[Phys-L] believing everything they read, or not

[John Denker <jsd@av8n.com>]

On 10/09/2014 02:38 AM, Peter Schoch wrote:
>  I am finding
> this years class quite challenging -- while they are extremely bright, they
> won't believe anything I say if it is not in the textbook.  I could say
> 2+2=4 and they would ask me where that is stated in the book.  I am finding
> it to be very vexing.

1) If the students are motivated to actually read the
 text, you're obviously doing something right.

2)  Surely there are dozens and dozes of places where the 
 book contradicts itself and/or contradicts well-established
 real-world facts.

 Possibly constructive suggestion:  Ask the students to 
 find errors in the text.  Give a small reward for mere
 typos, and a much larger reward for clearly wrong physics.

 Sometimes the more ornery the students, the more they
 like this assignment.

 It won't completely cure them of their literalist,
 fundamentalist tendencies, but it might be a step in
 the right direction.