Re: [Phys-l] Students' READING abilities

["Anthony Lapinski" <Anthony_Lapinski@pds.org>]

Part of the problem in physics -- all science -- is the language. Biology
has big words that few can even spell (DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid).
Chemistry has names for compounds that are hard to remember (is it sulfate
or sulfite?). And physics is perhaps the most confusing: distance vs
displacement, speed vs velocity, energy vs momentum, temperature vs heat.
And all the big misconceptions (e.g., floating astronauts are
accelerating).

Ratio = fraction = divide. Kids get even these simple terms confused. Some
of mine can't even read a meter stick!

How did it get this way? Where do we go from here?

Forum for Physics Educators <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu> writes:
> In other words, if a student finds me incomprehensible, it's all the 
> student's fault.  If you ask the student for a ratio, and, as often 
> happens, you get back a difference, it was the student's fault that you 
> used a word that the student didn't understand.  (See Arons on student 
> ignorance of the meaning of certain terms).
> 			Regards,
> 				Jack
>
>
> On Tue, 24 Feb 2009, Michael Edmiston wrote:
>
> > > Mightn't it be a good idea to start talking to them in language they
> > > understand and finding out how effective that approach is?
> > >  Regards,
> > >  Jack
> >
> > If a student wants to understand, and is therefore actually trying to
> > understand, and therefore is actually investing some time in the
> subject...
> > then understanding is going to happen one way or another.  It might
> first
> > hit them from studying the text; it might first make sense during the
> lab;
> > it might first come from the lecture; it might first come from working
> on a
> > problem set; it might first require a visit to my office.  The only
> times I
> > have been unsuccessful with students who are actually trying have been
> when
> > the students have actual learning disabilities or have huge holes in
> their
> > backgrounds that I can't fix in the allotted time.
> >
> > I don't know what percentage to use, but I would guess that over 90% of
> my
> > students who aren't getting it are in that situation because they aren't
> > investing any time in it.  And they aren't investing any time because
> they
> > don't really want to know.  And they don't want to know because they see
> > this course as an artificial hurdle.  That is, it's something someone
> said
> > they have to take, but they don't see any reason they should have to
> take it
> > because "they are never going to use any of this stuff in their chosen
> > profession."
> >
> > Lacking the desire to understand the material, I don't think there is
> any
> > language that will be effective.
> >
> > Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.
> > Professor of Chemistry and Physics
> > Bluffton University
> > 1 University Drive
> > Bluffton, OH 45817
> > 419.358.3270
> > edmiston@bluffton.edu
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Forum for Physics Educators
> > Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
> > https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
>
> -- 
> "Trust me.  I have a lot of experience at this."
> 		General Custer's unremembered message to his men,
> 		just before leading them into the Little Big Horn Valley
>
>
>
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