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RE: Physics education via the internet?



For an excellent review of the topic, see "The Computer Delusion", by Todd
Oppenhemer, Atlantic Monthly, July 1997, pages 45-62.

The subtitle reads:

"There is no good evidence that most uses of computers significantly improve
teaching and learning, yet school districts are cutting programs -- music,
art,
physical education--that enrich children't lives to make room for this
dubious
nostrum, and the Clinton Administration has embraced the goal of
'computers in
every classroom" with credulous and costly enthusiasm."

The author presents a number of points to ponder. Truth probably lies in
some
middle ground, but it seems to be a national trait to move to extremes.

:-) :-)
:-) Frank M. Lanzafame Department of Chemistry :-)

There is an article in the proceedings to the Computers in Physics
Instruction Conference by some guy named Dykstra quoting several others
saying essentially this same thing. These citations are to folks who have
analyzed the results of MANY studies.

"Wondering About Physics... Using Computers and Spreadsheet Software in
Physics Instruction", in The Conference on Computers in Physics
Instruction: Proceedings, John Risley and Edward Redish (eds.), published
by Addison-Wesley, 1990

(I've set my mail program not to send the formatting info with the above.
I hope that it works. If not, my apologies. Please try to "read through"
it.)

Dewey

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Dewey I. Dykstra, Jr. Phone: (208)385-3105
Professor of Physics Dept: (208)385-3775
Department of Physics/SN318 Fax: (208)385-4330
Boise State University dykstrad@varney.idbsu.edu
1910 University Drive Boise Highlanders
Boise, ID 83725-1570 novice piper

"Physical concepts are the free creations of the human mind and
are not, however it may seem, uniquely determined by the external
world."--A. Einstein in The Evolution of Physics with L. Infeld,
1938

"Don't mistake your watermelon for the universe." --K. Amdahl in
There Are No Electrons, 1991.
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