MATL 260/360: Elements of Materials Science—A Peer Review of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio

The goal of MATL 260/360 Elements of Materials Science is to make undergraduate students understand the fundamental concepts of the microstructure-property relationship of materials. This course portfolio addresses several key questions in teaching, such as how to teach new knowledge more effectively, how to increase student engagement, how to promote students’ interests and motivations, and how to use this course to improve students’ analysis and critical thinking skills. To address each of key questions, the course activities include: relating the new knowledge with daily-life and industry examples; giving PPT slides for after- class study; assigning homework questions after each lecture; taking monthly practice class and test; relating the scientific knowledge with real industrial problems; having small group discussions and debate, etc. Two surveys have been used to evaluate the teaching methods and improve the student learning. The mid-semester survey provides very specific feedback and suggestions to improve the textbook, homework, equipment, tests, lecture slides, etc. The survey of monthly tests shows the majority of students agree the monthly tests help them learn this class. However, there is concern about how effective the monthly tests can be used as a measure of student learning

MATL 260/360: Elements of Materials Science—A Peer Review of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio

The goal of MATL 260/360 Elements of Materials Science is to make undergraduate students understand the fundamental concepts of the microstructure-property relationship of materials. This course portfolio addresses several key questions in teaching, such as how to teach new knowledge more effectively, how to increase student engagement, how to promote students’ interests and motivations, and how to use this course to improve students’ analysis and critical thinking skills. To address each of key questions, the course activities include: relating the new knowledge with daily-life and industry examples; giving PPT slides for after- class study; assigning homework questions after each lecture; taking monthly practice class and test; relating the scientific knowledge with real industrial problems; having small group discussions and debate, etc. Two surveys have been used to evaluate the teaching methods and improve the student learning. The mid-semester survey provides very specific feedback and suggestions to improve the textbook, homework, equipment, tests, lecture slides, etc. The survey of monthly tests shows the majority of students agree the monthly tests help them learn this class. However, there is concern about how effective the monthly tests can be used as a measure of student learning

Quantum Electroweak Symmetry Breaking Through Loop Quadratic Contributions

Based on two postulations that (i) the Higgs boson has a large bare mass $m_H \gg m_h \simeq 125$ GeV at the characteristic energy scale $M_c$ which defines the standard model (SM) in the ultraviolet region, and (ii) quadratic contributions of Feynman loop diagrams in quantum field theories are physically meaningful, we show that the SM electroweak symmetry breaking is induced by the quadratic contributions from loop effects. As the quadratic running of Higgs mass parameter leads to an additive renormalization, which distinguishes from the logarithmic running with a multiplicative renormalization, the symmetry breaking occurs once the sliding energy scale $\mu$ moves from $M_c$ down to a transition scale $\mu =\Lambda_{EW}$ at which the additive renormalized Higgs mass parameter $m^2_H(M_c/\mu)$ gets to change the sign. With the input of current experimental data, this symmetry breaking energy scale is found to be $\Lambda_{EW}\simeq 760$ GeV, which provides another basic energy scale for the SM besides $M_c$. Studying such a symmetry breaking mechanism could play an important role in understanding both the hierarchy problem and naturalness problem. It also provides a possible way to explore the experimental implications of the quadratic contributions as $\Lambda_{EW}$ lies within the probing reach of the LHC and the future Great Collider.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, published versio