Subject: Writing applications
From: John Chamberlain (chamber@cord.org)
Date: Wed May 03 2000 - 11:36:08 EDT
At 05:03 PM 5/3/00 +0200, Nick Roemer wrote:
>As for the Application:
>
>a blacksmith hammering on the iron in order to forge it.
>
Nick,
Sometimes it's real hard to come up with honest-to-goodness applications of
some math and science concepts, because the concept itself is seldom REALLY
applied by anyone. Usually, the concept is merely evident in the
"applications" found in most texts---a good start, but I think we can do
better. In the case of your blacksmith, for example, you and I can see the
concept of mechanical equivalent of heat present as the hammer strikes the
metal, but most likely the blacksmith has no knowledge of the concept, and
so cannot (nor does he need to) apply it. In my thinking, this
disqualifies it as an "application" because most people will think (and
sometimes even say), "Who cares?"
As I write applications in textbooks here at CORD, I've found the "trick"
is to find someone who must apply the knowledge of a particular concept
(whatever it might be) to solve or prevent a real, (usually) workplace
problem. If it's not a problem or a potential problem to the worker, then
let's face it: there is little real-world motivation to think about it.
It's mostly academicians who enjoy thinking about non-problems. (Ooops! I
forgot who's reading this! I confess: I think like an academic about 40% of
the time. :-) Anyway, this approach has proven very effective for me in
writing hundreds of well-received application problems in math and science.
Hope this helps someone out there! :-) I'm not intending to throw stones at anyone!
John Chamberlain | C - O - R - D
Senior Associate | 601 Lake Air Dr
- - - - - - - - - - - | Waco, TX 76710
800-972-2766, Ext 221 | Fax 254-772-8972
chamber@cord.org | http://www.cord.org
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