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Re: Empiry



This discussion points out the need to teach students how to
use mathematical modelling, starting early, and keeping at it. Yes, over
and over they think that the "model" is the truth, even when their data
clearly disagree with it. I am becoming convinced that the use of
modelling as a way of finding the (known or unknown) theory which best
fits their data, with the ability to distinguish between the theory and
the experimental result, is one of the most important skills students
need to learn. And so far, I am not having great success teaching it
to them.
--
Martha Takats
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Ursinus College
Collegeville, PA 19426