The Eastern Integrative Experience
The College of Sciences
Department of Physics
The EIU Experience
Physics Curriculum: In the
introductory courses material is
presented so that the students can get
an overview of the subject matter. The
students understand some of the
mathematical and physical concepts.
Intermediate level courses introduce the
students to some of the mathematical
and physical details of the subject. The
students are also introduced to a wider
variety of physical phenomena and their
basic skills are used to help them
understand the new material. At the
upper level the students truly begin to
see the overall complexity of the subject
and the ways that the physical world
around them functions. Finally, the
Physics Seminar is a capstone course for
the Physics Major. It is used to pull
together all of the information and skills
that have been taught.
Required Courses outside of
Physics: Math, Chemistry, and
Geology/Geography courses are
required of majors in Physics. Different
concentrations have different
requirements. Students take Calculus,
Differential Equations, Introductory
Chemistry, and other courses.
Integrative Elements
The curriculum of the Physics Major has a significant amount of vertical
integration. Each course builds on the previous courses and uses
material learned in those courses to further the complex connections
within the subject. Through this course structure the students learn the
relationships between the different topics in Physics within the
overarching framework of fundamental physical principles and
mathematical techniques.
Much of the mathematics that is taught in the math course is actually
applied in the Physics course. There is also a significant amount of
overlap between the Physics courses and Chemistry courses that a
Physics student might be taking. There are several topics that are
covered in Chemistry and then later covered in Physics from a slightly
different point of view. It is helpful for instructors to compare and
contrast the information from the different subjects. When a given topic
is covered in more than one subject area it increases the importance and
Computer programming is taught in
Math and Physics and used throughout
the technical parts of the curriculum.
General Education: The Physics
Department offers General Education
courses for other majors
Physics Service Courses: The
Physics Department offers service
courses for other majors.
relevance for the student and that increases the learning. This is
horizontal integration.
Students taking General Education Physics courses learn about the basic
physical principles that not only hold our world together but also
orchestrate all interactions. From the smallest particle to the solar
system and beyond, the students learn the relationships between objects
in the physical world that they interact with constantly. Students learn
about the scientific method and about mathematical relationships to help
them to understand the principles presented. Physics, as a subject, is
more about the approaches to problems than it is about facts. Therefore
students in Physics learn more about how to put critical thinking to use
to solve problems in creative and innovative ways. Problem solving and
critical thinking are central concepts that are taught in Physics courses.
The techniques and methodology learned in Physics classes are
applicable in a variety of situations encountered throughout our lives.
These courses add horizontal, cosmic, and global integration to the
curriculum.
The service courses are generally introductory courses. The service
courses are also useful to the students in helping them to understand the
foundations of their own subject. For example a pre-med student taking
introductory Physics would see an oscilloscope which is the basis for an
EKG or an EEG. Similarly a Communications Disorders student that
takes the Physics of Sound and Music would learn what sound waves are
and how they react to different situations. This is information that they
can take back to their major courses with new insights as to how to
approach the sounds that they are working with. These courses serve the
role of giving horizontal integration to the students in other disciplines.
Because some of these courses are two semester sequences there is a
certain amount of vertical integration that is taught with these courses.
The material is also presented in a way that optimizes the cosmic
integration for the student since the field of study covers everything in
the cosmos.
Physics Upper Level Courses:
Physics majors are required to take
several upper level Physics courses such
as Physics Seminar and Advanced Lab.
Physics Tutor Program: Some
students are asked to tutor lower level
students. The introductory courses are
covered by this activity. Furthermore,
some students are allowed to grade
homework papers for the introductory
classes.
Seminar is certainly a course that requires the student to make
connections between several lower level courses. Another course that
forces students to reach back and make connections with previous
courses and disciplines is Advanced Lab. In this course students must
use techniques learned in the introductory labs as a practical matter for
working with the apparatus and also in analysis of the data.
Furthermore, the theoretical concepts that are explored in the Advanced
Lab are often specific details of the theory that has been taught in the
introductory and intermediate level courses. The Observational
Techniques course is similar for students in the Astronomy
concentration. The hierarchical nature of Physics lends itself well to
global integration for the students.
Teaching the subject to other students is an excellent way to force a tutor
to organize and understand what they are teaching. These experiences
are clearly global integration.
