Mood:
chillin'Now Playing: Karma Chameleon (Culture Club)
Topic: Questionnaire
So, had an informal meeting yesterday with Doug and James ... that went well ... James and I were updating Doug on the position of my research ... and its great to get Doug's input ... at first I was wondering if he would have added anything ... but he did!! I definitely think I should have as much people on my supervisory meetings as possible ... they do add ideas for you.
Anyway, what he said was that I should create a questionnaire that will be able to classify how lecturers use their software (or if at all) and try to make it a continuum such as from black-box to hand written. I think however the continuum in teaching linear programming should have two dimensions with respect to the:
1. teaching of the linear programming - that is from completely learning oriented to completely computational oriented
2. teaching using the software - that is from completely software oriented to completely hand-work oriented
Therefore, there can have four combinations:
1. hand work-learning oriented
2. hand work-computational oriented
3. software-learning oriented
3. software-computational oriented
Now, not sure what is teaching that is learning oriented - but I think I mean understanding the concepts - so I guess probably the nitty-gritty of why they are doing stuff - but I'm conflicted now ... won't the nitty gritty implied that you're doing the computational stuff??? I guess I should imply that the computational stuff means where the answer is given or maybe I should call that the blackbox approach. So, for hand-written I mean everything is done by hand, and by software I mean everything is done by software, the student doesn't touch pen and paper.
Alright, if I am going with that, I'm theorizing that math students in particular will most likely go with learning and hand written, learn the nitty gritty and do all iterations by hand. In this case they are using intermediate steps but practically. Then I am theorising that those who have learning and software, these will use intermediate step software.
So, what I'm saying there is two types of teaching one with intermediate steps and one without. Hmmm ... this comes to an interesting aspect ... does how the teacher teach the course relate to their intentions or beliefs ... i.e. how is learning-software related to their intentions or beliefs?
I think I've totally confused myself as yet! I am not sure what I am measuring any more .... oh well got to untangle this web I wove just now ... my brain is tied up in knots!
