You don't say how many students you had in this class. How many students
got the problem right (with the right area sketched)? If all of my
calculus students but 4 got this problem right I think I'd feel pretty
good.
Martin Kalmar
Frederick Community College
Frederick, Md.
Martin_kalmar@co.frederick.md.us
Bret Taylor wrote:
..and blame others (high schools, parents, society, Ken Starr, El Nino,
etc.) for our students poor performance. Let me give you an anecdotal
story. If you can figure out who I can "blame" other than me, let me
know.
Situation: Calc I exam. Simple, straightforward question. (At least, I
thought so.) Using only e-mail capabilities, I'll try and give you the
question here:
Solve the following equation for A (exact value) and then draw a sketch
depicting the problem.
The integral from 1/A to A of 1/x dx = 4.
I honestly thought the problem, especially the sketch, was a no-brainer.
Just wanting to reinforce that the underlying principal that integrals
are
areas under curves. (We'd done some applications where it isn't obvious
that this is the case.)
Well, 4 of my students drew the curve y = lnx and shaded areas, rather
than
y = 1/x.
And two of my students worked the problem and put the following answer in
the answer blank
sqrt(e^4)
They did not understand that this would actually simplify to e^2.
All of these students have had at least one pre-calc course taught on our
campus by full-time (and excellent - I know them all and know they are
good
) instructors.
So, who do I blame? :-)
Bret Taylor Lake-Sumter Community College Leesburg
FL
"It matters not the subject taught, nor all the books on all the shelves.
What matters more, yes most of all, is what the teachers are themselves."
John Wooden
John 3: 3^3 + 3
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