Re: [Phys-l] Masteringphysics.com

[Donald Smith <dsmith4@guilford.edu>]

Grfeetings,

We used it in in a very large intro course at the University of Michigan
that I was involved
with (a team of five teachers and about 300 students) in 2004.  This was
mechanics for
engineers, calc-based.  I thought it was fantastic.  It took the students a
while to master the
syntax of the software, but once they got that, the program was startlingly
flexible, did a very
good job of identifying *what* mistakes the students had made, and then
shunted the students
off into a step-by-step tutortial that helped them explore why they made the
mistake and how
to do it better.  I was really rather startled at how good it was at
interpreting what they had written.
Interestingly enough, the next semester, I was involved in a similarly large
algebra-based E&M
course for life-science majors, and they hated it.  They wanted to go back
to software that only
accepted numbers as answers, and could only tell you whether it was right or
wrong, not why
or how you made your mistakes.  That baffled me.

I don't use it anymore, because now I have classes with more like 4-20
students, and I would
rather spend more time on thier writing skills and how well they can explain
their thought processes,
but if you have a large group to which you simply cannot devote that much
one-on-one time,
I thought mastering physics was really phenomenally close to having a tutor
standing over your
shoulder, giving you tips and nudges, rather than just telling you right or
wrong.

I can only presume they've improved it since 2004.  I would hope.  :-)  I
also seem to remember it
was very flexible in how you could configure it, too.

On Fri, Jun 5, 2009 at 5:26 PM, Ed Seppa <ekseppa@optonline.net> wrote:

> I am considering purchasing a subscription to Masteringphysics.com, the
> web-based homework assignment and tutorial system, for use in my AP Physics
> B course.

Hope that helps,
-- 
Donald Smith
Guilford College Physics Department
http://www.guilford.edu/physics/dasmith