This semester, I have a colleague who is teaching one section
of algebra physics (mostly life science juniors) and one section
of physics for elementary education majors (mostly freshmen).
He has noticed that the "resistance" is greater from the science
upperclassmen than it is from the freshmen elementary majors.
Is this finding common to other schools as well?
Our guess is that the life science juniors are not as easily
swayed by arguments that our approach is better for them,
especially when they have survived quite nicely, thank you,
with memorization and regurgitation. The eled freshmen,
on the other hand, don't know any better.
Comments?
____________________________________________
Robert Cohen; rcohen@po-box.esu.edu; 570-422-3428; http://www.esu.edu/~bbq
Physics, East Stroudsburg Univ., E. Stroudsburg, PA 18301