[Phys-L] Re: Assignment for Einsteinians

[John Clement <clement@HAL-PC.ORG>]

> On Friday, Jul 1, 2005, Pentcho Valev wrote:
>
>  > . . .  The problem with relativity is not that it is wrong;
>  > rather, it leads to a destruction of rationality by forcing
>  > people to think in terms of oxymorons . . . .
>
> Well, if the theory is correct then what is being criticized?
> I suppose it is the way in which the theory was derived.
> That is pedagogy. Better derivations, perhaps starting
> with different postulates, can probably be produced.

Unfortunately the pedagogical value of derivations is very low because as
Joe Redish showed, most students tend to think of a derivation as just being
a demonstration that it is all right to use the equations.  What is needed
is more engagement by the students.  This has been done very ably by many
researchers with respect to Newtonian mechanics, and other intro. topics.

Then there is the problem of low thinking skills.  Without higher level
thinking skills, it is nearly impossible to get students to engage in some
of these topics.  The problem with relativity is that most effects can not
be directly "seen" and have to be inferred indirectly.  Anton Lawson showed
that such concepts are the most difficult and can only be dealt with easily
by students at the "theoretical level" which is higher than the "formal
operational" level.  Incidentally evolution is also a concept which requires
the theoretical level.

The inability to understand different reference frames is one of the
problems here.  Incidentally I have seen students who have worked with RF
and have been well trained In a traditional EE program who refuse to accept
QM because it violates what they were taught.  This sort of rigidity is
actually promoted by our prescriptive teaching by talking at students.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX
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