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Teacher Education at Illinois State University

PHYSICS 287 -- INDEPENDENT STUDY (Light)

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

Fall Semester 2009

(under revision; last updated 4/09/2009)

Catalog Description:

This informal optional course allows students to address specialized interests or needs. This variant is suitable for any student who has completed an introductory sequence in physics. Contact program coordinator for details.

Instructor:

Name: Dr. Carl J. Wenning
Physics Teacher Education Program
Office Location: Moulton Hall, Room 301-C
Office Hours: drop in or by appointment
Telephones: (309) 438-2037 (office); 830-4085 (cell)
E-mail address: wenning@phy.ilstu.edu

Meeting Days/Times/Location:

Because this course is an independent study, students will complete work on their own schedule. Students should arrange a mutually agreeable time to meet with the instructor of record as necessary. Most project work will be completed in Moulton Hall, room 307-B. The department generally does not loan out materials for at-home work.

Methodology:

The student will complete 1-3 units of Modeling Method's 2nd semester topics - Models of Light. The units deal with the particle, wave, and photon models of light. It is assumed that the student has sufficient understanding in the area of physics to complete the required exercises independently. It is not the intention of this independent study course to provide training in inquiry. Students will inadequate background are expected to remediate using their own time, effort, and resources.

Course Goals:

The goals of this independent study course are to help the teacher candidate to:

• experience a conceptual approach to physics instruction,
• develop a fuller and more conceptual understanding of mechanics,
• become familiar with the Modeling Method of Instruction as a viable approach to inquiry-oriented high school teaching,
• build the teacher candidates resume so that (s)he will be more qualified to teach using Modeling in school systems where it is already practiced.

Required Text:

Students are not required to purchase any textbook for this course; students will receive Modeling Instruction guidelines in printed form. Complete resources are available through the Arizona State University Modeling web site (login and password needed for complete access to all Modeling materials).

Student Performance Assessments:

The student will complete all activities and assessments outlined in each of the units.

Grading:

Grades will be based on the number of credit hours for which a student is registered. The final course grade will be determined on the basis of the number of satisfactorily completed and scored units (freely make use of Assessment-for-Learning Policy common to all PTE courses) submitted by 4 P.M. on the LAST DAY OF CLASSES - NOT THE LAST DAY OF FINALS WEEK. NO INCOMPLETE GRADES OR TIME EXTENSIONS WILL BE GRANTED. Units must be completed in sequence; no skipping of sections allowed without course instructor's approval. Grades will be assigned on the following basis:

Academic Integrity:

Students are expected to be honest in all academic work. A student's name on any in academic exercise shall be regarded as assurance that the work is the result of the student's own efforts. Offenses involving academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following: cheating, computer dishonesty, plagiarism, grade falsification, and collusion. For more information about this important topic, visit the Student Dispute Resolution Web site.

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