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Did you usually just say "I don't understand"... or was it more like "I get how a works with b when c occurs. But you lost me when you were talking about how it

Did you usually just say "I don't understand"... or was it more like "I get how a works with b when c occurs. But you lost me when you were talking about how it happens over z, I don't get the distinction, could you go into that?" It's not about plain ignorance, but conscious incompetence. That can be a great deal of work to attain in a given domain, getting to that "I know what I don't know" place so you can actually make pointed questions. You have to have a fairly good map of the territory already to begin filling in the gaps. Many of those people furiously writing probably didn't even know where to begin to ask... just write the stuff down now, understand later. Asking "I don't understand" doesn't make you look stupid, it's the follow-up "what don't you understand?", and then showing you can't even get into a proper discussion about your ignorance.

ollysb 14y ago
Yeah, I don't think you should ever say, "I don't understand", it comes off as lazy, you're making the other person do all the work. Give them a little more to go on, tell them what you've understood so far and what you need clarification on.
kstenerud 14y ago
It was more like the latter. I don't play those sorts of games.
keithpeter 14y ago
Bingo. I'm a teacher and I like students who ask me to re-explain or re-present a step in an argument. In fact, I use techniques designed to find out how much my students know and 'how they know it'. I teach fairly basic Maths, and different students learn the basics in different ways. I'd like a student who could articulate which step in a complex argument is the issue even more! I usually ask follow up questions to find out where the issue is without putting the questioner on the spot.
- JadeNB 14y ago
  > In fact, I use techniques designed to find out how much my students know and 'how they know it'. I teach fairly basic Maths, and different students learn the basics in different ways. This sounds interesting. Could you talk more about it?
  - keithpeter 14y ago
    OK, take a question like 'which is bigger, one fifth or one third or one half'. Some people just know the bigger number on the bottom of the fraction means that is smaller, for unit fractions. Other people have to visualise the fractions as a pizza and compare the slices. A few people have to take an actual value like 30 and work out the values of each of the fractions. They all solve the problem, but the 'way they know' is different. A longer example is at http://sohcahtoa.org.uk/pages/maths_algebra-revision-card-sort-and-mark-homework-activity.html http://sohcahtoa.org.uk/pages/maths_algebra-revision-card-so...
sophacles 14y ago
Right, I really dislike when people say generally "I don't get it". I have no idea where I need to re-explain something, and I end up starting over from the beginning a different way. Sometimes, after a couple rounds of this, I just have to stop and say, "I'm not sure what you're confused about, why don't you help me a little in clarifying what you need info on?". I quickly lose patience (and respect) for someone who doesn't take an active role in understanding. Conversely I have no problem going over something N times with someone if they can help me map out their (not)understanding of something, because then progress can be made. Even if you aren't sure what you don't understand, narrowing your questions or explaining your reasoning on things you do understand (or think you understand, sometimes we all are wrong on some key assumption that changes everything) can help your tutor fill in the bits that help explanation. Further, this sort of exercise is an example of metacognition, which teaching theory suggests is a very vital part of directed learning.

ollysb 14y ago

Yeah, I don't think you should ever say, "I don't understand", it comes off as lazy, you're making the other person do all the work. Give them a little more to go on, tell them what you've understood so far and what you need clarification on.

kstenerud 14y ago

It was more like the latter. I don't play those sorts of games.

keithpeter 14y ago

Bingo. I'm a teacher and I like students who ask me to re-explain or re-present a step in an argument. In fact, I use techniques designed to find out how much my students know and 'how they know it'. I teach fairly basic Maths, and different students learn the basics in different ways. I'd like a student who could articulate which step in a complex argument is the issue even more! I usually ask follow up questions to find out where the issue is without putting the questioner on the spot.

JadeNB 14y ago
> In fact, I use techniques designed to find out how much my students know and 'how they know it'. I teach fairly basic Maths, and different students learn the basics in different ways. This sounds interesting. Could you talk more about it?
- keithpeter 14y ago
  OK, take a question like 'which is bigger, one fifth or one third or one half'. Some people just know the bigger number on the bottom of the fraction means that is smaller, for unit fractions. Other people have to visualise the fractions as a pizza and compare the slices. A few people have to take an actual value like 30 and work out the values of each of the fractions. They all solve the problem, but the 'way they know' is different. A longer example is at http://sohcahtoa.org.uk/pages/maths_algebra-revision-card-sort-and-mark-homework-activity.html http://sohcahtoa.org.uk/pages/maths_algebra-revision-card-so...

sophacles 14y ago

Right, I really dislike when people say generally "I don't get it". I have no idea where I need to re-explain something, and I end up starting over from the beginning a different way. Sometimes, after a couple rounds of this, I just have to stop and say, "I'm not sure what you're confused about, why don't you help me a little in clarifying what you need info on?". I quickly lose patience (and respect) for someone who doesn't take an active role in understanding. Conversely I have no problem going over something N times with someone if they can help me map out their (not)understanding of something, because then progress can be made. Even if you aren't sure what you don't understand, narrowing your questions or explaining your reasoning on things you do understand (or think you understand, sometimes we all are wrong on some key assumption that changes everything) can help your tutor fill in the bits that help explanation. Further, this sort of exercise is an example of metacognition, which teaching theory suggests is a very vital part of directed learning.