tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7821055994181766793.post1710090247911141792..comments2023-10-21T14:36:26.307-05:00Comments on The Chalkboard: Math in the Media: To save this math class, we must destroy it!Richard Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02890750341504212951noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7821055994181766793.post-42635623834620976122012-04-23T17:09:26.220-05:002012-04-23T17:09:26.220-05:00I feel like I'd be happy with that kind of cou...I feel like I'd be happy with that kind of course only if the homeworks/quizzes/tests were so hard as to make it nearly impossible for students to pass. Then at least you'd know the students who passed learned something. Of course there's no way students will learn unless they spend time thinking about it themselves, and it seems to me that this kind of class encourages students to do the bare minimum (show up to the lab, go through the assignment, and leave). Since everything is spelled out for them, students don't even have to go to their textbooks to see what's going on when they can't do a problem. And that's the bare minimum in more traditional math courses. <br /><br />This reminds me why Carothers's <i>Real Analysis</i> is my favorite textbook: every few sentences the book will stop and say something like, "And that means this. (Why?)" So you are pointed towards the kinds of questions you should be asking, and then you're left to answer them yourselves. Eventually, after several hundred pages of this - and countless hours trying to answer the "why"s - you know analysis really well, because you can ask the right questions yourself.Jakenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7821055994181766793.post-27912500499386117562012-04-23T16:32:26.118-05:002012-04-23T16:32:26.118-05:00Thank you for the clarification. But I have two i...Thank you for the clarification. But I have two issues that remain: <br /><br />(1) The article quotes: "Emporium courses include pre-calculus, <b> calculus </b>, trigonometry and geometry, subjects taken mostly by freshmen to satisfy math requirements." I find no value in teaching a topic as intricate and conceptual as calculus as a techniques class.<br /><br />And (2), even in pre-calculus and geometry, abstract reasoning is a necessary gateway to real mathematics learning and real understanding. Treating these topics like drill-oriented, repetitive techniques-based courses simply makes the transition to calculus and beyond that much harder. Graduate students and adjuncts can be quite effective as idea-based educators at this level. And graduate students can and should use this type of educator-training as part of their training as mathematicians.<br /><br />I fear the effort to save on costs is costing the education.Richard Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02890750341504212951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7821055994181766793.post-7000781945232964132012-04-23T16:17:19.277-05:002012-04-23T16:17:19.277-05:00I disagree.
Virginia Tech is limiting the new app...I disagree.<br /><br />Virginia Tech is limiting the new approach to remedial courses like pre-calculus and trigonometry. Remedial courses require smaller class sizes then service courses. The problem sets are repetitive and drill oriented. The goal is not to teach abstract thinking, but to learn to apply techniques by rote. <br /><br />As best, teaching remedial courses is not the most productive use of a tenure track professor's time. As such, at most colleges, remedial courses are taught by adjunct professors or graduate students from other departments. This practice enables remedial classes to have low student/teacher ratios. Unfortunately, the quality of instruction is often just as bad, if not worse then high school. <br /><br />JHU is lucky that the vast majority of undergraduates do not require remedial math courses. As such, the department can provide service courses without placing an undue burden on the facility. For a school like Virginia Tech, I can understand the desire explore alternatives to a costly system of remedial instruction that only produces mediocre resultsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com