Developing a Computational Physics Lab Integrated with Upper-division Physics Content

正在开发一门高级计算物理课程，该课程与俄勒冈州立大学“物理范例”项目中正在开发的现有初中物理课程并行并与之同步。物理课程中的计算通常有两种处理方式之一。要么学生运行现有的模拟以帮助他们理解物理，要么临时引入物理例子作为学生正在学习的在执行他们自己的计算中使用的数值方法的应用。虽然这两种方法都有价值，但这个项目是为了创建一门教授学生物理的课程，让他们在高分课程的背景下创建自己的计算。为此，在高级阶段引入了以项目为导向的计算物理实验室经验(利用面向课程的集成的Python模块)。在本实验课程中，学生将学习以专业物理学家的方式使用重要的计算工具。考虑到计算对专业科学家的重要性，本课程力求在所有物理专业的学生都能接触到的水平上授课，特别是那些不习惯使用计算机的人。这个项目正在制作一套六个计算实验室模块(以及相应的课程材料)，正在进行评估，并可在其他学院和大学使用。虽然课程内容是为适应俄亥俄州立大学的三年级课程而量身定做和组织的，但教材的设计充分模块化，以便很容易被纳入其他学院和大学的高年级物理课程。正在为AAPT全国会议举办讲习班，这些讲习班将直接提高这些计算模块对其他用户的可见度。

An upper-division computational physics course is being developed which runs parallel to and in synchrony with the existing junior-year physics courses that are being developed within the "Paradigms in Physics" project at Oregon State University (OSU). Computation in physics courses is commonly treated in one of two ways. Either students run existing simulations in order to aid their understanding of physics, or physics examples are introduced ad hoc as applications of the numerical methods that students are learning to use in performing their own computations. While both of these approaches have value, this project serves to create a course that teaches students physics by having them create their own computations within the context of upper division courses. To this end, a project-driven laboratory experience in computational physics (utilizing course-integrated Python oriented modules) is introduced at an advanced level. In this laboratory course, students are learning to use important computational tools in the same manner as a professional physicist. In view of the importance of computation to the professional scientist, the course seeks to teach at a level that is accessible to all physics majors, with particular care taken for those who are least comfortable using computers.This project is producing a set of six computational laboratory modules (with corresponding curricular materials) that are being evaluated and made available for use at other colleges and universities. Although the content is tailored and organized to fit the junior-year curriculum at OSU, the materials are designed to be sufficiently modular so as to be readily incorporated into the upper-division physics curriculum at other colleges and universities. Workshops are being developed for AAPT national meetings that will directly increase the visibility of these computational modules for other users.