Teaching: The process of teaching and
The culture of scientists is to be skeptics. It is important that nothing be
learning Physics is also something that
taken for granted in the scientific world. Everything is tested against
encourages students to consider their
previous knowledge and concepts. Students are encouraged to not accept
personal experiences.
everything blindly and repeat it by rote. The steps taken in Physics are
designed to follow from all of the previous steps in a logically consistent
manner. Students check the work of the professor and measure the
results against their expectations and notions. When there is a
contradiction between what is presented and what is expected the culture
of the Physics Department is for students to question. This helps to
deepen understanding for the student. These experiences are designed to
enhance the global, personal, and cosmic integration for the students.
REU: The Physics Department also
encourages our students to participate
in summer internships and Research
Experiences for Undergraduates.
These experiences give the students summer employment in their chosen
field to help them to understand their career choice. It is also helpful as a
personal growth process because the students gain independence and
also see new ways of looking at their subject. Students that participate in
the REU program and in other internships come back to EIU with added
Mentoring: The Physics Department
uses mentoring as an effective way to
give students an integrative experience.
knowledge and experience which they can apply to their coursework
here. They also have been known to present the work that they
undertook thereby sharing the experience with others. This enhances
global, personal, and cosmic integration for the students. It also makes
use of vertical and horizontal integration.
Mentoring in research gives the student a chance to see how science is
really done. Textbooks have problems that have solutions. Research is
more open ended. The questions posed for research may or may not
have solutions. It is the journey that teaches the lessons. Students learn
how to approach problems and how to think critically about each and
every detail of a research project. These experiences are designed to
promote global thinking by using more of the student’s past experiences
to problem solve an open ended problem.
Physics Presentations: Mentoring
also often includes presentations at
local, regional, and national
conferences.
The process of doing the research, preparing the presentation, going to
the conference, and presenting the paper incorporates many aspects of
the student’s preparation. This process is very helpful in developing well
rounded and competent scientists. This leads to cosmic integration and
personal integration.
Appreciative Advising: Advising has
long been a part of the integrative
experience for Physics students. The
most recent push, appreciative advising,
has been part of the academic advising
for Physics majors for decades.
One cannot advise a student in Physics without knowledge of the overall
goal of the student because the electives that are taken are dependent on
the particular interests and goals of the students. The Physics
Department uses appreciative advising as part of the personal integrative
experience for the students.
Professional Organizations: The
extracurricular activities of the Physics
Department are another direction
where we already accomplish some
integrative experience. The Society of
Physics Students is a national
professional society that we encourage
our majors to join. The Astronomy Club
is another organization that we
encourage some students to join.
The local chapter is a registered student organization that meets weekly.
During those meetings the faculty advisor has opportunities to present
the students with information about their career choices. Graduate
school information is often a topic of discussion. The SPS is a good
forum for presentation of internship materials with discussions of the
pros and cons involved. The Astronomy Club is another organization
that can accomplish some of the same goals. Both of these clubs offer
networking opportunities that can aid the students both in their
coursework and beyond college. This can help in personal integration.
Community Service Activities: The
Physics Department also tries to give
their students values that include
community service.
The Observatory holds monthly public viewings and students are on
hand as volunteers to help out. The Pre-Engineering program holds
engineering competitions in the fall and WYSE Competition in the
spring. Students are asked to help out at both of these functions. These
help to develop personal integration and also five the students an
opportunity to see the way Physics fits into the world thus enhancing
cosmic integration.
Role Models: The Physics
Jie Zou is active in research and also in community service through such
Department faculty is also a resource for avenues as Women in Science and Math (WISM). Amit Joshi, though in
students in developing their integrative his first year at EIU, has already been active as a researcher and
experience. Each faculty member is a
mentored a student. Cherie Lehman is an innovative teacher, working
role model for the students. Therefore
with U of I on pedagogy projects (SoTL) but she is also an active leader in
the activities of the faculty are
Physics Education serving on national boards in that area. Jim Conwell
important.
is active in the Astronomy Club and works tirelessly to make the
Observatory a community resource and showpiece. He is also supported
in some of those efforts by Dave Linton who has contacts that give him
exclusive access to high resolution astronomical images for display.
Steve Daniels is active as a student mentor and also shows community
involvement through leadership positions in community school
organizations and the local Rotary. Len Storm has worked with the PreEngineering program for many years and has developed significant
student involvement in that program. Don Pakey has been reaching out
to the students through his role as Faculty Advisor to the SPS and
mentors students as well. There are other examples of the pursuits of the
faculty that indicate that the students have well rounded role models.
Through these role models the students can see the importance of
Physics as a subject and as a career. The varied nature of the activities of
these role models also helps the students to see the integration of
Physics, professional career, and life.