4 ms·

> the mechanism is that the student works all the problems they can and then asks in office hours or review session about the problems they couldn’t do As som

> the mechanism is that the student works all the problems they can and then asks in office hours or review session about the problems they couldn’t do As someone from outside that world this line strikes me as truly weird. Yes, if I struggle with a problem I may well be aware that I'm struggling. But what about the ones where I think I'm doing fine, but I in fact have the wrong answer? Short of bringing ALL solutions to be checked in office hours how would someone even know? Does it really mean that the answers are given but the working of the solution is not? That would seem more reasonable at least - is that what's meant here?

Scarblac 5y ago
I think much of the time, correctness of the answer can be checked easily. E.g., if you have to solve for x and find an answer, you can fill it in in the original equation and see if it works.
- dc-programmer 5y ago
  This does not sound like a proof heavy class, but this approach unfortunately does not work as well for more advanced classes. Especially for problems where you can lose points for not writing the proof like a mathematician would even if you get the steps right (there was one prof in the math department who would deduct points for inelegant but otherwise correct proofs)
hervature 5y ago
See here for a list of problems from this exact course: https://www.math.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/2018-04/MAT202Sample%20Problems.pdf https://www.math.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/2018-04/M... These come with answers. It makes me wonder if "solutions" in the original article has been misinterpreted to mean "answers" in which case the complaints are much less warranted as you say. Regardless, from my experience, people who studied solutions often failed to learn the requisite verification skills necessary and ended up doing poorly on the exam. I believe the student from the original article would have performed the same relative to her peers if they were all given solutions. The only difference is that the exam would have decided everything. No additional learning would have occurred with the solutions. Unfortunately, students expect attendance to warrant an automatic A in the course. From my experience, the #1 predictor for a student's rating of a course was their perceived standing in the course and how much they perceived the instructor cared about their success. If you are an instructor today, put an additional 2 homeworks in the syllabus and then drop two of them over the course of the semester to accommodate you students' busy schedules and that should boost your ratings. Extra points for the theatrical democratic process during class.

Scarblac 5y ago

I think much of the time, correctness of the answer can be checked easily. E.g., if you have to solve for x and find an answer, you can fill it in in the original equation and see if it works.

dc-programmer 5y ago
This does not sound like a proof heavy class, but this approach unfortunately does not work as well for more advanced classes. Especially for problems where you can lose points for not writing the proof like a mathematician would even if you get the steps right (there was one prof in the math department who would deduct points for inelegant but otherwise correct proofs)

hervature 5y ago

See here for a list of problems from this exact course: https://www.math.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/2018-04/MAT202Sample%20Problems.pdf https://www.math.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/2018-04/M... These come with answers. It makes me wonder if "solutions" in the original article has been misinterpreted to mean "answers" in which case the complaints are much less warranted as you say. Regardless, from my experience, people who studied solutions often failed to learn the requisite verification skills necessary and ended up doing poorly on the exam. I believe the student from the original article would have performed the same relative to her peers if they were all given solutions. The only difference is that the exam would have decided everything. No additional learning would have occurred with the solutions. Unfortunately, students expect attendance to warrant an automatic A in the course. From my experience, the #1 predictor for a student's rating of a course was their perceived standing in the course and how much they perceived the instructor cared about their success. If you are an instructor today, put an additional 2 homeworks in the syllabus and then drop two of them over the course of the semester to accommodate you students' busy schedules and that should boost your ratings. Extra points for the theatrical democratic process during class.