As a computer technician and programmer, if I don’t know the answer to a question, I turn to Google. I may not know every answer to every question, but I sure know how to get it. I’ve started to apply this concept to classes I’m taking right now; calculus in particular.
I was stuck on the section titled “The Precise Definition of a Limit.” My professor breezed over it in class and told us to read the chapter. As I started to read the chapter, there were parts that did not make sense. How did they get from step a to step b? What does that symbol mean? To answer these questions, I turned to my old friend Google. From doing a little bit of research I was able to find a forum I could post questions to (if they weren’t already answered in the archive) AND I found a the lecture notes of a professor in Indiana who is using the same book as my professor. After reading his lecture notes, the concept was clear and the book started to make sense again!
If I never had this mindset when it comes to learning, I would’ve been reading that section in the book over and over again. I would be right where I was before except with a higher level of stress. Not all books/professors will teach in a way that I can easily understand, so it’s nice to know there are alternative routes in the journey of understanding a concept.
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So true bro..
I think they should have open notebook exams now. It makes no sense to test people in a closed room, when in real life, you’ll never be solving problems that way..
Cheers
Nitesh
Nitesh
February 11th, 2007
I somewhat agree. The point of having a closed-note test is so that you have a full understanding of the subject matter before you progress. Calculus, or mathematics rather, builds upon itself. Before you move from one concept, you need to fully understand the concepts before.
Other classes like my societal issues in computing class are more about critical thinking. Due to their online nature, you have the opportunity to research your answers for the tests which becomes a form of learning in and of itself.
So yes, open note tests have their application, but not for all subjects in my opinion.
Nick
February 11th, 2007
My friend Brent says that he learns more from Google than he does actually going to class.
Stef
February 16th, 2007