Re: Question for Brad Shue

[Brad Shue <jshue@comp.uark.edu>]

On Sun, 2 Jun 1996, JACK L. URETSKY (C) 1996; HEP DIV., ARGONNE NATIONAL LAB, ARGONNE, IL 60439 wrote:
> Hi Brad-
> 	You write: "All I care about is what kind of grapes you are
> producing now."
> 	Fine.  You obviously mean, what kind of physics student successfully
> completes your course. Right?  In that context, what is your definition
> of a "good grape"?  If it's a high score on one of the currently popular
> "concepts tests" I'll take issue with you.

Jack,
I don't think I have enough experience with the concepts tests to make an
informed opinion about them.  Last I heard, the jury is still out on
testing methods and I'm not ready to pick sides yet until I am better
informed myself.

What I mean is do the students who leave your class have a "working
knowledge" of what you were supposed to teach them?  Did you teach them
well enough that they associate what you taught them with real life?

EXAMPLE OF A "GOOD GRAPE":  When discussing a car accident, momentum,
kinetic energy, impulse and force pop into their head and they can apply
what they were taught to the sittuation to understand it better.
--
James Bradford Shue                             jshue@comp.uark.edu
University of Arkansas                          Voice phone:(501) 575-6059
Physics Lab/Demo Curator                        FAX Number: (501) 575-4580
WWW Page					http://comp.uark.edu/~jshue