07-31-2009, 12:18 AM
Paul F. wrote:
Give the students both the formula, and a calculator, and what are they actually learning? They can't remember the formula, and they can't do the math to solve it without a calculator...
!
I guess one way to look at it is that they're learning the why of the problem and *part* of the how..(?) given a list of formulas and a calculator, you have to know the procedure in order to pick out the right formula. With enough repetition, they'll start to memorize the math that can be done in the head...and for those who can't remember it, they can still perform the same task.
I still stay give 'em bonus for memorizing the formula / not using a calculator. But don't make everybody memorize it. That just screws anybody with the reasoning ability (most important), but, perhaps, with some form of a learning disability.
With my grad students, for essay tests, I give them a list of 7-9 questions and tell them 3-5 will be on the test - verbatim. These are 2-5 page answers each, mind you. I then tell them the best way to study is to get in a group, split up the questions, then trade the answers and discuss them over and over, etc.
Each person who follows this studying procedure says they come into the test and breeze through it and even remember the content years later.
kiva