Re: what is understanding

[LUDWIK KOWALSKI <kowalskil@alpha.montclair.edu>]

> Students are expected to understand physics. But what is understanding? 
> It is state of mind, with respect to a topic or a set of topics. ...

> > UNDERSTANDING is attended when a student can confront a novel situation
> > and validly discuss it (at length) with an expert.

> > > I did not understand your message. In particular I did not understand 
> > > the meaning of "state of mind", "attended", "novel", "validly discuss" 
> > > and "expert".
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If understanding is not a state of mind then what is it? 
Students of physics are expected to develop that state of mind in the 
process of self-explanation based on what they observe, do, read about, 
etc. Can this process be imposed by force? Or should we, teachers, wait 
for it to occur spontaneously?
                                                    Ludwik Kowalski

P.S. The term "wait" means "teach without blaiming ourselves for the 
lack of understanding".
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