Synergy of Educational Tools for Teaching Electromagnetic Fields and Waves: Lab Experiments, Educational Java Applets, Numerical Modeling, Textbook with Power Point Presentations

本项目为大三工科本科生开发一个为期一学期的电磁场与电磁波课程，并正在建立一个新的本科实验室来教授电磁场与电磁波。该项目正在创造一种新颖的教学方法，采用互动式教学法，让学生接触到实验-理论-实验-应用的教育序列。本科生正在使用实验，教育Java小程序和数值求解器软件，以帮助他们学习EFW的理论原理。通过教学实践，学生们也学会了运用科学的方法，进一步培养他们的批判性推理和创造性思维能力。理解电和磁需要一定的数学知识，因此，矢量代数和矢量微积分等概念将根据需要与课程所涵盖的教材同步逐步引入。教学方法包括以下内容：1）非传统的协同教学风格和使用交互式黑板在线系统（UBlearns）; 2）通过学生对相应实验的探索提供对电和磁的介绍;以及3）整个电磁频谱的统一描述，用于提供跨学科应用的欣赏。更广泛的意义该项目正试图积极影响高成就的K-12学生的招聘STEM教育，大学教授的培训，以及妇女和代表性不足的少数民族本科生/研究生参与新的EFW实验室的发展。通过参加ASEE会议和讲习班传播成果，同时向学院/大学教授分发编写的教材和实验室手册。一个新开发的课程网站提供了项目活动的结果，沿着教学材料和实验室手册。教学策略嵌入新的教科书/实验室手册出版物，以进一步加强STEM教育。该团队还与黑人工程师和应用科学家协会，西班牙裔专业工程师协会以及科学和工程领域的女性的当地分会合作，从代表性不足的群体中招募工程专业的学生。

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONThis project is developing a one-semester Electromagnetic Fields and Waves (EFW) course for junior-level engineering undergraduate students and is establishing a new undergraduate laboratory for teaching EFW. The project is creating a novel teaching approach that employs interactive pedagogies, exposing students to an educational sequence of experimentation - theory - experimentation - applications. Undergraduate students are using experiments, educational Java applets, and numerical solver software to help them learn the theoretical principles of EFW. Through the utilization of engaging teaching practices, students are also learning to utilize a scientific approach and further develop their critical reasoning and creative thinking skills.The understanding of electricity and magnetism requires a certain level of mathematical knowledge; therefore, concepts such as vector algebra and vector calculus are gradually introduced - as needed - in sync with the teaching material that is covered in the course. The teaching approach involves the following: 1) a non-traditional synergistic style of teaching and use of an interactive Blackboard online system (UBlearns); 2) an introduction to electricity and magnetism that is provided through a student's exploration of corresponding experiments; and 3) a unified description of the entire electromagnetic spectrum, which is used to provide an appreciation for interdisciplinary applications. BROADER SIGNIFICANCEThe project is attempting to positively impact the recruitment of high achieving K-12 students to STEM education, the training of college professors, and the involvement of women and underrepresented minority undergraduate/graduate students in the development of a new EFW laboratory. The results are being disseminated through participation in ASEE conferences and workshops, while the developed teaching materials and lab manuals are being distributed to college/university professors. A newly developed course website offers the results of the project activities along with the teaching materials and lab manuals. The teaching strategies are embedded in a new textbook/lab manual publication to further enhance STEM education. The team is additionally working with local chapters of the Association of Black Engineers and Applied Scientists, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and the Women in Science and Engineering to recruit engineering students from underrepresented groups.