Re: Less is less

[Jack Uretsky <jlu@HEP.ANL.GOV>]

Michael's question presumes its own answer, namely, that "doing more"
results in a better prepared student ("we do less" implies "student comes
less prepared").  If that were true then less would not be more.

A better question would be, how has "less is more" actually been
implemented.
                                        Regards,
                                                Jack

On Sat, 29 Jun 2002, Michael N. Monce wrote:

> > 1.  Sadler's famous study among others shows clearly that less is more
> > - as measured by student success in college physics.
> >
> > Chris Horton
>
>
>      While this data cannot be refuted, I'd like some advice from the
> advocates of "less is more" of how to implement this into a standard 4-year
> college physics major.  As we do less in the Intro. course, the students
> come less prepared into say, Modern, then less prepared into Mechanics,
> etc.  As we actually do less in our courses, the refrain of "didn't you see
> a bit of this topic in course xxx?" is heard more and more in our classes,
> especially at the upper level.  In order for better learning do we need to
> expand the college degree to 5 years (and another $35,000 for the
> parents :)  )?

--
"But as much as I love and respect you, I will beat you and I will kill
you, because that is what I must do.  Tonight it is only you and me, fish.
It is your strength against my intelligence.  It is a veritable potpourri
of metaphor, every nuance of which is fraught with meaning."
                     Greg Nagan from "The Old Man and the Sea" in
                     <The 5-MINUTE ILIAD and Other Classics>