Survey

[Her_Majesty]

Hello, I am a high school junior collecting research on a project about the benefit of online resources has had on the education system. If you could just answer the following interview questions, it would be a great help.

1. What grade are you in?
2. What math class are you currently in?
3. Do you watch YouTube videos or use other online resources for questions on your homework, a small concept you need a more in-depth explanation of?
4. What keywords do you google to find these resources?
5. What specific resources do you use consistently?
6. What concepts (in any subject) do you not understand? What do you not understand about it?
7. How would you prefer to have concepts explained to you? What would help you understand and remember it?
8. What makes you choose certain links over others?
9. What subjects would you like to learn more about?
10. Are you more likely to use youtube or a website?

Thanks, any response would be helpful!

 

[Otis]

… 1. What grade are you in?

I'm a graduate student (in a loose sense). :cool:

2. What math class are you currently in?

I'm studying the mathematics of chemistry (an online course at Duke University).

3. Do you watch YouTube videos or use other online resources for questions on your homework, …

No. My course does not assign any homework.

… a small concept you need a more in-depth explanation of?

I'm not sure how you define the size of a concept, but, anytime I have a question that isn't covered in the course materials, I use the Internet for researching on my own or asking questions at other sites.

4. What keywords do you google to find these resources?

In general, I search on topic keywords. After looking at the search-results list (i.e., the blurbs -- that is, the short previews appearing under each URL), I often refine my choice of keywords or phrases, to narrow down the results and get a better list.

5. What specific resources do you use consistently?

Google, StackExchange, Quora, WolframAlpha, Khan Academy, YouTube

6. What concepts (in any subject) do you not understand? What do you not understand about it?

How many examples are you looking for, here?

7. How would you prefer to have concepts explained to you? What would help you understand and remember it?

I'm a visual learner, so I like to see illustrations. Real-world analogies (presented graphically, if possible) also help me to understand and remember. I prefer explanations that have been created by professionals in their field or people who've studied the pyschology of education, as they tend to present material without making a lot of assumptions about their audience (or misspeaking, regularly).

8. What makes you choose certain links over others?

The blurb content, mostly. Also, when I recognize a domain name, I'll often check that site before others. When I'm unfamiliar with multiple sites displayed, I tend to choose .edu domains, first.

9. What subjects would you like to learn more about?

Physics (in general) and astrophysics with quantum mechanics (in particular); philosophy, statistics, linear algebra, art (applied), foreign languages, and maybe a little related history, here and there. (Sorry Jeff)

10. Are you more likely to use youtube or a website?

Well, youtube is a web site, but, if you're asking about watching videos more (or less) frequently than reading written material, then I'd say it's close to 50-50.

Cheers

 

[Steven G]

No. My course does not assign any homework.

Where can I take classes w/o any hw assignments?
Here is a present for you. www.mathtutor1.com/Linear%20Algebra%205963806.htm

 

[Otis]

Where can I take classes w/o any hw assignments?

I never know, until I gain access to the course materials. (I audit most courses.)

I go to different university web sites and search on phrases like open online courses or free online courses. Sometimes, a university will invite you to join a mailing list, for notice of upcoming courses.

Here is a present for you …

Umm, is it okay to share those video links?

 

[Steven G]

I never know, until I gain access to the course materials. (I audit most courses.)

I go to different university web sites and search on phrases like open online courses or free online courses. Sometimes, a university will invite you to join a mailing list, for notice of upcoming courses.


Umm, is it okay to share those video links?

Sure, just don't go crazy doing this. I did post it on an open forum after all!

 

[HallsofIvy]

I remember when I just started taking graduate classes, I was elated that the professors did not require homework. But, fortunately, I quickly realized that this just meant that I had no way of checking whether or not I was really understanding the material! For those courses where the textbook had exercises (not all did) I started doing as many of the exercises as possible. For those courses where the textbook did not have exercises, I "pestered" the teacher for ways to make sure I was understanding. When I started teaching college courses, I made sure I assigned homework, checked the students' homework, including suggestions for problems they had got wrong, but not grading on whether the homework problems were right or wrong

 

[tkhunny]

I remember when I just started taking graduate classes, I was elated that the professors did not require homework. But, fortunately, I quickly realized that this just meant that I had no way of checking whether or not I was really understanding the material! For those courses where the textbook had exercises (not all did) I started doing as many of the exercises as possible. For those courses where the textbook did not have exercises, I "pestered" the teacher for ways to make sure I was understanding. When I started teaching college courses, I made sure I assigned homework, checked the students' homework, including suggestions for problems they had got wrong, but not grading on whether the homework problems were right or wrong

One course I was in had homework, but no one seemed to care if we actually did it. We thought we were getting away with not doing it. All the home work we did not submit constituted the entirety of the final exam.

 

[topsquark]

I remember when I just started taking graduate classes, I was elated that the professors did not require homework. But, fortunately, I quickly realized that this just meant that I had no way of checking whether or not I was really understanding the material! For those courses where the textbook had exercises (not all did) I started doing as many of the exercises as possible. For those courses where the textbook did not have exercises, I "pestered" the teacher for ways to make sure I was understanding. When I started teaching college courses, I made sure I assigned homework, checked the students' homework, including suggestions for problems they had got wrong, but not grading on whether the homework problems were right or wrong

I have troubles with this as well. I haven't been in a course of study for over 15 years. I've been doing self-study since then. It's good to work on the problems, even if you can't check them, but it is often useless to work a whole weekend on a problem having no hope that you can check the final answer. The online Fora I'm on are good but it would be impractical to post all my questions from the homework. (I do, however, look at the problems at the end of a section and at least see if I can figure out a conceptual attack plan.)

-Dan

 

[Steven G]

For the record I was really joking about taking classes without any homework assignments. One really needs to know if they are doing the problems correctly.
As an instructor I give what many would think are strange assignments. I feel that if I ask my students to do specific questions then it might be the case they one can do all the problems I gave them but none of the other problems or if they do all my problem (not necessarily correctly) maybe they need to do more. As a result of this my homework assignment (except in arithmetic) is always do enough problems until you understand the material. Many say that I should have more structure in my assignments but these are college students who have to learn to be independent.

 

[tkhunny]

One course I was in had homework, but no one seemed to care if we actually did it. We thought we were getting away with not doing it. All the home work we did not submit constituted the entirety of the final exam.

I had another where specific homework was not assigned. We were instructed to look at EVERY problem in the section. If it looked easy, skip it. If it looked challenging, work on it. It was probably my most meaningful undergraduate homework experience.

 

[Otis]

Sure, just don't go crazy doing this …

Just to be clear, I'm not planning on sharing those links. It looks like somebody paid for access, however, so I needed to confirm that it's okay for me to use 'em. (I have some experience with linear algebra, so I expect to sail through the first eight or so.) Thank you. :cool:

 

[Steven G]

I had another where specific homework was not assigned. We were instructed to look at EVERY problem in the section. If it looked easy, skip it. If it looked challenging, work on it. It was probably my most meaningful undergraduate homework experience.

Makes me think that what I am doing is good! Thanks

 

[Steven G]

Just to be clear, I'm not planning on sharing those links. It looks like somebody paid for access, however, so I needed to confirm that it's okay for me to use 'em. (I have some experience with linear algebra, so I expect to sail through the first eight or so.) Thank you. :cool:

I actually made and sell these videos. Enjoy the videos and let me know what you think of them.