The requirements of Phys 398 "Junior Seminar" are to attend the
departmental seminars scheduled
during the semester, to participate in the question/discussion period
of the seminars, to study for the
Physics Major Field Test,
and to achieve an acceptable score for the Physics Major Field Test.
WKU's Physics and Astronomy Department uses the ETS Major Field Test to
measure the academic achievement of its physics majors, to evaluate the
physics curriculum at WKU, and to assess the educational outcomes of its
degree program. The Major Field Tests also provide an opportunity for
students to experience testing conditions similar to the
Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)
Subject Test in Physics.
At WKU, the tests are paid for by the Physics and Astronomy Department and
the scores are reported to the instructor of the Junior Seminar.
Only anonymous, group-level achievement data is provided to the faculty for
use in the assessment of the physics program.
The Major Field Test is a two-hour 70 question multiple choice test modeled
on the development of the GRE Subject Test.
ETS has designed the Major Field Test in Physics to measure the basic
knowledge and understanding achieved by students near the completion of
their undergraduate study of physics. Most of the questions can be answered
on the basis of a mastery of the first three years of the physics curriculum.
Calculators are not needed, the questions are constructed to simplify
mathematical manipulations.
A handful of useful constants and conversion values are included in a table
with the test, minimizing the need to memorize information.
With respect to the cognitive level of the test, ETS claims that 21 percent
of the questions are limited to recall of information, 48 percent involve
interpretation, translation, or application of a single concept, and
31 percent involve application of two or more physical concepts in some
combination.
Topically, the questions on the Major Field Test have been divided into
five subfields:
Classical Kinematics and Dynamics, Electricity and Magnetism, Thermodynamics,
Fundamental Concepts of Quantum Mechanics, and Special Topics.
Respectively, the percentage distribution of questions per topic is
19, 17, 18, 23, and 23.
Grades:
Points earned for attendance at departmental seminars
Points earned for participation at departmental seminars
Points earned via Major Field Assessment Test, scheduled for 15 March, 2010.
The final grade for the course will be determined by the points accumulated in three different components of the course requirements. Letter grades will be assigned based on the following scheme:
A - 9 or 10 points accumulated
B - 8 points accumulated
C - 7 points accumulated
D - 6 points accumulated
F - 5 or fewer points accumulated
3 points - zero absences at seminars scheduled during the semester
2 points - one absence at seminars scheduled during the semester
1 point - two absences at seminars scheduled during the semester
0 points - three or more absences at seminars scheduled during the semester
3 points - at four or more seminars during the semester, the student asked an appropriate question of the speaker
2 points - at three seminars during the semester, the student asked an appropriate question of the speaker
1 points - at two seminars during the semester the student asked an appropriate question of the speaker
0 points - the student asked one or no appropriate questions of any speaker during seminars scheduled this semester
4 points - MFT score above established minimum
and students made serious effort to achieve a score which reflects his/her abilities
and student actively participated in preparing for the exam
2 points - two of the above three criteria were met
1 point - one of the above criteria were met
0 points - student did not sit for MFT exam