Teaching Physics at Oxford

1. φ xford hysics Teaching Physics at Oxford Professor Nick Jelley Head of Physics Teaching Faculty

2. Foundation Year 1 Part A Core Year 2 Part B Mainstream Part B Options Year 3 BA Part C Options Year 4 MPhys Course Structure Physics (shown) 3 year course – BA degree 4 year course – MPhys Physics & Philosophy 4 years – BA or MPhys (or MPhysPhil)

3. 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

4. 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

5. Teaching Components • Lectures • Tutorials and classes • Laboratory work • Projects • Major Options • Classes • Exams All the usual components of a university physics course

6. 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)

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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)

10. 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; A3 Quantum Physics (100 marks each) • short option paper (50 marks) • satisfactory practical work (50 marks) To this point BA (3 yr) and MPhys (4 yr) courses are the same

11. 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)

12. 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 MPhys (4 yr) course Take all mainstream subjects part B exam (June) 3 3hr exams on mainstream short option paper satisfactory practical work Third year GRADUATE

13. 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

14. Areas of ResearchSub-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

15. Teaching Components & who provides • Department • Colleges ** • Department ** • Department • Department for colleges** • University • Department for colleges** • Lectures • Tutorials and classes • Laboratory work • Projects • Third Year - SR, GR and Fluids Classes • Major Options - Classes • Exams ** these provide the main opportunities for teaching

16. Sub-Departments Astrophysics Atmospheric, Ocean & Planetary Physics Atomic & Laser Physics Condensed Matter Physics (includes Biophysics) Particle Physics Theoretical Physics PhysicsManagement Chairman of Physics Dr John Wheater Physics Management Committee Who organises the u/g teaching in the physics department? Teaching Faculty Prof Nick Jelley Academic Committee Teaching Faculty Office Academic Admin Mrs Leonard-McIntyre Miss Hannah Glanville Practical Course Dr Karen Aplin Technical Staff Physics Sub-Faculty (All teaching staff)

17. Where? Teaching Faculty Office Teaching Labs level 2 DWB

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. Faculty Office • Carrie Leonard-McIntyre – Assistant Head of Teaching (Academic) • Sian Owen – Access Officer and BPhO administrator • Hannah Glanville – Secretary to Assistant Head of Teaching • Kay Leigh – 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

22. 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

23. 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)

24. MPLS DivisionStructure MPLS Divisional Board General Purposes Committee Academic Committee Divisional Secretariat Undergraduate Studies Panel Graduate Studies Panel Chemistry Physics Engineering Mathematics Plant Sciences Earth Sciences Materials Statistics Computing Zoology

25. University Management Structure Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division

26. 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