[Phys-L] Re: Aristotelian thinking among modern students

[marx at PHY.ILSTU.EDU (David T. Marx)]

Reading of the textbook in my course has gone from minimal to respectable since I introduced a
reading quiz at the beginning of each class.  I assign a few sections of the text to be read before
coming to class. I am using a classroom response system, so I can ask one or two questions from
each assigned section.   Yesterday, I did a survey in the class.  I asked if the reading quizzes
have made them more likely to read the text than they would if there were no reading quiz.  The
response was 85% said "yes," 10% said "no," and 5% said "I don't know."  The questions that I ask
cannot be answered by simply skimming the sections.  One has to read them and give them some
thought to answer the questions.  I find that the reading quiz scores go up during the course of a
semester as students improve their reading skills and overall understanding.  The reading quizzes
are 10% of their course grade, so they do put in the effort.

Take care,
David Marx

> Rick,  how would you know the reading skills are bad  ;-)
>
> Students have to actually read the book to find out if the skills are
> bad or not.
>
> (a bit of a vent on my part, I suppose, but that is what the "teacher's
> lounge" err, umm Phys-L is for in part.)
>
>
> More seriously, I had a student in my office Wednesday, who is
> struggling and actually asked me with a straight face if I thought it
> would be helpful if they started reading the sections in the textbook.
>
> ________________________
> Joel Rauber
> Department of Physics - SDSU
>
> Joel.Rauber@sdstate.edu
> 605-688-4293
>
>
>
> | -----Original Message-----
> | From: Forum for Physics Educators
> | [mailto:PHYS-L@list1.ucc.nau.edu] On Behalf Of Richard Tarara
> | Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2005 7:15 PM
> | To: PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU
> | Subject: Re: Aristotelian thinking among modern students
> |
> | Good luck with that!  ;-(    Student reading skills are so poor, and
> | reading science texts even worse.   If you want to be sure
> | they actually
> | are getting something that's in the text, the workbook better
> | cover it, or you better 'lecture' (I'd prefer 'discuss') it.
> |
> | Rick
> |
> |
> | >  If  you require students to read and don't lecture, you
> | can do lots
> | > of wonderful whiteboard discourse with the workbook.
> | >
> |
> | > Dan M
> | >
> |
>
>
>
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