Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!cucstud!aucis!bnick
From: bnick@aucis.UUCP (Bill Nickless)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Student preparedness
Summary: "Honors" courses are easier!
Message-ID: <120@aucis.UUCP>
Date: 5 Jan 89 16:03:31 GMT
Lines: 38
References:<56@rpi.edu>

In article <56@rpi.edu>, mccombt@rpics (Todd McComb) writes:
> I also don't think that memorization of trivia is in any way necessary
> to be successful in school.  I've had experience in engineering and
> mathematics, and must say that I never "memorized" anything, and certainly
> not for the sake of having "memorized" it.  I think too many people bite
> on the information that is propagated around campuses: that is, that the
> typical student crams for tests and copies notes verbatim.  Maybe the 
> typical student does do those things, but I would assert that it is harmful
> for many people.  (The word "typical" above, is more a joke than anything.)

I find it very difficult to memorize ANYTHING by rote.  However, I can
remember concepts and processes and relations.  But more than that, I
can find where to look things up in reference materials and know how
to use them.

The honors classes I have taken have been easier for me because they
did not require a sit-down test where you spout forth rote knowledge
the teacher presented once or twice in a sterile list.  Rather, they
required analyses or creative renderings of information we found
ourselves as students!  True, it required time and effort, but not
wasteful memorization.

The information memorized for in-class tests is forgotten as soon as
it is no longer required.  Mental skills of interpretation and
research, however, are useful in later life.

I would much rather spend 6 or 8 hours on a take-home calculus test,
interpreting a word-problem and using 3 or 4 different methods and
processes to estimate, approximate, calculate, and verify an answer
than to walk out of a one hour test and remember five minutes later
(remember, the "typical" test is done without reference works!)
how to do one of the 25 point problems on a 100 point tests, or what
that critical date was in the French revolution.
-- 
William (Bill) Kirk Nickless                                 Andrews University
305 Meier                           Computer and Information Science Department
Berrien Springs, MI 49104                                    UNIX Support Group
(616) 471-6515 or (616) 471-3422                  ...!uunet!cucstud!aucis!bnick