Simulation led optical design assessments: Emphasizing practical and computational considerations in an upper division physics lecture course

Employing simulation led optical design assessments (SLODAs) in an upper division optics course provides students with a deeper understanding of optical design, interactions, and devices, while reinforcing their understanding of computational methods. The upper division optics course discussed here did not have a required lab component as would be typical at many institutions. Therefore, the practical and expanded experiences students gained via SLODA in lieu of a laboratory experience were particularly crucial in developing advanced student understanding and skills in both optical design and computational applications. SLODA can also supplement a laboratory-based course with computational skill development. After introducing students to various computational methods during the early part of the course via scaffolding in-class preliminary computational activities, students were then assigned more complicated application based SLODA. This paper details each of the preliminary computational activities and SLODA, including their implementation and both the optical and computational considerations these activities and assessments were designed to introduce. An example SLODA is detailed. A reflection on the implementation of SLODA is provided for those interested in adopting the curriculum. A list of online resources is given in the Appendix for faculty wishing to implement SLODA. Finally, a sample of the student work submitted is presented and discussed in the journal's supplementary material. While success was specifically found via the implementation of SLODA in an upper division optics course, the potential exists for adaptation of the simulation led design assessment approach to other practical, design-based courses such as electronics or those within the engineering disciplines.