At this time, the experiment is in progress. One quarter was not sufficient to optimize the course material. While a complete set of html based notes was produced, only limited additional audio and visual material was added. The facilities which are easily available at UCSD did not allow many of the students to take advantage of the web based approach to the extent desired. It will take a second attempt at 130B to really deliver on some new teaching methods.
I have learned a great deal about how to do that and how not to do it. Probably the most surprising thing to me is that the majority of our upper division physics students are not really ready to change the way they study for a course. They will have to be led through it. This will probably require class meetings with access to computer facilities as well as university or department facilities that are readily available to students outside class. It is my experience that even the best instructional technology facilities now available in UCSD classrooms are of rather low quality and are not well suited for this class.
It is my personal teaching experience that upper division physics students learn in different ways. Many physics students get very little more than an introduction to the material out of the lecture and prefer to learn from the textbook and homework. Some students claim they cannot learn from the textbook and rely on lectures to get their basic understanding. Some prefer a rather verbose exposition of the material in the text, while others prefer a concise discussion largely based on equations. Modern media have conditioned the students of today in a way that is often detrimental to learning complex subjects from either a lecture or a textbook.
I chose to use html and the worldwide web as the primary delivery tool for enhanced class notes. All of the standard software tools and information formats are usable from html. Every computer can access this format using internet browsers.
An important aspect of the design of the notes is to maintain a concise basic treatment of the physics, with derivations and examples available behind hyperlinks. It is my goal, not fully met at this time, to have very detailed derivations, with less steps skipped than in standard textbooks. Eventually, this format will allow more examples than are practical in a textbook.
Another important aspect is audio discussion of important equations and drawings. The browser is able to concentrate on an equation while hearing about the details instead of having to go back an forth between text and equation. The use of this needs to be expanded.
Because of the heavy use of complex equations in this course, the html is generated from LaTeX input. This has not proved to be a limitation so far since native html can be included. LaTeX has the ability to produce high quality equations and input is fast compared to other options. The LaTeX2html translator functions well enough for the conversion.
Projecting the notes can be very useful in lecture for introductions, for review, and for quick looks at derivations. The primary teaching though probably still works best at the blackboard. One thing that our classrooms really don't facilitate is switching from one mode to the other.
In a future class, with the notes fully prepared, I will plan to decrease the formal lecture time and add lab or discussion session time, with students working moving at their own pace using computers. Projects could be worked on in groups or individually. Instructors would be available to answer questions and give suggestions.
Similar sessions would be possible at a distance. The formal lecture could be taped and available in bite size pieces inside the lecture notes. Advanced classes with small numbers of students could be taught based on notes, with less instructor support than is usual. Classes could be offered more often than is currently feasible.
In producing the notes, I was allocated 10 hours per week of TA assistance. This was essential for the completion of the task. Additional TA support would have been helpful. Ed Lever was very effective in converting my handwritten notes to LaTeX. Although he had no prior experience, it took little time for him to become productive. In the future, TA audio explanations of examples and problem solutions are envisioned. This was just not feasible this term, starting from scratch.
Jim Branson