Why would you ever need a calculator at the exam?

[mietla]

Any problem is/can be expressed as a symbol relationships and the solution is expected to be in the same form.


Why would you ever need a calculator at the exam.

[Maverick]

Written numbers are symbols. How you use them to present a problem that solving could require the use of a calculator to provide the correct written number (symbol) to answer the question.
Language of any type is also based on symbols that the word actually stands for something than can be communicated.

[SD67]

<= when was at school calculators were not permitted in exams. All working had to be demonstrated manually on the exam paper.

[lasersailor184]

Well, the math we had to do through out college would have been pretty freaking difficult without calculators.


When you start applying calculus and matrix algebra to structural systems, it's often easy to get a final solution in symbols only.


Plugging the numbers in, though, is often anything but simple.

[dkff49]

I understand the need for calculators in the more difficult maths. With those types of classes the test is to see if you can perform the functions as much as it whether or not you which processes to perform at correct times. So I understand.

But I agree that we are allowing public school students who are in the more basic of classes to use them. Basic Geometry and algebra and Geometry and Algebra one and like classes should not be using them in my opinion. Those can be performed on paper.

I think the original poster was referring to public schools (high, middle or intermediate, and elementary). My daughter is entering 3rd grade this coming year and they have already told her it is ok to use and have been letting them use calculators in class and home. I however refuse to let her do basic math with a calculator. I wonder why youngsters graduating now can't count change, they need the register to tell them how much to give back.

Very disappointing

[Serenity]

I understand the need for calculators in the more difficult maths. With those types of classes the test is to see if you can perform the functions as much as it whether or not you which processes to perform at correct times. So I understand.

But I agree that we are allowing public school students who are in the more basic of classes to use them. Basic Geometry and algebra and Geometry and Algebra one and like classes should not be using them in my opinion. Those can be performed on paper.

I think the original poster was referring to public schools (high, middle or intermediate, and elementary). My daughter is entering 3rd grade this coming year and they have already told her it is OK to use and have been letting them use calculators in class and home. I however refuse to let her do basic math with a calculator. I wonder why youngsters graduating now can't count change, they need the register to tell them how much to give back.

Very disappointing

I agree. When I as in elementary, no calculators allowed. 7Th and 8Th grade, no calculators. Even Alg. I (One) didn't allow calculators. Geometry started letting us, and by Alg II we needed it. The problem is, while it CAN be done on paper, we would run out of time going through all of the work on paper. By Alg II and Trig, using a calculator won't fix your work. It doesn't make it easier, just faster so we can do more in the same amount of time.

[SD67]

Once you get into the higher math, having a calculator is not going to save you if you have no grasp of what you are putting into it.

[Latrobe]

Any problem is/can be expressed as a symbol relationships and the solution is expected to be in the same form.


Why would you ever need a calculator at the exam.

Ow, reading this hurt my brain.

[lasersailor184]

Once you get into the higher math, having a calculator is not going to save you if you have no grasp of what you are putting into it.

True, but having a grasp of what you are doing won't save you if you don't have a calculator handy.



It's kind of hard to get through a 5 question test in an hour, when it takes you an hour to do 1 completely by hand.

[mietla]

the number of questions is irrelevant. Instead of 17 stupid (yes/no/maybe) questions, give them one problem to solve to show their thinking. A finished solution is not necessary to ace the test.

In "my" time we've never been asked for a number. As a matter of fact if you've used one (even a universal constant) as a number it was BAD. A pi is a pi (not 3.2415...) an e is an e (not 2.7...) etc.

A multiple choice test is the worst thing that ever happened in history of education. A test has to show your thinking process (can be successful even if not complete) not mindless guessing at answers.

Not to mention that most of the multiple answer test are designed to pass morons and incompetents. They just take a right answer (usually a f* number) and the surround it with three obviously ridiculous ones to make it easy on morons. But obviously they do underestimate the morons.

How much does the liter of water weigh?

* same as a cat
* 1 kilogram
* 10,000,000,000 liters
* 17 volts

[mietla]

yeah, I know it is 3.14... not 3.24... so do not bug me

 As a matter of fact this just illustrates my point. When I say pi I do not have to remember/know it's real value. Who cares? The solution is still correct, but with the calc approach ... you're f*ed

 

[Rolex]

I guess it depends on what and at what level you're studying something. When I was in undergraduate engineering, we could certainly use a calculator for tests. We were even allowed a single piece of paper with as many formulas and notes as we could fit on it. We had to show all of our work and thought process in solving a problem. The object was not to be a rote memory robot, but to be a problem solver. You could get the numerical answer correct, but have a substantial penalty assessed if the process was flawed or could have led to an error because it failed to consider some part of the problem that may have been slightly different.

I should add that calculators were new and very expensive back then

To expedite a process at higher levels is fine, but no one can justify 8 year-old kids using a calculator for arithmetic.

[Serenity]

yeah, I know it is 3.14... not 3.24... so do not bug me

 As a matter of fact this just illustrates my point. When I say pi I do not have to remember/know it's real value. Who cares? The solution is still correct, but with the calc approach ... you're f*ed

 

But see, my calculator has the button pi, so I CAN use a calculator with it. Though really, as far as not using numbers... there are way too many letters in my math homework already!!!

I hate math. Im not good at it. And my textbook, unless im reading it VERY wrong, just told me 2+3=1, so im just completely lost now...

[mietla]

But see, my calculator has the button pi, so I CAN use a calculator with it. Though really, as far as not using numbers... there are way too many letters in my math homework already!!!

I hate math. Im not good at it. And my textbook, unless im reading it VERY wrong, just told me 2+3=1, so im just completely lost now...

that was my point. What are YOU worth without your calculator?

I'm hiring a thinking entity. For a calculator I can pay one time.

[texasmom]

It's kind of hard to get through a 5 question test in an hour, when it takes you an hour to do 1 completely by hand.

Dang. I got a headache just seeing the possibility of doing math that difficult.  <S> to y'all that can stand to do it.