Make sure the fundamentals are presented clearly and simply.

All of our textbooks focus considerable energy on the fundamentals. Understanding the fundamentals of physics is required for students at any level. If students do not clearly understand the distinction between velocity and acceleration, and how it is possible for an object to be moving faster while undergoing negative acceleration, they will never succeed in advanced topics. While working with students who had taken basic physics courses, we were struck by the gaps in their understanding of some of the fundamentals.

Both explicitly and implicitly, we focus on the fundamentals. The simulations at the beginning of a chapter expose students to the basic ideas of the chapter. For instance, in the chapter on electric potential, the simulations create graphs of electric potential energy, showing how it changes with separation, charge magnitude and the sign of the charges.

When appropriate, the sections within a chapter start with a definition of the key concept. The concept and equation whiteboards have “headlines,” which is another tactic to ensure that the crucial ideas are clearly visible for a student. A textbook like ours has about 600,000 to 700,000 words. If among all these words (and diagrams and homework problems), a student were to emerge with perhaps 100 crucial concepts, most instructors would view the year as a success. Our format attempts to highlight these crucial concepts.

Allow for multiple learning styles.

Some students prefer the written word and mathematical equations. These students can look at the chapter pages with their text and diagrams. They often use the example problems as a reality check to make sure they understand the ideas and then move on.

Other students much prefer the animations and audio. They could be called visual learners. They find it more difficult sometimes to envision what is being described in words (perhaps negative acceleration, or how an oscillating object traces out a sine wave), and when they can “see” this, it becomes clear to them. Our experience has been that these students often find, or expect to find, physics more challenging.

Nearly all the students who have tested the product enjoy the simulations. For some, their key benefit is that they make physics fun. These students are fairly confident in their physics skills and typically solve the problems posed by the simulations easily, or are surprised to learn they missed something along the way. For others, they are an important part of self-assessment. In spite of the enjoyable aspects of the simulations, no student has rejected them as “a computer game.”

Be consistent.

We find many current-day textbooks difficult to navigate and understand. We strove for a simple, consistent layout and the students have applauded this approach. They like the fact that definitions, concepts and equations are found in the same locations in each section. They like the fact that derivations, sample problems and interactive checkpoints are all organized in the same sequence.

One reason we know students like the consistency is that when we experimented with differing layouts, the students shot them down. They definitely did not want “variety for the sake of graphical layout variety.” Even when we thought we should lay out one section slightly differently than another for ergonomic reasons, students told us things like: “Leave it how it was. A little scrolling to a known location is superior to searching for something that has moved.”

Explain terms and concepts.

The sample problems, interactive checkpoints and derivations all have tables of variables as well as a list of the physics principles and equations used in them. This has proven to be more successful than we anticipated. At some points, students may not recall a variable, or perhaps what a subscripted variable means, and so forth. Being unable to proceed in a derivation because the variables are confusing is frustrating and unnecessary.

The students also like the definitions and the concept cards. A lot of discussion occurs about the fact that "students do not know physics concepts anymore; they just use equations." However, if it is hard to discern what the key concepts are, some of the fault lies with the textbook. The consistent explanation of terms and concepts in consistent locations proved to be a major success.

Allow students to proceed at their own pace.

Arguably, all textbooks are self-paced. However, two particular sets of Kinetic Books' features put students in control of the textbook.

First, the “replay” and “next” buttons in the whiteboards. We looked over the shoulders of students using the products when they were testing them and found that the "replay" button was extremely popular. For some students, v = Δx/Δt  or a = Δv/Δt  are fairly easy statements to parse. For others, they are, well, Greek.

In a lecture, it is hard for students to raise their hands and say: “I have no idea what you said in the last five minutes. I know there is the work-kinetic energy theory, but how does work then affect PE? I thought it affected KE.” With “replay,” they can listen to an explanation and view an animation as many times as they like.

Second, the students regard the multiple self-assessment exercises as a good way to check their progress on their own. If they succeed, they proceed apace. If they do not, they know they need to review.

Allow for real-time self-assessment.

The vast majority of students want to succeed in their studies. They want to be a physicist, or a doctor, or to gain admission to an advanced academic program. They also sometimes assume they have grasped an idea without doing so. We all do: We read a camera manual or the like, assume we've “got it,” and then find the apparatus is baffling. It is only by trying to accomplish something that you can determine whether you have succeeded in learning the fundamental principles and the nomenclature. This, of course, is the basis for tests, quizzes and so forth.

Since the vast majority of sample problems in print textbooks show the answers, students read them and assume they could do similar steps. We do not dispute the utility of sample problems like this as a learning aid; we have hundreds of them in the textbook.

On the other hand, the best “reality check” is when students have to solve problems for themselves. The interactive checkpoints in the Kinetic Books textbook pose problems and offer help, but they force the student to proceed through the problems and assess the accuracy of their results. The same is true for most of the simulations: Students can see whether they solved the problem or not.

When we first put these in the product, we were concerned students might not like them (more homework!). It turns out they are very, very popular. The basic sentiment is: “Better I know now than find out on a quiz/test when it is too late.” We added pointers to the topics required in the simulations based on student feedback. When stuck, they really did want to go back, review the appropriate section(s) again and try again.

Make it relevant.

This is a quest of all textbooks and we pursue it as well. We have sections called “physics at work,” and “physics at play.” Each such section is dedicated to topics such as an in-depth explanation of the physics that underlies ion-propelled spacecraft, or the application of impulse to the collision of a bat with a baseball. We do more than “mention” the application of physics in these topics; we show the principles and equations that apply, and sometimes pose example problems. Of course, we also more casually refer to simpler instances of applications of physics.

Have some fun.

We do not claim to compete with a good party, video game, conversation, or softball game. On the other hand, the students have appreciated our occasional sense of humor and whimsy.

Don't fall short in rigor.

What is meant by “rigorous” varies with the individual. Sometimes instructors fear that because the product is electronic and has simulations, it falls short in rigor. Nothing could be further from the truth. In our most advanced textbook, we have over 100 derivations, including some that are atypical in other physics textbooks (for instance, deriving the focal point of a parabolic mirror). We also use spreadsheets to supplement the derivations in some cases, so that even without differential equations, students can use the physics they know to see the effects of air resistance or a damping force.

To some, being rigorous means that advanced topics are covered. Consulting the table of contents may be one way to reassure yourself on this point if you are concerned. We derive the location of a focal point of a parabolic mirror, cover the transverse Doppler effect in special relativity and discuss power in RLC circuits. We have simulations that demonstrate Maxwell's work in kinetic gases, show displacement currents, and (coming shortly) reveal how phasors can be used to explain single-slit interference patterns. We have an animation of a space-time diagram showing Einstein's simultaneity thought experiment, with the animated diagram showing reference frames both stationary to one another and in relative motion. We have three sections explaining the statistics used in the study of entropy.

To some, the fact that there are no shortcuts in the simulations is compelling evidence of our rigor. For instance, if you use the “moving rod in the electric field,” you will note that if you change the magnetic field, there is a spike on the oscilloscope, since although motional induction is the focus of the simulation, a change in field strength will also induce an emf. To cite another example: You can detect (and we point out) the spherical aberration that occurs in the ray-tracing simulation in the lens.

To some, rigor means stating all assumptions and simplifications, and we have attempted to do so. To some, it means no errors, and while we have reviewed and reviewed, we are human, so please report any errors you find!

Anticipate others with great ideas.

The products were designed to be extensible. Customization can range from writing a section to extending our Java engine. If you are interested in customizing or extending the product, we would be interested in hearing from you.

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