School of Chemical and Physical Sciences brochures Physics Astrophysics brochure 2019 | Page 20

20 | PHYSICS AND ASTROPHYSICS
The Student Experience
Learning and Teaching
We deliver our courses in a modular format
using a mix of traditional lectures, smaller
tutorials and problem classes, practical
laboratory sessions, and individual and group
project work—all led directly by members
of the academic staff. This mix is designed
with student skills development expressly in
mind. For example, regular problem-solving
sessions throughout all years of our degrees
hone the kinds of analysis and knowledge-
application skills that are essential to doing
Physics and Astrophysics—and which all
employers value as well. Teamwork and
elements of project management are key parts
of second-year Physics labs and third-year
Astrophysics projects. Final-year project and
dissertation modules include written and oral
communications components, which help to
build confidence in talking the language of
physics and more generally develop the skills
to offer reasoned arguments.
Assessment and
Feedback
Assessment and feedback are key parts of how
we teach and how you learn. They are meant to
help you assimilate a substantial body of Astro/
Physics knowledge, build on this knowledge to
develop a strong and broad-based skill set, and
then demonstrate your abilities effectively.
Assessment is by a mixture of coursework
and examination. The lab components of all
modules are continuously assessed, as is the
project work in the final year. Lecture material
is assessed by assignments, essays and
some class tests during the modules, and by
examinations at the end of each semester
(January and May). Over the full three years
of a BSc, the assessment is about 40% by
coursework and 60% by examination.
In all cases of assessment we will give you
helpful feedback so that you can constantly
develop and improve. You will receive feedback
in many ways, including comments on the work
you have handed in and informal feedback
sessions and individual discussions with tutors.
Laboratory Work
Much of our understanding of Physics comes
from measurement and experimentation,
and laboratory work is therefore an essential
experience for all physicists. Likewise,
Astrophysics as a subject is rooted firmly in
observation, and data analysis is a central skill
for the practising astrophysicist.
Labs are designed to support the material
covered in lectures, to acquire specific
techniques and skills, and to investigate
unfamiliar phenomena. They also incorporate
instruction in computer programming. There
is increasing scope as the degree goes on for
creative and open-ended lab work, and this
time also provides an opportunity for informal
contact and discussion with members of staff.
In Years 1 and 2, all students do the same
labs in the first semester, and then Physics
and Astrophysics students split into separate
labs for the second semester. In Year 3, the
Physics and Astrophysics projects are separate
throughout. We have a teaching lab for Year 1
and Year 2 Physics experiments, another lab
specifically for Year 3 Physics Projects, and
dedicated Astrophysics computing facilities.
Assessment is via lab diaries and written
reports and, in the final-year projects, written
and oral presentations. There are elements of
group work in the Year 2 Physics labs and the
Year 3 Astrophysics projects
Study Abroad
Subject to good performance in Year 1, it is
possible to undertake one semester of study
during Year 2 as part of your degree or to take
an “International Year” out from your degree
between years 2 and 3 at one of Keele’s many
partner Universities in Europe, North America
or South Africa.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please
discuss it with us when you visit, or as soon as
possible after you arrive at Keele in Year 1.
Keele has an on-campus Observatory, which opens regularly to
the public and recently underwent a £250,000 refurbishment. It
houses a 24-inch telescope capable of research-quality imaging,
a 6-inch solar telescope and a 140-year old, 12-inch refractor.
The Observatory is readily accessible to our students, several of
whom get actively involved in its operation.
keele.ac.uk/physics