Re: Scientific method was physical pendulums/ an opportunity

[Richard Tarara <rtarara@SAINTMARYS.EDU>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Joel Rauber <Joel_Rauber@SDSTATE.EDU>
> > If you are testing problem solving abilities, a more
> > 'realistic'
> > scenario is that one does have access to the equations.  How
> > to setup the
> > problems and use the equations is what is more critical.  I
> > have gone to
> > allowing students to bring a sheet of paper with them to the
> > tests with
> > 'almost' anything they want written on the sheets.  I do
> > forbid them to
> > write out sample problem solutions and I do collect their
> > sheets,
>
> I allowed similar such equations sheets; now I provide an equation sheet;
to
> prevent micro-formulas and have no worked out solutions on them & as well
as
> not needing to forbid photoreduction technology any more.

I think there is an advantage to letting the students prepare their own
sheets.  Number one, it gets them out of the memorize and cram mode.  Even
with a provided formula sheet, they will not trust that it will have
everything they need and will still go into cram mode.  With the sheet, they
are actually at a loss for what to study--and they should be.  If they have
been doing their homework problems all along, there should be no necessity
(or much value) in 'studying for the test'.  The best thing they can do is
work more problems.

I also don't care if they transcribe their entire notebook on the one sheet
of paper (I have, at times, restricted it to ONE SIDE of an 8.5x11 sheet).
The more they put on the paper, the harder time they will have finding
anything useful.  It is quite common for students to tell me that they never
even looked at the sheet during the test.  For most, it is the review for,
and organization of the sheet itself that is useful.  I even use this
technique for my 'liberal-arts' class where one might think that
transcribing their notes would be a real advantage, but the exam questions
are almost all of the 'apply the concepts type' and again its the
preparation of the sheet that is useful along with the removal of the 'I
memorized it, ergo I know it' study mode.

Rick