Electromagnetism in 2000

		Motivation
	The MIT Course in Electromagnetism 2000	Vision
		Examples
		Value Added
		Time Frame
		Table of Contents

Time Frame

A conceivable scenario for developing an advanced technology approach to the teaching of electromagetism is as follows:

Fall 1996: Selection of a set of five or ten electromagnetic demonstrations that are both illustrative of basic physical phenomena and which can be profitably illustrated and animated/simulated.

Spring-Summer 1997: Development of a set of video clips of these demonstratons and animations as in the examples above. Develope accompanying exposition illustrative of sample chapters of a text.

Fall 1997: Use of the material to get student reaction. Refine exposition appropriately. With the video clips and animations, with accompanying text, and student reaction, search for substantial resources to develope a full text.

Spring 1998 - Summer 1999: Development of of a full text similar to freshman textbooks in current use, linked to demonstrations and animations. Text would be paper copy as well as electronic. Contains additional demonstrations and much more advanced animations/simulations (three-dimensional). Development of active animations as opposed to passive animations (that is, field lines calculated and displayed in real time with parameters input by the student, as opposed to canned animations, as in the example above).

Fall 1999 - Summer 2000: Use of the full text in 8.02, with student reaction. Production of a low cost version available to the public with the text plus demos and animations. Text would be paper copy as well as electronic. Freshman level.

Fall 2000 - Summer 2001: Development of a more advanced layer of text below the intial freshman level. Covers the material in more advanced courses in electromagnetism, e.g., MIT's 8.07 or 8.311/8.312. This would include both passive and active animations on more advanced topics, as appropriate.

Fall 2001: Use of the extended text in advanced courses in electromagnetism, for student evaluation. Updating of the earlier material in keeping with advances in technology. Initial publication of a complete text on electromagnetism which covers introductory to advanced topics, with demos and animations, both passive and active. Text would be paper copy as well as electronic copy with animations.