An Overview of Teaching Physics for Undergraduates in Engineering Environments

Janusz Zalewski ,Gregor Novak ,Randall E Carlson

doi:10.3390/educsci9040278

Abstract

This paper is an overview of approaches to teaching physics courses delivered to students of engineering disciplines. It addresses, first, the history of teaching physics to engineering students starting in the early 20th century, then reviews the main issues presented and discussed over the last decade in a series of conferences on Physics Teaching in Engineering Education (PTEE). Finally, this paper discusses more contemporary views on the subject, including the latest technologies and new methodologies. It is not a critical review of teaching physics to engineering students, but rather a summary of various views and approaches over the span of the entire century. The common denominator of the study is the relevance to the competency-based approach: how the papers focus on teaching engineers the principles of physics in a manner that contributes to success in their professional careers.

Highlights

Introduction and Historical BackgroundThe objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the literature on teaching physics to engineering students, since it was first addressed in writing in 1903 to current times
While there have been many papers published keeping a single focus on physics education or just on engineering education, the objective of this study was to include only those which dealt consistently with both issues at the same time
We tried to capture the trends and perspectives and their evolution over the years, since the early 20th century until the most contemporary times. This time span, over a century long, gave us an unprecedented coverage regarding the breadth of approaches and topics, geographical spread worldwide, and inclusion of a wide range of engineering disciplines and physics specialties

Summary

Introduction

Introduction and Historical BackgroundThe objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the literature on teaching physics to engineering students, since it was first addressed in writing in 1903 to current times. As the discipline of engineering evolved over the decades, so did engineering education and the current educational objectives focus more on issues, such as solving interdisciplinary problems, addressing the global perspective, and preparing graduates for the job markets. In this view, as physics is so essential to the engineering professions, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the most effective approaches to its teaching and follow modern pedagogy. This paper is not meant to be a critical review of teaching physics to engineering students, but rather a summary of various views and approaches over the span of the entire century. The common denominator of the overview is the relevance of competency-based approaches: how the papers focus on teaching engineers the principles of physics in a manner that contributes to success in their professional careers

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