Interactive freshman electromagnetism

Electromagnetism is the most complete and tested branch of physics. Lacking knowledge of vector calculus and field theory, freshmen are introduced only to snippets of the full picture, and finish the course generally unenthusiastic about the role of electromagnetism in their lives. In response to a need for more interactive learning, the authors designed an electromagnetism course that incorporated writing-to-learn principles that allowed students to meld in-class theory with real-world practice. Course exercises included writing biographies or describing an electromagnetic phenomenon or device. Students "published" their drafts and final papers on the open-access web. This exercise necessitated that students understand principles sufficiently to break them down for a general audience and also gave them a sense of ownership and pride knowing that others may read their work. The authors discuss how they conducted this course and provide examples of student work resulting from the course.