Re: [Phys-L] Evaluation tests

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

Right! Let's face it -- what courses in high school really make kids
critically think about things? A good physics course should. Compared to
most other disciplines, physics requires more mental effort, more
conceptual reasoning, more applying concepts/equations to word problems,
etc. And thinking is difficult. If kids are not used to this, they will
find it challenging and will be unwilling/unable to put in the effort. And
here is the dilemma, even more so in today's world with all the
distractions.


Phys-L@Phys-L.org writes:
> I didn't consider it hard, but I did have to think, the same amount that
> you outlined below; I just didn't think that that amount of thinking was
> hard.  Which brings up the topic of many students I have who don't want
> to think, if it doesn't come automatically they give up.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Phys-l [mailto:phys-l-bounces@phys-l.org] On Behalf Of Bernard
> Cleyet
> Sent: Monday, December 16, 2013 7:32 PM
> To: Phys-L@Phys-L.org
> Cc: Nancy Seese
> Subject: Re: [Phys-L] Evaluation tests
>
>
> On 2013, Dec 16, , at 15:23, Robert Cohen <Robert.Cohen@po-box.esu.edu>
> wrote:
>
> > We have found a very strong correlation between students passing this
> course with a C or better and our own survey, which is based partly on
> Jerome Epstein's "Basic Skills Diagnostic Test" (BSDT) and focuses a
> great deal on proportions and the meaning of algebraic letters (variable
> and unit abbreviations) vs. numbers.  The key is to ask as simple a
> question as possible that still reveals the weakness.  For example,
> without the help of a calculator, which is bigger: 25/27 or 15/17?
>
>
> That's hard for me.  I had to think:  2/17 is larger than 2/27. 
> Therefore, 15/17 is further from one than 25/27.   
>
> Does everyone else just know it automatically?  Or is there another
> method?
>
> bc fails in a timed test.
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