Physics 111 - College Physics I
College Physics I is an introductory level course in Classical Mechanics typically organized into three main units of study; Kinematics (the study of motion), Statics & Dynamics (the study of interactions), and Principles of Conservation (a study of energy and momentum concepts). This is an algebra-based course which will require some familiarity with trigonometry, as well.
In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, this course switched to an online model for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021.
My Spring 2021 teaching schedule does not include PHY111. I suspect I'll be teaching it again in Fall 2021 though.
My format for online teaching & learning will include the following:
(Posted to Canvas) Instructional videos focusing on introduction to related concepts and relevant mathematics as well as basic problem-solving methodologies,
(Posted to Canvas) Practice pages with an assortment of questions to reinforce instructional videos and identify students' areas of strength as well as opportunities for improvement,
(Posted to Canvas) Answer keys for practice pages and recorded screencasts of full solutions to selected problems to highlight decoding skills, application of physics concepts, application of mathematical skills, and "expert-level" documentation of the problem-solving process,
(Hosted on Webex) Student participation in once-a-week required instructional sessions (typically the first 1 hour 15 minutes on one of the days the class was scheduled to meet when it was in-person),
(Posted to Canvas) Labs and/or Discussions to provide additional opportunities to further develop content knowledge and skills,
(Hosted on Webex) 1-on-1 virtual office hours and regular "interviews" where students can get additional support and/or provide additional evidence of understanding (especially important for students aiming for A's and B's).
(Posted to Canvas) Assignments from The Expert TA online homework system to provide students a good measure of how well they're understanding the content and are able to deploy the knowledge and skills to correctly answer a wide variety of problems associated with the content.
How will I be graded?
I have been considering a Contract-for-Grade system for quite a while - the move to online due to the Covid-19 Pandemic was the push I needed to make the change.
Within the first few weeks of the semester you will be required to chose what grade you're contracting for: A, B, or C. I will be providing a detailed list of requirements for each level. As long as you meet or exceed ALL of the requirements for the level you're contracting for, you will have earned that grade. If you fall short of holding up your end of the contract, you will have earned the highest grade for which you have completed ALL of the requirements.
One example of the tiered requirements may be as follows:
Assignments on The Expert TA:
To earn a C, you must complete all assignments on time and the average grade on each assignment (as opposed to the average across all assignments) must be 70% or above (with the possible exception of one outlier that is 60% or higher). You must also submit some evidence of work on selected problems.
To earn a B, you must complete all assignments on time and the average grade on each assignment must be 80% or above (with the possible exception of one outlier that is 70% or higher). You must also submit clearly organized and thorough work for a greater selection of problems.
To earn an A, you must complete all assignments and the average grade on each assignment must be 90% or above (with the possible exception of one outlier that is 80% or higher). You must also submit "expert-level" work for all problems.
Will I need a textbook?
I don't usually teach directly from a text, but when I do I prefer....
My students are not required to purchase a textbook in order to be successful in the course. If a student would like a hardcopy of a textbook to use as a reference/resource, just about any College Physics text will do the trick. I will refer to content and assign problem sets gathered from College Physics from OpenStax. The OpenStax text is available for free as a PDF or viewable online at https://openstax.org/details/books/college-physics.
Will I need to buy anything for this class?
The one item that each student will definitely need to purchase is access to an online homework system called The Expert TA. The cost will be approximately $35 for the semester. If you're interested in giving it a quick look before the semester begins, you can find information at https://theexpertta.com/ Access to The Expert TA will be through Canvas so that the Third-Party Software links more effectively with our course.
And, because this course is being taught online, students will also need regular access to a computer with internet access as well as webcam and microphone capabilities for Webex video conferencing (although a smart phone may suffice for video conferencing).