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[Phys-L] placement / evaluation tests



A paper on math placement (I was a co-author) is available at

http://arxiv.org/abs/1608.05006

In brief:

The best predictor of student success is ability to solve simple science
calculations without a calculator. The reason is likely the importance of
math automaticity in limited working memory -- according to scientists
whose field of expertise is how the brain works.

So a placement test needs to be focused on computation, which many math
placement tests are not. At the end of the ArXiv article are several
online-available placement test options focused on computation for small
and large sections.

But the paper says John is right: For success in a science major, even
bio/health, this generation needs a 2-credit course in "math for the
sciences" concurrent with their first quantitative science course.
Starting in 1990, state K-12 math standards in most states stopped teaching
computation. The states dumped teaching computation onto science
instructors. The graphs in the ArXiv paper I think will show that.

-- rick nelson