Transcript Books for Mechanics - University of Oxford

Teaching Physics
at Oxford
Professor Nick Jelley
Head of Physics Teaching Faculty
xford
hysics
Course Structure
Year 1
Foundation
Physics (shown)
Year 2
Year 3
Part A
Core
Part B
Options
3 year course – BA degree
4 year course – MPhys
Part B
Mainstream
Physics & Philosophy
4 years – BA or MPhys
(or MPhysPhil)
Year 4
BA
Part C
Options
MPhys
Physics Courses - Aims and Objectives
 thorough understanding and broad knowledge of the
general principles of physics
 understanding of how to set up physical models and solve
them with a wide range of techniques
 familiarity with modern experimental techniques, how to
record and analyse data and work safely in the laboratory
 experience of how to communicate scientific results clearly
and concisely both verbally and in writing
 some experience of an open-ended assignment
 opportunity to acquire some expertise in a more specialised
field of physics
Masters of Physics
In addition to the general aims outlined:
 will acquire an in-depth knowledge of two specialised
fields of physics
 through a major project will have learned how to plan,
execute and write up an open ended piece of work
 will gain experience of a research environment
Teaching Components
 Lectures
 Tutorials and classes
 Laboratory work
 Projects
 Major Options
– Classes
 Exams
All the usual components of a university physics course
What is special about Oxford?
Colleges!
 Students for first degree courses are admitted to the
University by Colleges
 The college, through subject tutors, is responsible for the
academic progress and small group teaching throughout
the first degree course
 Decisions on progression (in case of academic or other
difficulties) and change of course are taken by the college
 Permanent academic staff usually have joint appointments
(university lecturer and college subject tutor)
Undergraduate view
The college is the centre of life at Oxford
 Friends, social life, sport
 College physics tutors and lecturers direct studies, set
work, give tutorials and complain if work isn’t done
 Lectures, labs, exams are ‘external’ activities
 Physics is a ‘large’ subject – about 160 students a year –
about 6 per year in a given college
 This is the pattern for most of the first three years of the
course
 Phys & Phil is a little different because it involves a small
cohort (around 15 each year) – who will all get to know
each other, independent of college
Your view
 As a graduate student you will have a college connection
and may use it for social activities
 Most postdocs do not have a college connection, unless it
is through teaching
 The focus of life (at least on the experimental side) is the
research group and sub-department, even the other parts of
the physics department may well seem quite remote
The course – first year
 Foundation year – maths and physics lectures and
tutorials (roughly 50:50) plus practical work
 Prelims – June (towards end of Trinity Term)
– four 2.5hr compulsory written papers
•
•
•
•
CP1 Mechanics & Special Relativity;
CP2 Electromagnetism, Circuits, & Optics
CP3 Mathematical methods
CP4 Differential Equations & Waves
– short option (more maths, astronomy, quantum ideas)
– satisfactory practical work
 Other ‘general interest’ lectures (not examined)
Second year – Part A FHS
 Core Physics Lectures (optics; electromagnetism; thermal
physics; quantum physics)
 Mathematical Methods
 Practical work (includes electronics)
 Communications skills (Giving a short talk)
 Short Option
 part A exam (end of TT)
– A1 Thermal Physics; A2 Electromagnetism & Optics;
Quantum Physics (100 marks each)
– short option paper (50 marks)
– satisfactory practical work (50 marks)
A3
To this point BA (3 yr) and MPhys (4 yr) courses are the same
Third year – part B FHS
 Decision on which course (BA or MPhys) taken in Michaelmas Term in
light of part A (2nd year) results
 Mainstream lectures on:
– Flows, fluctuations and complexity
– Symmetry & relativity
– Quantum, atomic and molecular physics
– Sub-atomic Physics (nuclear and particle physics)
– General relativity and cosmology
– Condensed-matter physics
 Short option
 Practical work
 Communications skills (Practical write-up counts towards final mark)
Third year




BA (3 yr) course
Select from mainstream subjects
Project
Part B exam (June)
–
–
–
–
four 1.5hr exams from mainstream
short option paper
project report
satisfactory practical work
GRADUATE
 MPhys (4 yr) course
 Take all mainstream subjects
 part B exam (June)
– 3 3hr exams on mainstream
– short option paper
– satisfactory practical work
Fourth year - MPhys
 Two Major Options from:
Astrophysics; Lasers & Quantum Information Processing;
Condensed Matter Physics; Particle Physics; Physics of
Atmospheres & Oceans; Biological Physics; Theoretical
Physics.
