Re: Empiry

["Michael N. Monce" <mnmon@conncoll.edu>]

On Thu, 8 Jan 1998, Herb Schulz wrote:

> Howdy,
>
> A side comment. Students know that you can make a computer give you any
> kind of world you wish; there is no need to follow the laws of nature in a
> computer since it's all a "game" anyway.  Therefore I don't believe they
> have any respect for simulations.
>
> Good Luck,
>
> Herb Schulz
> (herbs@interaccess.com)


	My experience has shown the opposite to be true.  A classic
example is from the intro. lab where students use the computer to fit
data.  In this case, the data was an obvious log function, yet the
students used a linear fit and when questioned answered that the r^2 value
was good enough and the "computer should know what's best".  I've found
the attitude that if the computer delivers a result, it must be true to be
prevalent in students.  Most students take on faith that whatever numbers
come out of equipment like voltmeters must be right, but seem to have even
more awe of numbers out of computers.  It just adds to our task of
teaching.  

	As such, they often equate computer simulations (which I now very
rarely use as class demos) as from the deity itself. 


				Mike Monce
				Connecticut College