[snipped]
>Simple math problem:
>What is tuition for one year at YOUR CC?
>What is the MTBF of a laptop? (The MTBF of the graphics calculator is
>irrelevant:
>as you effectively said, it's useless outside of class.)
>What fraction of the cost of the laptop should allocated to its use
in math
>class?
>What is the incremental cost of the laptop?
>
>
>
>Then
>Will the laptop have benefits beyond the narrow confines of math
class?
>What are the approximate net present values of those uses?
>In particular, in a job interview, when I ask, "Do you have
experience with
>Windows NT?", and the candidate answers, "No, I used a TI-89" what do
you
>think my response should be?
>
>Finally, do a cost/benefit comparison of a graphics calculator with a
>laptop.
>
It is interesting how discussions like these seem to become either/or
(exclusive) in nature. It appears that everyone involved in this
discussion supports some form of electronically done calculation as I
do. If a student came to my class armed with a laptop that did the
types of operations a graphing calculator does, I would happily
welcome that student and not require him or her to obtain a graphing
calculator. And, if a student came to my class with a graphing
calculator, I would not require him or her to buy a laptop. The point
is that I want them to learn mathematics. Whatever students have that
accomplish the tasks I want them to do in a time efficient manner is
fine with me.
While requiring all students to own laptops is no doubt a good idea,
I'm not sure it would work at our institution. As a faculty member of
an urban institution, we get quite a few students who attend our
institution on various grants and loans. While most grants and loans
will readily pay for a calculator that is needed for a course, none
that I know of would pay for a laptop. While one might argue that this
is the fault of a short-sighted government (and who would argue the
short-sightedness of our government!), I'm not sure I want my tax
dollars going to supply students with laptops (even taking into
consideration the above excellent cost analysis)!
William (Bill) Thomas
Univ. of Toledo Community and Technical College
Toledo, OH 43606-3390
(Voice) 419.530.3338, (Fax) 419.530.3194
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