Re: [Phys-l] Premed Requirements Commentary

[Rick Tarara <rtarara@saintmarys.edu>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Edmiston" <edmiston@bluffton.edu>
To: "Forum for Physics Educators" <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2006 1:28 AM
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Premed Requirements Commentary


> Wow, we physics teachers are really in sad shape.
>
> We want premed students (and others) to learn to think critically, do
> research (take and analyze data), and understand physics.  Yet many on
> this list have been saying (now and earlier) that our courses don't
> succeed at any of those things.
>
> Why don't we just quit and go do something else for a living?

Maybe we should, especially if after hearing certain people drone on about 
low scores on the FCI (Force Concept Inventory) we actually believe that our 
courses are ineffective.  If we believe that over the last 2 centuries our 
efforts in the classrooms have produces bad scientists, worse engineers, and 
pitiful doctors.  Then we should hang it up and in fact, the whole 
educational system should hang it up and let's go back to a simple 
apprentiship program.  If you want to be a doctor, spend 20 years working 
with a doctor.  That might actually work!  ;-)

OR.....we can turn off the broken record of certain critics and judge for 
ourselves, based largely on the success or failure of our graduates, whether 
or not we have been effective.  We can use our own experience, especially 
that of a broad preparation of general knowledge and skills, to evaluate the 
educational programs for certain degrees, certain professions.  We can, and 
should, do so critically and try _some_ alternative paths to see if things 
can be improved.  Yet we need to be cognizant of the old adage--If it ain't 
broke, don't fix it--and despite those who do drone on about it all being 
broken, we need to look to the end products, the scientists, engineers, 
doctors, and other professionals coming out of our educational programs. 
Are they really so bad?  Have we really failed them?  Why not ask them?  We 
do that, and most students are VERY positive about their educational 
experience and the skills and knowledge they have gained.  There are a few 
areas where we can do better--and are trying--such as elementary education 
(especially math and science education) but we need to realize that in the 
past we really didn't recognize the need for specialized programs in these 
areas.  But, IMO, we have not done so badly.

Rick

***************************
Richard W. Tarara
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN
rtarara@saintmarys.edu
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