The equation noted lacked the precision of mathematics, and is therefore inappropriate without an instruction to the effect of "Solve for the number in () that makes this a true statement."
I'm just an engineer and all, but I had to look at it twice to understand what they were looking for.
Same. I hate problems that trick you, and use the excuse "the real world doesn't blah blah blah". In actuality, we use variables as a means to put real world problems into an abstract context. When you change that context, you confuse the problem more than it already is, and unnecessarily. You don't learn anything from questions that try to make you feel stupid because they ask it in a language you are unfamiliar with.
However, I do agree that schools need to stop using memorization as a means of mathematical education - such extensive use of memorization does not pervade a comparable discipline, language, at all, and I find its use pretty unnecessary. But some form of constant notation and not having to constantly be "looking out" for the next little stupid trick is nice.
Slashdot Mirror
microsoft's research branch is pretty innovative as well. Surface, that cool journal looking tablet, etc.
The equation noted lacked the precision of mathematics, and is therefore inappropriate without an instruction to the effect of "Solve for the number in () that makes this a true statement."
I'm just an engineer and all, but I had to look at it twice to understand what they were looking for.
Same. I hate problems that trick you, and use the excuse "the real world doesn't blah blah blah". In actuality, we use variables as a means to put real world problems into an abstract context. When you change that context, you confuse the problem more than it already is, and unnecessarily. You don't learn anything from questions that try to make you feel stupid because they ask it in a language you are unfamiliar with. However, I do agree that schools need to stop using memorization as a means of mathematical education - such extensive use of memorization does not pervade a comparable discipline, language, at all, and I find its use pretty unnecessary. But some form of constant notation and not having to constantly be "looking out" for the next little stupid trick is nice.
And yet, here we are, the first ultra-intelligent machine on earth, and we're for some unknown reason trying to obsolete ourselves....