Re: [Phys-L] rote versus understanding ... grade versus understanding

[John Denker <jsd@av8n.com>]

On 06/08/2016 09:43 AM, David Craig wrote:

> Students will respond to what is directly (and immediately) rewarded.
> The future (even a midterm that's weeks away) is simply too distant
> to be much of a factor.

Note the contrast:
 -- We must exhibit realism about the starting point.
 -- We must not exhibit fatalism or defeatism about the ending point.

Part of becoming an adult requires learning the value of delayed
gratification.  Students often live up to our expectations.  If
we always assume the worst of students, expecting them to insist
on instant gratification, they will never grow up.

> If homework is a significant part of the grade, they will make sure
> they find good answers to the questions posed, by any means
> necessary.

It doesn't have to be that way.

> If homework is NOT required (as in rewarded), the vast majority
> simply will not do it, whether or not it is important to "learn the
> material" or "do well on the tests".

In moderation, taking the easy route is not a bad thing.
The larger problem is elsewhere.  Note the partial contrast:
  a) The students' goal "should" be to do well in life.
  b) Grades (more-or-less by definition) reflect doing well in school.

1) From the student's point of view:  Insofar as items (a) and (b)
 are different, it means the wise student should put less emphasis
 on grubbing for grades and more emphasis on understanding the material.

 I tell students:  My mother was a teacher.  She taught me at a
 very young age to focus on understanding, not on grades.  I took
 that to heart ... and I have the GPA to prove it.

    BTW, note that a C- GPA was not an obstacle to getting into
    grad school.  The people who read grad-school applications
    and fellowship applications are not idiots.  They know there
    are more important things than GPA.  We can discuss details
    on this if anybody is interested.

2) From the teacher's point of view:  Insofar as items (a) and (b)
 are different, it means the basis for assigning grades is messed 
 up.  There are (as the saying goes) opportunities for improvement.
 Although no grading system will never be perfect, there are things
 you can do.

 Specific constructive suggestion:  Do not grade the homework.  
 Instead, pick an item from some N-days-old homework set and assign
 it as an in-class quiz.  Those who understood the homework should
 be able to answer immediately.  Those who answered the homework
 questions using some non-understanding-based method will get the
 appropriate feedback.

   Start with N=1 and gradually increase it to N=20 or more.
   Gradually is important, because in all likelihood by the time
   students show up in your class, they have been taught again
   and again over the years that stuff that appears on homework
   is of short-term importance only.  If you try to tell them that
   physics ideas have lasting value, they simply will not believe
   you the first ten times you tell them.  Nevertheless, the point
   is, you have to do whatever it takes to get this idea across.

      Often this requires changing /what/ is taught (not just
      how it is taught), to make sure it really does have lasting
      value.  However, this is a topic for another day.

   Better yet, take an item from the N-days-old homework and
   /modify/ it slightly.
    -- If it was about surface tension in a spherical droplet,
     ask about a cylinder.   Or, rather than asking about the
     air/water interface, ask about the air/water/air interface
     in a soap bubble.
    -- If it was about waves spreading out in three dimensions,
     ask about waves spreading out in two dimensions, e.g. on
     the surface of a pond.
    ++ Et cetera.

 The point is that rather than "forbidding" the seemingly-easy
 approach à la Heller&Heller, encourage the truly-easy approach.
 Demonstrate that /understanding/ is, in the long run, easier
 than trying to rote-memorize everything.

===============

 As a side-benefit, not grading the homework means that students
 who already understand the material don't need to waste time
 grinding through a bunch of busywork.  Note that busywork sends
 every possible wrong message about long-term value.