Feedback on compiling a Physics GRE "review course"
Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 2:07 am
I took the test in the fall and was underwhelmed by the amount of study material available. I don't think there can be a replacement to actually sitting down and taking the study exams, but I had some credits to fill in my final semester and I believe I would like to teach as a career, so I'm doing independent study trying to make a review guide/course for the test (which I obviously plan to make freely available).
I am still in the planning stages and feel myself going in circles as to how to start this thing. When I go back and look at problems, I have a lot of trouble remembering what I didn't understand/remember 6 months ago. So I was hoping to get some feedback on some of my ideas:
Format: I am sort of torn between three possible formats.
The first is a straight forward "Review of GRE Physics." This would be essentially me rewriting/summarizing my freshman/sophomore level physics textbook with emphasis on what I remember being important on the GRE. The real question with this method is "how deep do I go?" If someone wants a very detailed discussion of a topic, they should probably turn to their textbooks; but what do you cut out, derivations, less covered topics (I would like to strive towards comprehensiveness)?
The second is a collection of X (lets say 60, 30, 10) days until Physics GRE "program." I like this because I think time management is a huge problem many students have. Those who I know that did rather poorly on the PGRE did so mainly because they didn't use their time efficiently. I also like the idea of putting something out there for those people who end up taking the test on a whim because they can't read their textbooks in full in 10 days while taking several practice exams. I would prepare 3 different review guides of varying depth and schedule practice exams for the reader. The same question applies here: How much do I teach (as in explain deeply, like the audience has never seen the topic before)?
The final idea, and the one I am leaning towards, is "A manual for solving GRE physics problems." I would basically come up with problems (or use freely available ones if good ones exist) and solve them while explaining the physics behind each step. This format instantly answers "How much do I teach," which is only state the laws/equations it takes the solve the problem. However, it will be difficult to come up with a comprehensive set of problems without taking anything from the sample tests which I believe should be left as practice.
Medium There are basically two choices for media. I'll probably end up with a combination of both a pdf file and a series of videos. I think videos would be nice because I find it far easier to watch someone teach/lecture for 15 minutes than I do to read 10 pages in a book. However, I understand that not everyone feels as I do, and videos would add a good bit of extra work to the cause.
I have a list of content (i.e. what problem types should be covered/test taking strats/etc...) as well, but I'm getting a little tired of typing, so I will add to this later. For now, I'll be happy to take any opinions or feedback you guys have on those topics and any general advice you may have. I really just want to make something that will be helpful to the community, and I'm willing to put as much effort and time into this as necessary to achieve that.
I am still in the planning stages and feel myself going in circles as to how to start this thing. When I go back and look at problems, I have a lot of trouble remembering what I didn't understand/remember 6 months ago. So I was hoping to get some feedback on some of my ideas:
Format: I am sort of torn between three possible formats.
The first is a straight forward "Review of GRE Physics." This would be essentially me rewriting/summarizing my freshman/sophomore level physics textbook with emphasis on what I remember being important on the GRE. The real question with this method is "how deep do I go?" If someone wants a very detailed discussion of a topic, they should probably turn to their textbooks; but what do you cut out, derivations, less covered topics (I would like to strive towards comprehensiveness)?
The second is a collection of X (lets say 60, 30, 10) days until Physics GRE "program." I like this because I think time management is a huge problem many students have. Those who I know that did rather poorly on the PGRE did so mainly because they didn't use their time efficiently. I also like the idea of putting something out there for those people who end up taking the test on a whim because they can't read their textbooks in full in 10 days while taking several practice exams. I would prepare 3 different review guides of varying depth and schedule practice exams for the reader. The same question applies here: How much do I teach (as in explain deeply, like the audience has never seen the topic before)?
The final idea, and the one I am leaning towards, is "A manual for solving GRE physics problems." I would basically come up with problems (or use freely available ones if good ones exist) and solve them while explaining the physics behind each step. This format instantly answers "How much do I teach," which is only state the laws/equations it takes the solve the problem. However, it will be difficult to come up with a comprehensive set of problems without taking anything from the sample tests which I believe should be left as practice.
Medium There are basically two choices for media. I'll probably end up with a combination of both a pdf file and a series of videos. I think videos would be nice because I find it far easier to watch someone teach/lecture for 15 minutes than I do to read 10 pages in a book. However, I understand that not everyone feels as I do, and videos would add a good bit of extra work to the cause.
I have a list of content (i.e. what problem types should be covered/test taking strats/etc...) as well, but I'm getting a little tired of typing, so I will add to this later. For now, I'll be happy to take any opinions or feedback you guys have on those topics and any general advice you may have. I really just want to make something that will be helpful to the community, and I'm willing to put as much effort and time into this as necessary to achieve that.