MIT Subject Evaluations

8.311: Electromagnetic Theory
Fall 1998 Summary

Lecturer: Professor Leonid Levitov
Recitation Instructor: Professor Leonid Levitov

Enrollment: 34
Number of comments received: 5

8.311 is a graduate-level physics class which discusses basic principles of electromagnetism. Since only five people submitted comments - an unusually small number of those who turned in the surveys - it was difficult to determine how students actually felt about the course.

Those students who did comment found Professor Leonid Levitov's lectures unstructured and chaotic. One commented that it was not a good review, nor was it a good way to learn new material. However, one class member did observe that every student's question could be answered.

The content of the class was described by one student as "the usual. It's standard stuff, but deserves better treatment." Many class members felt that less time should be spent on electrostatics, and wanted to see more time devoted to dynamics and later topics. One disliked the fact that problem set answers were given out on the board. As to the pace of the course, one class member felt that it went too slowly in the beginning and too quickly in the end, and wanted to see the pace evened out.