Using Space Weather and Magnetospheric Physics to Motivate the Electricity and Magnetism Standard Physics Curriculum for Non-Majors

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The investigators will develop an undergraduate course for non-science majors that uses the real-life effects of space weather as a motivation for teaching the basic concepts of electricity and magnetism. The effort builds on the successful development of the Solar System Collaboratory that uses Java applets running on personal computers. The applets present to the user a familiar button-and-slider interface that hides calculations, allowing non-science majors with limited math skills to engage in precise quantitative reasoning. One of the most troubling tendencies that science departments face today is an increase in the number of students that become disenfranchised with science. This course is designed to increase interest of non-majors in science by putting the "grammar" of science in the background, so students can concentrate on the "prose". The course will be tailored for both high school science classes and for college non-science majors, and will go through extensive classroom testing at three Colorado schools.