Brent Corbin's Impact on Physics Education at UCLA
Brent Corbin is a physics professor at UCLA known for his rigorous and engaging approach to teaching mechanics. Student reviews and anecdotes paint a picture of a dedicated educator who challenges students to deeply understand physics principles. While his courses are considered demanding, Corbin's commitment to student learning and his unique teaching style have earned him a legendary reputation among UCLA students.
Corbin's Teaching Philosophy
Corbin's approach to teaching physics emphasizes a deep, conceptual understanding of the subject matter. He focuses on teaching physics "the right way," which, according to many students, involves using variables instead of numerical values in problems. This method requires students to understand the underlying principles and apply them flexibly, rather than simply plugging numbers into formulas. Corbin ditches the "mastering physics" homework. He assigns book problems, but you can really do as many or as few as you want at your discretion since he doesn't collect any.
One student noted that Corbin gave the deepest mathematical explanation towards all the concepts, even though he always expresses his contempt towards math. According to another student, Corbin is an excellent lecturer who wants nothing more than for everyone to understand the material as well as he does.
Corbin's teaching style is also characterized by his engaging lectures. He is known for being a solid lecturer that keeps students interested, mostly because they are frantically trying to understand the notes he is writing on the board. He is also known to be a funny lecturer who makes physics very interesting and motivates people to learn physics for fun, and not as a chore.
The "Weeder" Course Experience and Corbin's Perspective
The rigor of UCLA's academic environment, particularly in STEM fields, can be a significant challenge for students. Some courses, often referred to as "weeder" courses, are designed to be particularly difficult, potentially leading to stress and discouragement for some students.
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Corbin reflects positively on the high levels of academic performance that are expected from students. He views these "weeder" courses as a "trial-by-fire." His main testing philosophy is that an easy test with a high average doesn't tell him (or you) how well you know physics. He makes ludicrously difficult exams with low averages so that a high score means you really know your stuff, and that a low score doesn't seal your fate. He is well aware that his tests are brutal, so he tries his best to reward hard work with generously-curved grades at the end of the quarter, particularly taking it into account if you do well on the final.
However, he tries his best to reward hard work with generously-curved grades at the end of the quarter, particularly taking it into account if you do well on the final. But as he likes to say, you can't fake your way through physics, at least not with him.
Student Perspectives on Corbin's Classes
Student reviews of Corbin's classes are overwhelmingly positive, although they often mention the difficulty of the course. Many students describe his exams as "nearly impossible" and "very calc heavy," requiring both a strong understanding of physics and excellent mathematical skills. The exams are brutal and do-able, but not in the time-frame given. To study, the best way is to master the material such that you can do problems FAST.
Despite the difficulty, students appreciate Corbin's dedication to teaching and his genuine care for their learning. One student wrote that Corbin genuinely cares about learning, something that you won't find very much of in South Campus at UCLA. He's one of the few professors, if not the only professor, that's made me want to go to lecture. Never did I want to skip a lecture because I wanted to learn, I wanted to be engaged with what was taught.
Corbin's classes are not podcasted, and his lectures aren't posted. He doesn't use slides. You have to come to class. And it's worth it!
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Several students also mention Corbin's helpful office hours, describing them as entertaining and informative. He actually mentions a lot of what goes on the midterms and exams during this time.
Students also appreciate that Corbin doesn't require a textbook or mastering physics, which are big checks down the drain for the other professors' classes.
Grading and the Curve
Corbin's approach to grading is somewhat unconventional. When asked about curving, Corbin responded, "What's a curve? Actually, I'm sort of serious. I know what folks mean when they use the expression and how they use it, but I'm not convinced that it is much more than a convenience for the grader."
He believes in gauging students’ mastery of the material relative to the other people in the class, so they just come up with what they think works best.
He tries to get to know as many students as he can over the term, to know their strengths, weaknesses and get a sense of where they sit on [my] rubric. If the TA has really connected with the students, I may give them the opportunity to advocate for students I may have misjudged.
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Despite the challenging exams, many students believe that it is possible to do well in Corbin's class. One student noted that people who claim that his class is a GPA killer are just plain wrong. All you have to do is stay ahead of the curve, which is not a difficult task when the averages on his midterms were 38 and 42 out of 90.
Corbin's Impact on Students' Understanding of Physics
Many students feel that Corbin's teaching style has significantly improved their understanding of physics. One student with great scores on both AP Physics C classes got a pretty big shock. He essentially rebuilt my knowledge of physics from the ground up and taught it in a very detailed way.
Another student, a math major, highly recommends the course to everyone who wants the "dark truth" of mechanics and to those who enjoy solving algebra problems containing only characters (without number).
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