: 333 Strong Hall
Phone: 487-8646
Class Meeting Time: Friday 9:00 am to noon.
Office Hours: Monday 10 to 11, Tuesday & Thursday 11 to 12 and 1 to 2. Other office hours by
appointment. You may also contact me by email.
Description
This course serves as an introduction to teaching physics as a graduate teaching assistant
at Eastern Michigan University. It is a discipline-specific course required for all new
graduate teaching assistants in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. The class is
designed to prepare teaching assistants for their new role at Eastern Michigan University
as well as for potential careers involving instruction at other institutions or in other
professional capacities.
This course will include not only general practical and pedagogical information that can
be useful for a beginning TA in any field, but it also offers techniques and activities that
are particularly appropriate for teaching physics. This material should make teaching not
only less daunting for you, but also more rewarding for both you and your students.
Objectives
This course is designed to prepare you for your employment as an instructor at the
university and to assist you in your professional development. We will review physics
teaching strategies, administrative procedures, classroom responsibilities, and laboratory
safety. The course will include a review and critique of each participant's classroom
teaching.
Attendance
In order to achieve the course objectives your attendance and full participation are a
must. If you miss more than one class without documentary evidence of a medical or
family emergency, you will receive a failing grade in the course.
Topics
Our sessions will include the following topics:
! Techniques to organize and conduct the first meeting of a laboratory class
effectively
! Discussion of the range of options for dealing effectively with students and
classroom problems
! University and departmental instructional policies
! Practice in planning and organizing the short lectures before each experiment, this
will include your blackboard presentation
! Performing the weekly experiments and analyzing the data
! Discussing the sources of error in each experiment and how to evaluate whether
or not the students have done an appropriate error analysis
! Answering the questions in the lab manual and discussing the range of acceptable
answers
! Discussion of the use of rubrics in grading physics laboratory reports
! Understanding and properly implementing the grading procedures as outlined by
the faculty laboratory coordinator
! Understanding and properly implementing laboratory safety procedures
!
!
Producing, or revising, a handbook for new departmental graduate teaching
assistants
Making improvements to the lab experiments and/or the lab manual
Homework
There will not be extensive homework assignments in this class. You will be required, at
least once, to prepare the blackboard presentation for a specific lab experiment. You may
also have to complete the discussion of the answers to the questions in the lab manual, or
of the error analysis, in an online forum if there is not enough time to complete the work
during the regularly scheduled class time. You will be responsible for producing or
revising part of the handbook for teaching assistants.
Grading
You will be given, in class, the specific grading criteria for each assignment. You will
need to master all the topics with a grade of B+ or better to do well in the class. The final
course grades will be determined as follows: >96% A, 93-95% A-, 90-92% B+, 88-89 B,
85-87 B-, 82-84 C, <84% E. The standard is high because the endeavor is so important.
Final
Your task is to come up with ways of improving the physics labs at Eastern Michigan
University. You will select an experiment from a lab manual you are using this semester
and carefully consider ways to correct or improve the material. For example: you might
think of better ways to analyze the data, you might think of better questions for the end of
the exercises, you might think of better ways to use the equipment, you might find better
equipment, or you might think of an entirely different exercise that meets the same
learning objectives in a better manner. Specific guidelines for this activity will be given
to you in class. You must turn in your Proposal for Improvements in the Physics Labs
during the regularly scheduled time for the final exam.
Bibliography
The instructor will be presenting topics discussed in the references listed here. The students are
encouraged to use these books and journal articles when preparing their final project.
A. B. Arons, A Guide to Introductory Physics Teaching, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1990.
R. R. Hake, “Socratic pedagogy in the introductory physics laboratory,” Am. J. Phys. 55, 878-884
(1987).
A. Hofstein, “The role of the laboratory in science teaching: neglected aspects of research,” Rev. of
Educ. Research, 52, 201-217 (1982)
R. Knight, Five Easy Lessons, Strategies for Successful Physics Teaching, Addison Wesley, New York,
2004.
R. Knight, “The vector knowledge of beginning physics students,” The Phys. Teach. 33, 74-80 (1995).
W. McKeachie, Teaching Tips, Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers,
13th ed., Cengage Learning, Inc., Belmont, CA, 2010.
A. Van Heuvelen, “Learning to think like a physicist: A review of research-based instructional
strategies,” Am. J. Phys. 59, 891-897 (1991a).
Conduct
“Students are expected to abide by the Student Conduct Code and assist in creating an
environment that is conducive to learning and protects the rights of all members of the
University Community. Incivility and disruptive behavior will not be tolerated and may
result in a request to leave class and referral to the Office of Student Judicial Services
(SJS) for discipline. Examples of inappropriate classroom conduct include repeatedly
arriving late to class, using a mobile /cellular phone while in the class session, or talking
while others are speaking. You may access the Code online at: www.emich.edu/sjs.”
Note: This course syllabus is a general plan for the course. It may be necessary for the instructor to
announce deviations to the class.