11-13-2003, 04:04 PM | #31 | |
Iron Throne Cult
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Unfortunately, I think the problem isn't necessarily the teachers, but the whole mentality of school and maths in particular. Students don't WANT to know background or context - they just want the formula and its application. I think one of the most frustrating questions for teachers is 'is this going to be on the exam'? Otherwise they're not interested! I was talking with my supervisor the other day (a university lecturer), and she was discussing how frustrating it is that a lot of promotional and salary is tied up in student evaluations at the end of semester. And the only way to get really good evaluations is totally spoonfeeding them.
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11-13-2003, 04:15 PM | #32 |
Jack Burton
Join Date: July 19, 2003
Location: an expat living in France
Age: 39
Posts: 5,577
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We have two types of math classes here at university, and the lack of interest in the theory one and the interest in the application one is likewise as the one Aelia Jusa talked about.
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11-13-2003, 04:26 PM | #33 | |
Iron Throne Cult
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LOL at Davros and his GPA . I tell you, if I'd done engineering, I certainly wouldn't have been getting 1st class honours. I got a 4 for multivariate calculus and differential equations - and that was a 1st year subject! My only 4!
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11-13-2003, 04:40 PM | #34 |
Jack Burton
Join Date: July 19, 2003
Location: an expat living in France
Age: 39
Posts: 5,577
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We actually get one class where we only get the theory and provings of it, which everyone hates because it gets boring after 5 minuttes, and in the other one we just use the theory to resolve problems.
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11-13-2003, 05:16 PM | #35 | |
Takhisis Follower
Join Date: January 7, 2001
Location: Mandurah, West Australia
Age: 60
Posts: 5,073
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Quote:
PS : LOL - you got a 4 [img]smile.gif[/img] . PPS : If it helps, I can mention I got one for Thermodynamics II - I don't know how it was a 4 - by all rights it should have been a 3 .
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Davros was right - just ask JD |
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11-13-2003, 10:11 PM | #36 | |
Lord Ao
Join Date: May 17, 2001
Location: San Antonio, Texas, USA
Age: 53
Posts: 2,069
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Quote:
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[img]\"ubb/noncgi/smiles/new/ghoul.gif\" alt=\" - \" /><br /><br />\"The middle class pays all of the taxes, does all of the work.<br />The lower class exists just to scare the middle class.\"<br />-George Carlin |
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11-13-2003, 10:34 PM | #37 |
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and perhaps the best reason to keep studying your maths: being able to get jokes like these!
----------------------- The Top 10 reasons to become a statistician: 1. Deviation is considered normal 2. We feel complete and sufficient 3. We are 'mean' lovers 4. Statisticians do it discreetly and continuously 5. We are right 95% of the time 6. We can legally comment on someone's conjugate priors or posterior distribution 7. We may never be normal, but we are transformable 8. We never have to say we are certain 9. We are honestly significantly different 10. No one wants our job ------------------------ Three statisticians went bow hunting for deer. They spot a big buck and take aim. One shoots and his arrow flies off ten feet to the left. The second shoots, and his arrow veers ten feet to the right. The third statistician jumps up and down yelling, "We got him! We got him!" |
11-13-2003, 11:33 PM | #38 |
Baaz Draconian
Join Date: April 26, 2002
Location: florida
Age: 42
Posts: 761
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kinks are the little tricks that make a problem appear to be harder (or make it actually harder)
its kinda hard to give an example...after all, unless youve worked a few problems without the kinks you wont recognize it as a kink. usually, a kink will be something that makes a problem on its face appear unsolvable, and the resolution in general is applying a secondary formula to help simplify the equation and make it possible to solve. For example, cos^2 + sin^2 = 1 could be the secondary equation used to simplify a difficult looking expression that involves sines and cosines. prety much every level of math has these kinds of things added to try to trip you up; and the solution to the kink in general is related to the chapter your studying or has been taught in a previous chapter, or is just common sense. |
11-14-2003, 12:41 AM | #39 | |
Jack Burton
Join Date: May 31, 2002
Location: Ireland
Posts: 5,854
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I don't know if you study martial arts, but if you do then you know that when you are first starting that all you are really doing is memorization: hold your hand/wrist this way when punching, keep your toes curled back when kicking, the sequence of moves in the basic kata, etc. As you progress you understand more of the true nature of the moves you are doing and they become instinctive and natural. This same process occurs with mathematics (or any topic of study)--the basics like the soltution of the general quadratic equation must be memorized; only after you reach a certain point do you begin to understand what the solution really means and how to apply it more generally. Memorization has its place in learning. The true key to learning and understanding is when you are able to apply what you have memorized to more general problems/situations. [img]graemlins/petard.gif[/img] [/QUOTE]For martial arts this is true. There is a practical method in the application of what you memorize. This thread however argues whether higher mathematics has a practical application in everyday life. The answer, for most people is no.
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11-14-2003, 01:09 AM | #40 | |
Drow Priestess
Join Date: March 13, 2001
Location: a hidden sanctorum high above the metroplex
Age: 54
Posts: 4,037
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Oh, well...I enjoy having an understanding of higher mathematics, even if others choose to miss out on the experience. [img]graemlins/petard.gif[/img]
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Everything may be explained by a conspiracy theory. All conspiracy theories are true. No matter how thinly you slice it, it's still bologna. |
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