Contribution: A hybrid approach involving reduced lecture content with project-based learning (PBL) was introduced to a standalone course in optics at an engineering school not specialized in this area, with promising results. Background: At most schools, optics is an elective “niche” area involving a single senior course. This presents challenges, since the topic has breadth and depth, leaving little time for application projects. Yet, seniors want future applicability. After many years, the instructor questioned his “broad-brush” approach involving many topics with limited application, especially given the role of optics and photonics in technology leadership. A literature search uncovered recent use of project-based methods for optics in K–12 and community colleges but little use in U.S. universities, suggesting an opportunity. Intended Outcomes: The authors intended that achievement and valuation by students would be greater with authentic projects and less content. Application Design: Therefore, an approach that concentrated content and project work on light’s dualistic nature in a mathematically rigorous manner was taken. With reduced content, class time was available for PBL, whereby the problem motivated the content. For light’s wave nature, five lecture weeks were followed by a project simulating the propagation of light. For the particle nature, a circuit design project to implement analog electronic circuits during class occurred after five lecture weeks. Findings: Student interviews and instructor perspectives on impacts of learning, career preparation, graduate school interest, and in-class engagement uncovered encouraging results. A direct assessment showed significantly higher homework scores with the course changes.

中文翻译：

---

使用基于项目的学习来教授独立的光学和激光课程

贡献：将减少讲座内容与基于项目的学习 (PBL) 的混合方法引入一所非该领域专业的工程学院的光学独立课程中，取得了可喜的成果。背景：在大多数学校，光学是一个选修“利基”领域，涉及单一的高级课程。这带来了挑战，因为该主题具有广度和深度，几乎没有时间用于应用项目。然而，老年人想要未来的适用性。多年后，讲师质疑他的“粗略”方法，涉及许多应用有限的主题，特别是考虑到光学和光子学在技术领导中的作用。一项文献搜索发现，最近在 K-12 和社区学院使用基于项目的光学方法，但在美国大学很少使用，这表明这是一个机会。预期结果：作者希望通过真实的项目和较少的内容，学生的成就和评价会更高。应用设计：因此，采用了一种以数学上严格的方式将内容和项目工作集中在光的二元性上的方法。随着内容的减少，课堂时间可用于 PBL，由此问题激发了内容。对于光的波动性，五个讲座周之后是一个模拟光传播的项目。对于粒子性质，在五个讲座周后发生了一个在课堂上实现模拟电子电路的电路设计项目。调查结果：学生访谈和教师对学习、职业准备、研究生院兴趣和课堂参与的影响的看法发现了令人鼓舞的结果。