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Calculators are tools and just need to be used in an appropriate context. Engineering programs in Canada allow no calculators for math classes (Calculus, Linear

by jlos 10y ago

Calculators are tools and just need to be used in an appropriate context. Engineering programs in Canada allow no calculators for math classes (Calculus, Linear Algebra, etc) but they are an absolute necessity for for Engineering classes (e.g. dynamics). It's a very nice balance because the math classes hone your abilities to think and reason mathematically unaided by the engineering classes hone your ability to apply those skills without getting bogged down in details about calculations.

n00b101 10y ago
I don't disagree that computers/electronic calculators are appropriate tools for engineering, science and business classes, even at the secondary or primary school levels. Those are contexts where numerical computation with "messy" numbers are necessary. Insisting on manual calculation in such a context would be tedious and of no pedagogical value. I was only talking about math classes, where exam questions can be made up with "clean" numbers so that there is never any need for using a calculator. Although, given that we are in 2017, I really don't think that the traditional pocket calculator is a good tool in any educational context. In any context where using a pocket calculator makes sense, a full-fledged computer makes much more sense (except perhaps elementary school science classes). If you are numerically solving equations in an engineering class (e.g. dynamics), then you should really be using something like MATLAB or Python (or Julia!). Similarly, if you are analyzing a financial statement in an accounting class, it would make far more sense to use a spreadsheet rather than an HP 12C calculator. Using a computer would be much more convenient and have far greater pedagogical value for "real-world" training in such contexts. I think the only reason that pocket calculators are prevalent in higher education contexts (such as your dynamics course) is that it is more difficult to cheat on an exam using a calculator (e.g. smuggling in notes) than it is with a full-fledged computer. But that is really a computer security issue and there ways to solve that problem which don't involve a throwback to antiquated, 1960s desktop computing technology.

by jlos 10y ago

n00b101 10y ago

I don't disagree that computers/electronic calculators are appropriate tools for engineering, science and business classes, even at the secondary or primary school levels. Those are contexts where numerical computation with "messy" numbers are necessary. Insisting on manual calculation in such a context would be tedious and of no pedagogical value. I was only talking about math classes, where exam questions can be made up with "clean" numbers so that there is never any need for using a calculator. Although, given that we are in 2017, I really don't think that the traditional pocket calculator is a good tool in any educational context. In any context where using a pocket calculator makes sense, a full-fledged computer makes much more sense (except perhaps elementary school science classes). If you are numerically solving equations in an engineering class (e.g. dynamics), then you should really be using something like MATLAB or Python (or Julia!). Similarly, if you are analyzing a financial statement in an accounting class, it would make far more sense to use a spreadsheet rather than an HP 12C calculator. Using a computer would be much more convenient and have far greater pedagogical value for "real-world" training in such contexts. I think the only reason that pocket calculators are prevalent in higher education contexts (such as your dynamics course) is that it is more difficult to cheat on an exam using a calculator (e.g. smuggling in notes) than it is with a full-fledged computer. But that is really a computer security issue and there ways to solve that problem which don't involve a throwback to antiquated, 1960s desktop computing technology.