For the past dozen years, the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill has been developing a unique, survey-level astronomy curriculum, primarily for undergraduate students, with the goal of significantly boosting STEM enrollments on a national scale, as well as boosting students' technical and research skills. Called "Our Place In…

The need to integrate computation into the physics curriculum has long been established: using simulations and computational modeling can enhance students' conceptual understanding, and the computational skills students acquire are both useful and necessary in their careers. However, making changes to an established physics course is a challenge…

At many universities, astronomy is a popular way for nonscience majors to fulfill a general education requirement. Because general education astronomy may be the only college-level science course taken by these students, it is the last chance to shape the science attitudes of these future journalists, teachers, politicians, and voters. Hobson…

A traditional physical science course was transformed into an environmental physical science course to teach physics to non-science majors. The objective of the new course was to improve the learning of basic physics principles by applying them to current issues of interest. A new curriculum was developed with new labs, homework assignments,…

Described is a physics course for nonscience majors taught at Temple University. The course focused on physical principles related to sports activities. (RH)

A digital electronics course taught on four successive Saturdays is described. Includes comments on course goals, text materials, and hardware. A table summarizing class and laboratory parts of the sessions is also provided. (JN)

Describes a graphical method stressing the asymmetry of the classical Doppler effect in a one-dimensional case. (YP)

Refutes the Doppler effect as the explanation of large red shifts in the spectra of distant galaxies and explains the relativistic effects in which the light sources approach the observer obliquely. Provides several diagrams and graphs. (YP)

Describes the theory and procedures of four electrostatic experiments, including sources of charge, charged bodies, dipoles, and levitation. (YP)

Presents a review of the high school science and mathematics records of 507 freshmen at the University of Washington in Fall 1976 and their participation in college level science and mathematics courses. (SL)

Describes the use of computer-generated testing to provide the immediate feedback aspect in a Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) course with large enrollment and only a limited number of teaching assistants available. (SL)

Describes a one quarter college level course which links physics to potential career activities in journalism. (SL)

Describes a university level laboratory science course designed for visually handicapped students. (SL)

Summarizes 10 findings of a national survey of the status of introductory astronomy courses for nonscience majors. Findings focus on instructors, course length, laboratory components, laboratory equipment and exercises, texts, enrollment, mathematics prerequisites, and instructors' needs to enhance their teaching capabilities. (SK)