Re: graph interpretation, was "Proper" scientific notation

[John Gastineau <gastineau@mindspring.com>]

At 10:32 PM 3/10/98 -0500, Donald E. Simanek wrote:

> I do think (from my experience) that the student's experience in
> constructing the graph greatly increases the likelihood that the student
> will intelligently interpret such graphs.

This is the logical connection that my experience does not back up. The
two are certainly correlated, in that better students can do both, and
lesser students can do neither. However, I do not understand how
increasing a student's skill of graph construction increases graph
interpretation. To me, it's like claiming that learning how to change
the oil is a great way to become a good driver. The two are probably
correlated, but there is no essential connection. That's the point I'm
trying to make about graphing. Let's not be misled by the correlation
into thinking that we'll make better drivers by teaching everyone to
change the oil.

Back in the days before computer graphing, I had students coming into
my physics course who could draw a graph, but would give a blank look
when I asked about the units of the slope. After computer graphing
arrived, other students often needed a computer to draw a graph, but
still had no idea that a slope can have units. I don't see much of a
difference between the understanding of students then and now.

As Jerome E. wrote, 
> The difficulty is with these log graphs that students can usually only
> do it by rote. Very few have the slightest clue of what things like the
> slope mean.

Exactly.

Maybe our students have been different over the years, but I doubt it.
Another issue to keep in mind is that what worked for US, in OUR own
learning, won't necessarily work for our students. In terms of learning
styles, we physics instructors who have made it through all the filters
are the exception, not the majority. 

JEG
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John E. Gastineau      gastineau@mindspring.com        	KC8IEW
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