The art of teaching: ZJU professor’s 17-year tradition of handwritten physics lectures

At Zhejiang University's College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Professor CHEN Hongsheng has spent 17 years teaching Electromagnetic Fields and Waves using handwritten blackboard notes. This time-honored approach has recently sparked enthusiastic discussions on ZJU's online community, with students praising it as their dream university class.

Since taking charge of this bilingual course in 2008, Prof. Chen has upheld the blackboard teaching tradition passed down from his mentor, Prof. KONG Jin'ou. Each lecture begins with Maxwell's equations written in the top left corner of the blackboard, from which he carefully derives formulas step by step. This methodical process helps students tackle the subject's complexities with greater clarity. 

Simply handing students the final result isn't enough, Chen explains. This course is inherently challenging, and without seeing the process, they might quickly forget. Beyond imparting knowledge through these derivations, Chen hopes to cultivate everyone's ability to explore physics. Imagine yourself in the position of Maxwell or Hertz 150 years ago—how would you approach these problems and systematically derive the subsequent formulas? By adopting this historical perspective, students can actively engage in the derivation process and develop more autonomous thinking skills. 

Interaction is central to his classroom. After each discussion, students are invited to write their names on the blackboard, fostering a sense of involvement. These exchanges go beyond theory, often exploring real-world phenomena tied to electromagnetism. Chen encourages students to apply their knowledge to explain these occurrences, sparking curiosity and deepening their engagement. Occasionally, he even names equations after students, turning abstract concepts into personal, memorable moments that make physics both accessible and fun.

The course has grown over time, now offered in multiple parallel classes in Chinese and bilingual formats for smaller, more personalized instruction. What began with Chen alone has expanded into a four-member teaching team dubbed the Electromagnetic Teaching Group. This includes Dr. LIN Xiao and Dr. WANG Zuojia—former students of Chen who returned to the college after studying abroad—and Dr. GAO Fei, a student of Chen's academic peer, Baile Zhang. While rooted in the traditional blackboard method, the team weaves in modern touches like music, stories, and short videos to inspire and captivate students.

Prof. Chen emphasizes blending cutting-edge research into the curriculum to help students uncover their passions. We aim to help students develop their own learning paths and prepare for future career challenges, growing into T-shaped professionals - those who excel in their field, embrace collaboration, and contribute meaningfully to society.

Adapted and translated from the article written by CHEN Yongnan, ZHOU Jiali
Translator: ZHENG Shaoyan('26, Law)
Photo: CHEN Yongnan, HU Yihan & the interviewees
Editor: HE Jiawen