Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!udel!princeton!njin!uupsi!cci632!sjfc!dlm From: dlm@sjfc.UUCP (Don Muench) Newsgroups: comp.edu Subject: Re: Against educational fads (was: math credit) Summary: A CAI project isn't same as writing Message-ID: <1166@sjfc.UUCP> Date: 12 Dec 90 03:07:18 GMT References: <15404@cs.utexas.edu> <15425@cs.utexas.edu> <16495@s.ms.uky.edu> Organization: St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY Lines: 39 In article <16495@s.ms.uky.edu>, morgan@ms.uky.edu (Wes Morgan) writes: > ..........Why not start encouraging students to program with > "alternative" projects? For instance, wouldn't an "interactive timeline" > program have just as much validity as any History term paper? Wouldn't > a computer simulation of a Chemistry experiment but perhaps one or two> be acceptable in place of the experiment itself? > ..............The knowledge of Shakespeare > required for such a program is virtually the same as that required for a > term paper. I admit that one cannot 'compare and contrast' in a computer > program, as can be done in a term paper. That's the reason for the "per- > mission of instructor" clause in the policy. The limit on assignments for > which computer work can be submitted also ensures that the student will > have to demonstrate his analytical abilities during the course. Students should be given opportunities to do a variety of things, maybe for extra credit. But, an interactive timeline is not the same as a History term paper. And, a computer simulation of a chemistry experiment is not the same as the actual experiment. The simulation really can't be done unless the writer already has already done the experiment. The writer needs to know what it is that she wants to simulate! Again the Shakespeare really needs to be thoroughly understood and analyzed and clarified so that the CAI leads the student to form ideas and connections that we wish her to make. This reminds me of the "debate" (please send flames to /dev/null or to alt.animal.rights) about animal rights and vivisection. SHould students dissect cats and rats and mice, etc, or should they imagine it through computer simulations? Well, if I need my appendix removed, I'd rather not have it done by simulation! (Repeat: take the flames elsewhere...not to my mailbox!) Don ********************************************************************** Don Muench Phone: (716) 385-8155 Dept. of Maths. & Comp. Sci. E-mail: uunet!uupsi!cci632!sjfc!dlm St. John Fisher College or sjfc!dlm@cci.com Rochester, NY 14618-9987 Fax: (716) 385-8129 **********************************************************************