| CODE | MSS1206 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Inquiry Based Physical Sciences 1 | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | Not Applicable | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 6 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Mathematics and Science Education | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit is meant to help students improve their conceptual understanding of areas related to the physical sciences. The sessions will focus on a qualitative approach to the concepts being studied and this is meant to support students’ understanding as they grapple with scientific concepts. It will, at the same time, prepare students for their teaching career. This results as the study unit is based on innovative approaches that emphasise students’ engagement to activities. The sessions can be considered an informal form of pedagogic content knowledge [PCK]. Study-unit Aims The aims of this study-unit is to introduce students to: 1. The nature and essence of physical principles. 2. The application of physics in everyday life. 3. The influence of physics in everyday life. 4. Physics as part of a universal human culture. Learning Outcomes 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe and measure motion, forces, momentum & laws of motion, conservation of momentum and circular motion. - Explain the difference between temperature and heat energy, heat transfer, heating matter, kinetic theory and thermodynamics. - Explain oscillatory motion, vibrations & waves, types of waves, natural phenomena related to sound & electromagnetic waves, wave nature of light. - Differentiate between charge and current, voltage and emf, and work out problems using resistance, circuits, electrical energy and power, and efficiency. - Understand fields in terms of gravitational, electric and magnetic fieleds, timedependent fields, potential and potential energy. - Describe stable and unstable nuclei and radioactive phenomena, radioactive radiation, law of radioactive decay, nuclear energy and mass energy relation. 2. Skills (including transferable [generic] skills): By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Apply the knowledge obtained in the unit in their preparation for teaching science. - Apply the knowledge obtained in the unit in the preparation of lesson plans and resources for the teaching of science. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings 1. Arons, A.B. (1965) Development of Concepts of Physics. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc. [Available] 2. Chabay, R.W. & Sherwood, B.A. (2002) Matter and Interactions [Volumes I/II]. John Wiley & Sons Inc. 3. Farrell, M.P. (2008) Intermediate Physics 16-18 (2nd ed.). Allied Publications. [available] 4. Leonard, J.L., Dufresne, R.J., Gerace, W.J. & Mestre, J.P. (2000) Minds.On Physics. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. 5. Moore, T.A. (2003) Six ideas that shaped physics (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill, Higher Education. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-requisite Qualifications: Advanced level Physics [AM] | |||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | |||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Charles G. Bonello |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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