A Model for Incorporating Computation Without Changing the Course: An example from middle-division classical mechanics

TL;DR

This paper presents a practical model for integrating computation into middle-division classical mechanics courses to better prepare undergraduates for professional physics work.

Contribution

It introduces an adaptable curriculum model that includes computational learning goals, activities, and assessments, suitable for faculty without specialization in computation.

Findings

Successful integration of computation into classical mechanics courses

Development of computational learning goals and activities

Ongoing critique and refinement of the instructional model

Abstract

Much of the research done by modern physicists would be impossible without the use of computation. And yet, while computation is a crucial tool of practicing physicists, physics curricula do not generally reflect its importance and utility. To more tightly connect undergraduate preparation with professional practice, we integrated computational instruction into middle-division classical mechanics at the University of Colorado Boulder. Our model for integration works within the constraints of faculty who do not specialize in computation teaching standard physics courses by placing a strong emphasis on {an adaptable curriculum}. Our model includes the construction of computational learning goals, the design of computational activities consistent with those goals, and the assessment of students' computational fluency. We present critiques of our model as we work to develop an effective and sustainable model for computational instruction in the undergraduate curriculum