🚀 go-pugleaf

I listened to these messages around Christmas time and would have liked to
have known the relative ages of some of the participants.  I am in my 23rd
year of teaching college physics at a two-year agricultural and technical
college.  For the most part my students have not had physics before.  Their
math level is dismal.  I have to teach formula manipulation and solidly
review right-triangle trigonometry.

Over the years I have heard fellow teachers debate the homework issue.  I
have always collected, graded and returned homework.  That may not include
all assignments, but the students don't know which.  It usually ends up
being around 10-12% of their final average.  For a student's first semester
away from home, there is so much freedom that the kids can kill themselves
academically before they wake up.  I figure the squeaky wheel gets the
grease, so if I require the homework, mine may get done before someone
else's!

Interestingly, as student preparation has declined, more and more of my fellow
teachers, including math profs, which I also do, are collecting homework.

The bottom line is, it pays off.  Too many students will not do it until
required.  They think they understand, but the quizzes show that they didn't!

My midterm and final exams are about 60/40 computational/reasoning-short answer.
Sadly, my kids learn how to set up and solve problems very well.  I'm still
fighting them on how to think!

Nancy Douglas
Physics Dept.
College of Agriculture and Technology
Morrisville NY 13408

(315)684-6079
DOUGLANJ@snymorva.cs.snymor.edu