Xref: utzoo sci.math:5033 sci.physics:5066 comp.edu:1502 Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!cornell!batcomputer!itsgw!steinmetz!uunet!pdn!reggie From: reggie@pdn.UUCP (George W. Leach) Newsgroups: sci.math,sci.physics,comp.edu Subject: Re: How to beat the high cost of text books! Message-ID: <5067@pdn.UUCP> Date: 7 Dec 88 17:40:08 GMT References: <2219@cbnews.ATT.COM> <684@stech.UUCP> <17553@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <1124@osupyr.mast.ohio-state.edu> <1049@l.cc.purdue.edu> <14193@cisunx.UUCP> Reply-To: reggie@pdn.UUCP (George W. Leach) Organization: Paradyne Corporation, Largo FL Lines: 27 In article <14193@cisunx.UUCP> jjc@unix.cis.pittsburgh.edu (Jeffrey James Bryan Carpenter) writes: >In article <1049@l.cc.purdue.edu> cik@l.cc.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin) writes: >>memorized the various types of manipulations. I suggest that the liberal >>use of crib sheets be allowed in mathematics examinations. A formula can >>always be looked up in the real world; a definition can be looked up; a >>theorem can be looked up; the understanding of what these mean cannot be > >I fully agree with this. I could never understand why there was so >much emphasis on memorizing formulas when it is the concepts and ways >of applying the formulas that counts. This was standard practice in the Calculus courses I took. In fact, the crib sheet was a preprinted, on both sides, card that could be purchased from the bookstore! In fact, in many ways I would have preferred NOT to have open book tests because they were HARDER. Of course, you learned quite a bit more about REAL problem solving that way. -- George W. Leach Paradyne Corporation ..!uunet!pdn!reggie Mail stop LG-129 Phone: (813) 530-2376 P.O. Box 2826 Largo, FL USA 34649-2826