Newsgroups: comp.edu
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!ai.toronto.edu!tjhorton
From: tjhorton@ai.toronto.edu ("Timothy J. Horton")
Subject: Re: Calculators in exams, was: Becoming CAI literate
Message-ID: <1988Feb24.224849.928@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu>
Summary: Any calculator permitted, unless it dims the lights
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto
References: <2032@ukecc.engr.uky.edu> <3900008@nucsrl.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 24-Feb-88 22:48:48 EST

In article <3900008@nucsrl.UUCP> gore@nucsrl.UUCP (Jacob Gore) writes:
>... by allowing students to bring and use their calculators (in tests),
>you are also allowing them to use programmable calculators, many of which
>are powerful enough to be preprogrammed with solutions for a variety of
>problems that a student expects to be on your test. 

With the exception of exams on mathematical techniques...

Put one symbolic variable into just about numerical question (such that the
variable doesn't just drop out) and it becomes unsolvable with a programmable
calculator, unless it has MACSYMA in ROM and about 16 Meg of workspace.
The hardest part of most any "real" problem is employing a conceptual basis
to selecting an approach and find the way from "here to there".  Why slow
everyone down on the odd multiplication they need to do, when in real life
you would just reach for a calculator?  It's like having a cooking exam
with no knives.  As Oog says, with pride, "that's the way we did it in the
old days."

Does "B.C." really mean "Before Calculators"?