Re: [Phys-L] Indicators of quality teaching (Was:MOOC: Edx OffersMechanics course by Prof.Walter Lewin)

[Marty Weiss <martweiss@comcast.net>]

"Gain"... obviously the latest word of the year.  Let's talk about socio-economic status.  What about a student who never took any physics before and his parents are working people;  suppose he exits with a good working knowledge of the basicson a post-test (final exam or state test, no matter which.)  As contrasted to someone whose father is a physics major, has been around scientists his whole life, but likewise has never taken physics before.  He exits the same class with a good working knowledge of the same basics and receives the same final grade on the post-test.   Now if the knowledge "gain" is based on a pre-test, which doesn't count, and a post-test would you say they had the same gain or did the student with the non-physics background experience MORE gain than did the student who came from a science background.  The test doesn't measure home life, so who had the most gain?  

I fear that this word "gain" is just the latest of many such words used to describe something that is immeasurable in one's education and life.    

 
On Jun 21, 2013, at 4:40 PM, Rauber, Joel wrote:

> The gain in physics for phyics majors for the entire educational process is very impressive, even for those who mostly were educated traditionally. I'm referring of course to the kindergarten -- Bachelors gain
>
> |-----Original Message-----
> |From: Phys-l [mailto:phys-l-bounces@phys-l.org] On Behalf Of Richard Tarara
> |Sent: Friday, June 21, 2013 3:19 PM
> |To: Phys-L@Phys-L.org
> |Subject: Re: [Phys-L] Indicators of quality teaching (Was:MOOC: Edx
> |OffersMechanics course by Prof.Walter Lewin)
> |
> |IMO,  the test of the teaching/teaching methods is the end product.
> |Hard, I think, to argue that our scientists and engineers, educated with _more
> |traditional_ methods (and that is a vague term) have really been deficient.
> |One CAN, I suppose, argue about the general public with more success.
> |However, the 'research tests (largely inbred)' have not, to my knowledge,
> |shown great gains for college/grad-school graduates educated with different
> |methods (I know--hard to get someone though a whole
> |curriculum of reformed pedagogy).   So my take is not to give up too
> |quickly on the good lecture.  It seems to work for some (most on this list for
> |example) and the technical 'gains' tested in the educational research need to
> |be proven as true gains in long term knowledge, skills, and successful careers
> |and citizenship.
> |
> |rwt  [Who has immersed himself in the Great Courses series of audio lectures
> |and has learned a whole lot about Philosophy, History, Economics, Biology,
> |and Linguistics in so doing!)
> |
> |On 6/21/2013 3:51 PM, Larry Smith wrote:
> |> On Jun 21, 2013, at 1:37 PM, John Clement wrote:
> |>> Just remember the research that shows the only factor that matters is
> |>> what you do in class, and not who your are or what your style is.
> |>
> |> More important than what the teacher does in class is what the teacher gets
> |the students to do in class.
> |>
> |> Larry
> |>
> |>
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> |--
> |Richard Tarara
> |Professor of Physics
> |Saint Mary's College
> |
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