Chronology | Current Month | Current Thread | Current Date |
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] | [Date Index] [Thread Index] | [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] | [Date Prev] [Date Next] |
I don't know many college level students (including some of my best ones)
who could manually calculate solutions.
Please remember that the algorithm
for square roots is no longer even taught in most school systems. Long
division is probably not possible for at least half the students - unless
you really use simple numbers.
Calculators are a fact of life and I think you're looking for trouble by
banning them. You are trying to evaluate the students understanding of
physics - I don't see how hand calculations facilitate that.
I feel that far more legitimate questions are: Do you allow formula cards,
etc.? I know most of us bemoan the student's lack of ability to estimate,
but on the other hand, it frees us as teachers to stress and evaluate the
concepts when we are not tied to checking students arithmetic when grading
exams. I'm sure there are those who still feel that all subjects should be
taught in Latin. I see requiring hand calculations to be pretty similar.
Showing the intermediate steps (algebra first - numbers later)
is a legitimate requirement.
Requiring students to 'Show your Work' doesn't go against their
future work-style.
If all of the work was done on the calculator - require them to
staple the calculator to the test paper.
If all of their work was done 'in their head' - require them to
staple their HEAD to the test paper.