Re: [Phys-L] Fwd: BS/BA Physics Programs geared to under-prepared students?

[John Denker <jsd@av8n.com>]

On 12/03/2015 01:25 PM, DANIEL MACISAAC forwarded this question:

> > I am looking for examples of BA/BS in Physics programs that are
> > designed to meet the needs of under-prepared students. Our BA/BS
> > Physics programs require students to pass Calc I before taking any
> > course that counts toward the BA/BS- there's a distinct possibility
> > we are losing viable majors before they ever take physics. Have
> > other departments tackled this issue? What have they done?

Memo from the keen-grasp-of-the-obvious department:

There exist physics courses that require only a /concurrent/ 
(not prior) calculus class.  Feynman volume I is an example 
... and I know of some rather good institutions that happily 
count such courses toward the major.

At the best institutions, the math guys coordinate with
the physics guys, which is a tremendous win.  One day math 
is doing derivatives, and the next day physics is doing
principle of virtual work.  One day math is doing linear 
algebra, and the next day physics is doing photon polarization.
One day math is doing the axioms of probability measure, and
the next day physics is doing mean free path.  Et cetera.

While you're at it, you should consider integrating computation, 
biochemistry, physics, and math in one big bundle.  The startup 
transient when creating such a program requires tremendous 
resources and exceptional political skill, but once it gets 
going it is relatively easy to maintain.

> From the students' point of view, this is a win, because
the physics motivates the math, while the math explains the
physics.  In contrast, if you require the math in advance,
that is OK for the quasi-mathematicians who are interested
in math for its own sake ... but quite unnecessarily washes
out those who are less patient, less trusting, and more
interested in seeing some practical reason for studying.

This is all so obvious that it suggests that I am misunderstanding
the question.  If so, please clarify the question.

Also note that the "calculus before physics" requirement is
only the tip of a much larger iceberg.  There are lots of
hard-to-explain requirements.  Examples include:

 *) At many schools (albeit not all), physics is required for
  admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program, even though the
  typical practicing pharmacist does not use or even remember
  anything he supposedly "learned" in physics class.

 *) Ditto for various other programs, such as the graduate 
  SLP (speech/language pathologist) program.

 *) In many jurisdictions, algebra is required for a pre-K-3
  teaching certificate, and indeed is a prerequisite for the
  upper-division program that leads to a teaching certificate.
  For the people on this list, that doesn't sound like a big
  hurdle, but the fact is, it washes out millions of people
  who would otherwise make excellent teachers.  Only about
  5% of what is covered in a typical algebra course is of
  any use to a pre-K-3. teacher.

  One obvious step in the right general direction is to offer
  a course that isn't pure math but rather teaches the relevant
  ideas in the context of well-motivated practical applications.
  This has been implemented in a few places.