Brown Bag Teaching/Learning Seminar #3
Computer Fun

We will meet again this week, with Jim Minstrell as our guest. Jim has been working for many years developing an interactive computer program that doesn't simply register student errors, but diagnoses their source and provides the student with problems tailored to the repair of the error in question. Originally his work was in physics, but I last caught sight of him headed into probability. That was a while ago. One of the things we will find out on Thursday is just what he really is working on now.

We will meet in the Math Lounge at **12:30** on Thursday, November 12.

Addendum:

My previous description of tomorrow's Brown Bag was based simply on my knowledge of one of Jim Minstrell's specific projects. Today he sent me his own abstract, herewith included:
My pitch will likely be that teachers and students are caught in the gap between the goals/standards of what students should be able to do on the one hand and the research on what students do know and are able to do onthe other.

What does cognitive science, teaching and learning research have to say about students and about creating environments for reconstruction of understanding and reasoning?

I will talk a bit about "facets" as a framework for organizing students' apparent understanding and procedures, and how facets can be used for assessment and instructional decision making.

I may get to some aspects of curriculum design to incorporate these ideas. Finally i may talk a bit about a project for technical assistance for teachers in the state of Washington.

This is too much, so after presenting this sort of menu of possibilities, I will begin talking briefly about these, and I expect the session will evolve into a conversation (I hope).


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