[Phys-L] Re: Ambiguous Question

[Dan MacIsaac <Dan.MacIsaac@NAU.EDU>]

On Nov 17, 2005, at 10:03 AM, Edmiston, Mike wrote:
> Okay... I won't require that you read my mind.  Joel, it is not you
> nor
> John D nor Ken that I am unsure about.  It is Brian W, Bernard C.,
> John
> M., Dan M.  These (maybe others) talked about the need to learn to
> infer
> things.  But I cannot tell if they are siding with the prof who wrote
> the question we are discussing, or whether they side with the
> students.
>
>
> Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.
> Professor of Chemistry and Physics
> Bluffton University
> Bluffton, OH 45817
> (419)-358-3270
> edmiston@bluffton.edu

I didn't take a side; that's why you're having trouble inferring
such :^).

I guess I'd side with the students who were unhappy, while
recognizing we all fall into this sort of trap, and we usually
negotiate out of it.  I believe it is inappropriate to expect
significant discourse and verbal negotiation  during a written exam,
so exam questions need to be as clear as possible.  I believe
discourse lies at the center of good teaching and should be
encouraged.

Dan M

Dan MacIsaac, Associate Professor of Physics, SUNY-Buffalo State College
222SciBldg BSC, 1300 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo NY 14222 USA 716-878-3802
<macisadl@buffalostate.edu>  <http://PhysicsEd.BuffaloState.edu>
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