The course titled "Physics: personal project" allows first-year bachelor's students in physical sciences to quickly engage in "good physics" by applying the disciplinary content from the primary first-semester courses (mechanics, electricity, programming, etc.).
The objective is to foster student motivation by offering projects in the form of challenges. This course provides students with the opportunity to learn how to ask questions, formulate problems, innovate, propose technical solutions, and work in teams to produce a project or technical creation of which they can be proud.
"Physics: personal project" is a seminar-style course that introduces students to research in physics, with a particular focus on applied physics. Research in this context refers not only to the personal and collaborative reflection of students on a problem where physics plays a central role but also to the design and implementation of a practical project that represents a potential solution to the problem posed. In addition to applying the disciplinary content from basic physics courses, the course challenges students to practically realize their conceptual designs, extract as much information as possible from their experiments, assess the relevance of their findings, and ultimately present their research to their peers or to secondary school students.
For example, the 2023-2024 project: Measuring the Speed of Light
The speed of light is a fundamental constant in physics. Many physicists have proposed various methods to measure it with precision.
During the second semester of the 2023-2024 academic year, the supervising team of the "Physics & Challenges" course presented this significant challenge: to determine the speed of light using a valid method.
The work groups conducted research to find and select the best procedure based on their own knowledge and skills. We received a range of proposals: revisiting the Fizeau and Rømer methods, utilizing the Doppler and photoelectric effects, and measuring the fundamental constants of electricity and magnetism.
The evaluation of the activity will occur on two levels. First, it will assess the technical aspect, focusing on the successful completion of the challenge and the quality of the technological and conceptual solutions provided. Second, it will evaluate the depth of analysis and the quality of the argumentation related to the proposed solution.
The reasoning behind the proposed solutions and the scientific analysis of the results will be documented in a written report. The writing of this report will be guided by a vade mecum. The evaluation of the written report will be based on the criteria typically expected at the end of the first year of university, and in relation to the previously developed competency framework.
In addition to the practical implementation (30% of the grade) and the writing of the report (30% of the grade), the oral presentation of the report (30% of the grade) and the students' engagement (10% of the grade) will constitute the third component of the evaluation. Ultimately, these four scores will assess the students' scientific and transversal knowledge and skills. The oral presentation and the response to questions may serve to differentiate between students working within the same group.
Communicated at the start of the assignment and on the course website.
| Training | Study programme | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelier en sciences physiques | Standard | 0 | 3 | |
| Bachelier en sciences physiques | Standard | 2 | 3 |