 Project undertaken in HT
 Exam (TT)
– 2 Major Option papers
– project report
GRADUATE
Areas of Research
Sub-Departments
Relevant for the 4th year options and projects
•Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics
•Condensed Matter and Biophysics
•Atomic and Laser Physics
•Astrophysics
•Particle Physics
•Theoretical Physics
Teaching Components &
who provides
 Lectures
 Tutorials and classes
 Laboratory work
 Projects
 Third Year
- SR, GR and Fluids Classes
 Major Options
- Classes
 Exams
 Department
 Colleges
 Department
 Department
**
**
 Department for colleges **
 University
 Department for colleges **
** these provide the main opportunities for teaching
Physics
Management
Chairman of Physics
Dr John Wheater
Physics Management
Committee
Sub-Departments
Teaching Faculty
Prof Nick Jelley
Academic Committee
Astrophysics
Atmospheric, Ocean &
Planetary Physics
Atomic & Laser Physics
Teaching Faculty Office
Academic Admin
Mrs Leonard-McIntyre
Miss Hannah Glanville
Practical Course
Dr Karen Aplin
Technical Staff
Condensed Matter Physics
(includes Biophysics)
Particle Physics
Theoretical Physics
Physics Sub-Faculty
(All teaching staff)
Who organises
the u/g teaching
in the physics
department?
Where?
Teaching Faculty
Office
Teaching Labs
level 2 DWB
Sources of Information
 Physics website – teaching pages
www.physics.ox.ac.uk/teaching.asp
 Teaching guide
www.physics.ox.ac.uk/academic/T-guide/Tguide-top.htm
 Handbooks
 Academic staff
– Heads of Labs (for demonstrating)
– College Tutors (College Teaching)
– Option Coordinators (for 4th year Major Option Classes)
 Faculty Office
Webpages (summary)
 Teaching Page
–
–
–
–
–
Online lecture list & access to lecturers online material
Handbooks
Past exam papers and examiners reports
Practical course information
Teaching opportunities (situations vacant and sought)
 Physics Teaching Faculty page (from staff page)
– mainly administrative information but
– Teaching guide pages
– Quality assurance procedures
Handbooks
Course Handbook
Everything you need to
know about the course
Lectures
Reading Lists
Syllabuses
Exams
Other Handbooks
Physics & Philosophy
Practical Course
Projects – MPhys
– BA
Faculty Office
 Carrie Leonard-McIntyre
 Sian Owen
 Hannah Glanville
 Kay Leigh
– Assistant Head of Teaching (Academic)
– Access Officer and BPhO administrator
– Secretary to Assistant Head of Teaching
– Clarendon receptionist
 Handouts from lecturers
 Problem sets
 Answers (some of the time, but see web pages)
Graduate Office
 Kate Gear
– Graduate Secretary
Practical Course
 Karen Aplin
– Assistant Head of Teaching (Expt)
 Neil Clifford, Keith Long, Peter Shrimpton
 John Saunders, Mohamed Cheddi, Jeff Lidgard
University Examinations
 Otherwise known as ‘Public Examinations’ ( as opposed to
College ‘Collections’ – tests at the start of each term)
 End of each year of the course
 First year (prelims) – qualifying exam – must be passed to
enter the ‘Final Honours School’ – but result does not
count towards class of degree
 Years 2, 3, 4 – parts A, B, C of ‘Finals’ – results do
accumulate towards final degree class
 Exams (other than short and major options) are not set by
the lecturers – but by a team drawn from the academic staff
 The Finals Team is kept in line by two external examiners
who report formally to the Vice-Chancellor annually
The bigger picture
 Physics is part of the Mathematical, Physical and Life
Sciences (MPLS) Division (one of four academic divisions)
 The Division oversees quality of courses
– largely through internal and external examiners reports
– it approves proposals for new courses and major changes to existing
ones
– appoints academic staff
 Above the divisions is the Educational Policy and
Standards Committee (EPSC)
– sets University wide standards
– interacts with national bodies such as HEFCE (funding) and QAA
(academic standards)
MPLS Division
Structure
MPLS Divisional Board
General Purposes
Committee
Academic
Committee
Undergraduate
Studies Panel
Chemistry
Earth Sciences
Physics
Materials
Divisional
Secretariat
Graduate Studies
Panel
Engineering
Statistics
Mathematics
Computing
Plant Sciences
Zoology
University Management Structure
Mathematical,
Physical and
Life Sciences
Division
Summary
 We need and welcome your help in delivering the physics
courses
 More specific ‘how to’ details will be covered in the talks
that follow
 Important points to note:
– split in responsibility between College and Department
– consequent need for communication
– difference between the formative tasks (tutorials and laboratory
sessions) in the which the aim is to teach understanding and the
summative assessments (mainly written examinations and the
project report) of student performance