Re: A short survey.

[Rick Tarara <rtarara@SAINTMARYS.EDU>]

Ludwik,

You shouldn't be surprised at these results.  You asked the second question
backwards.  Had you asked, 'Write down the Sine of 30 degrees', you might
have gotten more correct answers.  :-)

If anyone thinks this is not a factor in student performance, try giving
reverse definitions {give tithe definition and the students give you the
word or term which the definition describes--well some do!}

Rick

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Saint Mary's College
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rtarara@saintmarys.edu

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----- Original Message -----
From: "Ludwik Kowalski" <kowalskiL@MAIL.MONTCLAIR.EDU>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2001 2:47 PM
Subject: A short survey.


> Then I turned toward the class and said "Use a piece of scrap
> paper and a pencil, but not a calculator, and answer the
> following question. What is the angle whose sine is 1/2?
> You have two minutes."
>
> After two minutes I said "The correct answer is 30 degrees.
> I want to know how many of you got the correct answer."
> I turned my head toward the blackboard again and said: "raise
> your hand if your answer was correct." Only 11 hands were
> raised.