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Re: Measure of student understanding (was Test writing)



Since teachers have been grading homework in conventional classes and have
not gotten much higher gain, this is probably not true. Homework certainly
can have some effect, but it is small compared to the PER labs. Lawson's
and other research has shown clearly that the learning cycle with hands on
experience is vital for students who are at the concrete operational level.
Work done in class is the most important aspect of achieveing good gain.
This has also been shown by the Heller's research.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


At 12:55 PM +1000 4/28/02, Brian McInnes wrote:
What Dick Hake's thorough investigations have shown is that k is
pretty well
a constant for all levels of teacher enthusiasm. This is almost
certainly a
blow for the many of us who have approached teaching with enthusiasm and
have won high student evaluations and even awards for good
teaching. dick
has provided the figures that show that all that enthusiasm, all
the spent
energy counts for very little, if for anything.

So, it seems we can drop the k from the relation. All is not lost. What
Hake has shown is that we can write.
V = scdA,
where
s = a measure of the student involvement in the learning process
c = a measure of the curriculum material used (or, the way the student's
are involved in their learning).

Brian McInnes

Thanks to the two Brians, Whatcott and McInnes, for their
thoughtful replies.

Let me comment on one aspect of Brian M's new model for the volume,
V, of student understanding. The "involvement in the learning
process" variable, s, depends heavily on HOMEWORK. Any student who
spends time at home trying to understand a text and wrestling with
interesting and challenging problems is doing true "active physics."
I'm persuaded that quality homework -- taken seriously (i.e. graded,
alas) -- may surpass even the finest lab in generating "student
involvement in the learning process."

- Tucker