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Re: Jackson on Jackson



Leigh,

Have you examined the Chabay & Sherwood text? I have taken some activities
from that text, some from Robert Morse's HS activities (AAPT: Teaching About
Electrostatics), some from Laws' Workshop Physics and done them with my
intro algebra-based E&M students. On those few topics I could find/edit/
construct 5-15 minute in-lecture activities for I was very gratified
with the final level of student understanding. Note my lectures are scheduled
to be 75 min (!) long with NO recitations.

This does not reflect increased algebraic prowess. Chabay & Sherwood spend
the most time on that (& Gauss) of the above, and this was beyond my goals
for these noncalc students (I show them the Calc only). There is a dearth of
research on student learning in E&M. On the bright side, my students
can more rationally discuss gravitational and electrical fields than some
of the majors in our dept, who can solve the calc. Laws' WP discussion of
work resulting from motion in a field is very nice for this; I wish the
majors did that activity.

Dan M

{snip}
I agree with this assessment. I don't know why it is true, but I can't
do other than expect that our traditional methods are seriously flawed.
Acknowleging that, what do I think can be done to improve effectiveness?

I just finished grading an exam in introductory E&M. The performance of
my students was mostly awful. I assigned simple problems which could be
{snip}

I have just spent a half hour with one of the students who absolutely
knew nothing about Gauss's Law, judging by what she wrote down on the
{snip}

Leigh