Re: Setting up problems

[Bob Sciamanda <trebor@VELOCITY.NET>]

It helps to make explicit that the task is to build a model of the reality
in question, mathematical and/or conceptual.  The intro course profits from
an early discussion on the "philosophy" of model building, perhaps something
like my essay "A Prelude to the Study of Physics" (at my site).  Put it in
your own words, but make it explicit that this is a creative process, just
like building a physical model (eg a model airplane).  It is the art of
science.  Art must be developed through use.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Promod Pratap" <prpratap@UNCG.EDU>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2003 1:22 PM
Subject: Setting up problems


> I am an on-again-off-again reader of this list-serve, and I had a
> question that you might be able to help.
>
> I teach Physics to undergraduates (Physics majors and others) at UNCG,
> and I have reached the conclusion that students have problems with
> Physics because they do not know how to set up problems to the point
> where they can do the math to solve the problem.  Observations to
> support this conclusions include:  a) students who do well in the
> Calculus course (upto and including ODE) do poorly in Physics coursed;
> b) students remark -- "I could NEVER have take the problem given and
> arrived at that equation";  c) the inordinate desire of students to
> "find the magic formula", so that they can then plug and chug.
>
> Is there some way to teach students how to read a word problem and then
> set it up so that they can then apply the math to it?  I don't remember
> how I learned this, but I (and all my colleagues) seem to be rather good
> at this.
>
> Promod Pratap