So I know both of the authors of this article, and I knew them when they were planning to make this course and afterwards:
When they were planning it, the idea was to increase attendance in physics courses as attendance numbers = state granted funding. I guess Costas has become a bit cynical now that he got his extra cash. Here are my thoughts on it:
(1) That journal is a PoS, i.e. their findings are meaningless or so worthless they are irrelevant.
(2) Costas sucks as a professor, he's too arrogant.
(3) Llewellyn rocks, he probably had his name added because he came up with idea of the course.
(4) The people in the course are not the brightest sparks. The course is a level below their general physical science course, which is less than or equal to a high school physics course (algebra based). Most of the people in it are communication majors, or hospitality majors just trying to fill a core requisite, of course they aren't going to know physics!
Slashdot Mirror
So I know both of the authors of this article, and I knew them when they were planning to make this course and afterwards: When they were planning it, the idea was to increase attendance in physics courses as attendance numbers = state granted funding. I guess Costas has become a bit cynical now that he got his extra cash. Here are my thoughts on it: (1) That journal is a PoS, i.e. their findings are meaningless or so worthless they are irrelevant. (2) Costas sucks as a professor, he's too arrogant. (3) Llewellyn rocks, he probably had his name added because he came up with idea of the course. (4) The people in the course are not the brightest sparks. The course is a level below their general physical science course, which is less than or equal to a high school physics course (algebra based). Most of the people in it are communication majors, or hospitality majors just trying to fill a core requisite, of course they aren't going to know physics!