One has to understand that education --learning-- is not very different from the research experience,
what one does in the professional careers either in the academy or elsewhere.
So one of the things that you try to consider is: it is not always simply teaching the tools
and tools and no subject, in terms of mathematics and physics concepts or whatever it is, but
bring the students up to date as to what is happening in current-day physics, either the
technology or the science-wise.
How we can give them a taste of it so that they can learn and appreciate --or dislike
for that matter-- and then move on to where their interests are.
So that's what we're trying to do in our undergraduate programs and for that purpose we have taken
an active interest --actively changing the programs-- so that students are part of the
opportunity to learn what's going on in the current-day, present-day world in terms of
physics and technology research.
We understand that uh... no two professors are identical in terms of their interests
so we also don't expect all the students to have identically the same interests.
So what we have done is we have defined our program as the core courses which will give
a general background of physics and mathematics that they need but then we allow them flexibility
in their third and fourth-year programs so that they can work on certain projects of
their interest with the professors either here or elsewhere.
And we have got the programs and our own classes that give both a theoretical and experimental
where the students can pursue projects of their own interest with some supervision of
a particular professor or we can also find opportunities for them to work in national
laboratories or international laboratories where they could go and work with our colleagues
and then learn what is going on in today's physics world.
That's what we're trying to do; we have introduced a particular course which is a fifteen credit-unit
class that a student can take with the permission from the department under our supervision,
elsewhere, anywhere in the world.
This is called 497.15 Experiential Learning.
There are certain courses which they can take from within the campus while they are in town.
This could be done either in the summer time or in the first or second semester of the
fourth year or in the last semester in the third year.
Whereas we have a course that is a fifteen credit-unit, one semester equivalent course.
This particular one, to be able to do that particular course, they must first of all
get permission from the department and the department, we work with them to see what
kind of a project, what kind of a topic they can work on and where.
And they can do this one either in the summer between the third and fourth year or in the
first semester of the fourth year, because we want them back before the Christmas of
their graduating class to make sure that they got all their requirements for their timely
graduation.
That's what we require.
And usually we are working with them right from their third year onwards, so that we
have a very good understanding and they've got a very good understanding and they've
got a good chance of being successful in what they're trying to do.
A very simple thing, we have to recognize that education is for the students and not
for the professors.
We have to teach the students what they need to learn and how they can learn where their
interests lie.
When we talk about a subject like physics, physics has got many sub-fields, even in s
sub-field there are many aspects to it, which is the theoretical components and so-forth.
No two professors do identical research, and, if the students have got certain interests
and if they don't really exactly know what it is going to be like and so-forth, we can
give them a taste of it before it is too late.
It could be a three C.U.
class, it could be a six C.U.
class, it could be a fifteen C.U.
class, depending upon their interests, their motivation towards it and their ability to
carry these things through.
So we want the students to learn and understand whether their interests are rightly placed
or are they are thinking of a wrong area, or what is happening, how much do they really
know about the diverse sub-fields of physics before they can make up their mind and commit
themselves for further studies or their future professions.
Teachers have to recognize that their um... teaching and research are not two mutually
exclusive functions --two mutually conflicting functions-- and if they can really bring in
their passion for their subject into the classroom and can make the students realize that this
person who is standing in front of the classroom is not simply spending the three hours for
the lecture hours rather than... they personify their subject.
If they can bring in their passion into the classroom then the students can recognize
--or dislike for that matter, they may go on somewhere else, but at least it is going
to be a decision they are going to make based on knowledge of what is there.
The way I would think about the faculty programs one can implement is to make these things
available for more students as a general part of the program itself and make the students
be aware and identify the students that have certain interests, nurture them, mentor them,
work with them, and if you do that one it is even better for your own discipline because
if you publish a paper it may be with you or with a few people, but if you nurture a
student it is going to last for another thirty years, as long as that student is motivated
to stay within the field.
So if you like your field: go and train your students and get them motivated in your area.
The only way you can do that one is get them interested in your research!