Course Structure

Most college physics courses are presented in a lecture fashion, accompanied by various discussions, demonstrations, activities, laboratory experiments, quizzes, and/or major exams. They typically utilize a single textbook and are designed to follow the linear structure of that book quite closely.

This course in Electromagnetic Field Theory is different. It is a Web-based course, designed to utilize the power of the Internet to branch back and forth between parallel topics in a tree structure. Instead of forcing you to stay on a predetermined, one-dimensional path through the given field of knowledge, it allows you to explore the subject freely, taking whatever route you personally find to be most interesting and most productive.

Unfortunately, many students are not accustomed to this kind of freedom. You may be one of these students, led by hand all of your life, who finds it difficult to explore a subject completely on your own. This is why you should understand how the material in this course is organized and how to study under such a structure.

You should also acquaint yourself with the Table of Contents and the Syllabus for this course. The Table of Contents is like a map of the course, showing you where everything is located. The Syllabus is like an assignment sheet telling you where you need to go and when you you must be there in order to receive credit for the course.

You may consider me, your professor, to be your personal field guide - someone who can either answer your questions or point you toward the knowledge you are seeking.

Linear Structure - The type of structure used in conventional physics courses. Tree Structure - The type of structure used in this Web-based courses. How to Study - Recommendations on how to study in this course. Contents - A Table of Contents, listing the Web pages in this course according to where they are primarily linked. Syllabus - A formal statement of the requirements for this course and of the basis for earning credit in it. Professor - Opens an e-mail window for contacting Dr. Paul H. Cox (if your browser is set up for this). You may also send a message using another program; send to phcox@tamuk.edu.

E-M Home Page/Introduction/

This page adapted with permission from the similar page
constructed by Dr. Lionel D. Hewett for his course
Modern Physics 1.