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Re: ANOTHER ASPECT (was "why")



What is clear to me is there is no clear answer in this situation. We
expect learners of all ages to make judgments about when exploration is safe
and appropriate versus when exploration can be dangerous, or costly, or too
time consuming.

* * * *

I agree with John Denker that just because this is "software" doesn't mean
it is okay to explore without being careful. Although Ludwik's original
message might have involved pretty "safe" stuff, it would be wrong to
classify all computer exploration as safe.

Here is an example. Bluffton College just released a computerized advising
module into the hands of faculty. We attended a training session in which
we were told to explore various "what-ifs" with our advisees. For example,
it the student wants to see what is completed and what is still needed for a
physics major, just sign them up as a physics major and see what the
computer says. So we all did that during training, and we continued to do
that for a couple weeks afterward.

Then the administration realized the system was live, and the faculty had
totally screwed up the database and had students with wrong majors and
waived courses, and all sorts of wrong things. They forgot to tell us two
important details (1) the system is live, (2) if you try a "what-if" be sure
to set it back afterwards.

I think the system is totally flawed. There is no way I would let advisors
work with live records. Exploration in a live data base is very risky.

* * * *

Another example... my daughter (age 15) was "exploring" on the Internet and
managed to get into a tricky site that hung-up our local connection and
dialed a server in Australia at $9 per minute for a "teen-age chat room."
Fortunately she was smart enough that she knew something was wrong and she
came and got me. We only got billed for 2 minutes. I have heard of teens
chatting for hours and racking up bills in the thousands of dollars. If
this happens to you, it seems you do have to pay the bill. I was totally
unable to get out of the $18 charge. They were ready to cut my phone
service, so I paid.

* * * *

On the other hand, when a student is exploring a graph of a lab experiment
using Excel, and I ask the student, "what would the curve-fit look like if
we forced the polynomial constant to zero" I often get asked, "Is it okay
to do that? Will it mess anything up? If we don't like it how do we undo
it? Etc."

In this case the students are too squeamish to try something we expect
practicing scientists to do routinely.

* * * *

So the key is learning to know the difference. When is it okay to explore,
and when it is better to think first? This is tough to teach.


Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D. Phone/voice-mail: 419-358-3270
Professor of Chemistry & Physics FAX: 419-358-3323
Chairman, Science Department E-Mail edmiston@bluffton.edu
Bluffton College
280 West College Avenue
Bluffton, OH 45817