From: harvey_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp48
Subject: Re: Using programmable calcs in exams
Date: 20 Dec 1992 08:58:35 GMT
Organization: Wellington City Council (Public Access), Wgtn, Nz
Reply-To: harvey_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
NNTP-Posting-Host: kosmos.wcc.govt.nz

In article <1992Dec19.211512.11067@doug.cae.wisc.edu>, kolstad@cae.wisc.edu (Joel Kolstad) writes:
>>  I'm interested in hearing about experiences that other students have had 
>>relating to this.  Do other universities allow them, encourage their use or
>>maybe (god forbid) actually teach students how to use these tools?
>
>The procedures I've encountered break down into (1) No calculators
>whatsoever, (2) Basic scientifics only, and (3) Any calculator you want.
>
>(1) is used in classes where the problem solving is generally symbolic, and
>the only real good use of a high end calculator would be for crib notes.
>This approach is often used in low level "core" courses, where you're
>still doing a little bit of route memorization (i.e., "State Maxwell's
>Equations").  

this is also used in Victoia University's comp department, where it is
considered that using calculators could be unfair (esp. ones that could
potentialy be used to actually test your code on the fly....)

>(2) is used when, IMHO, the tests have too much emphasis on "plug and chug"
>and notes aren't allowed.  For these, I use my HP-32SII, which technically
>doesn't isn't a "basic scientific," but it's close enough.  (I'd probably
>use no calculator at all before having to use a non-RPN calculator. :-) )

In any case these tests all too often test who can punch keys on their ordianry
calculator the fastest anyways.... eg, those who know how to use all the
statistical features of say, theit casio 82-C (ie utterly basic scientific)
have a large advantage over those who add the figures up 'manualy'.
   
>(3) is used when having all the notes in the world probably wouldn't do you
>much more good than having the (generally) "cheat sheet" that you're
>allowed to have.  If you're in an engineering or science field, by the time
>you hit your mid-level courses, they've pretty much degraded into this.  Much
>as I might like, my HP-48 won't help me at all in deriving something like
>the Goos-Hanchen phase of an E-M field off a dielectric interface. :-) (It
>_will_ then help, though, in plugging in some given parameters to do a
>"reality check" on the result, which is what calculators should be used for
>in this case.)

It is also used where no working=no marks... 

I don't know how your universitys conduct your exams, but in ours, the registry
runs their exams to reasonably strict rules, including that all calculators
with any storage must be reset...  Many of the supervisors do check this, and
as being cought with a calculator full of notes would end up with the same sort
of penalties as any other sort of notes.....

Of course when it comes down to it, those who do use their calculators to
'cheat' in the exams will usually get triped up later as they won't know the
basics the next year, and so on..... usually it's short term gain only, but
even so the potential to boost their marks a little may be all too tempting for
some....


| Adrian Harvey       (Harvey_A@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz)|
|             Windows?  Just say NO!               |
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp48