Is technology becoming too widespread?  

Date: September 12, 2006
Time: at 11:13 pm
Posted in: in future, technology

This idea was brought on by some problems that I encountered in my Calculus class. The teacher does the normal in class lecture, gives tons of examples, is very good at explaining concepts and answering any/all questions. Overall, an aboslutly excellent teacher.

But she insists on using a web-based homework system. Basically, you create the account, select your school, class, and teacher, and off you go with premade questions by this third-party mathematics site (which will go unnamed at this point). Not only is this completely moving away from the typical homework that I’m so used to, but it brings up other complications.

For one thing, this paticular website accepts one answer, and one answer only. Basically, everything has to be perfect or you’re out of luck. No accidental typos, no improper forms, nothing. In the past, my teachers graded my homework with common sense. I could make a simple mistake and lose a point or two–half credit or one-forth credit. All my math teachers in the past have accepted square roots in the denominator of a rational. Not this online system.

Now, I don’t have too much of a problem with this since it is proper mathematical notation. However, what about when the server goes offline the night before everything is due? Yes, that is, indeed, what I’m faced with at this very moment. The server is down and I can’t get in to finish some last minute stuff which I otherwise had plenty of time to do.

Regardless, I’m a bit frustrated at this point. But it brought up an interesting point. As you all are probably aware, I’m a major advocate for technology and technological improvements. But is there a point where it hurts more than it helps? That’s the question at hand.

In all honesty, yes. I don’t care how well you program a computer. It still will never be able to use common sense or know for a “fact” what you meant to do. It’s not able to make decisions based on this logic. This doesn’t apply to just homework grading, though, but to every area. Computers in cars making decisions for us? Medical computers? The list goes on and on.

All in all, why can’t we just use old-school techniques which are just efficient that have been used for hundreds of years? I like writing and seeing stuff on paper. Always have, always will.

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Comments

2 Responses to “Is technology becoming too widespread?”

  1. Anonymous - September 18th, 2006 @ 6:39 pm

    I agree, but only to an
    I agree, but only to an extent.

    I don’t think an online based HW system is a bad idea if done properly. My Chemistry professor, for example, also has us do HW online, but all the questions are multiple choice. Having purely multiple choice questions solves many of the issues you mentioned above.

    I think if a good, user friendly system was made, even math fill ins would work. For example, they could check the answer with javascript and let you know that you need to simplify or rationalize the expression. They should definitely let you change your answer if you realize a mistake later.

    I think that the education system is so caught up in giving a grade that they forget the whole point of school; learning.

    I’ll say this though, I start having nightmares months before I have to fill out the FAFSA form. They really need to rething their entire system. Last time I did it, the site told me I took too long and made me start the 20 question page over again o_O

  2. Anonymous - October 2nd, 2006 @ 11:39 pm

    On the Intellect of Machines
    Until machines can grade with a more intelligent algorithm, I think that automatic online homework graders should be used at a bare minimum. As you said, AdamR, common sense generally trumps the die-hard grading methods of a computer. The only way this could really be fair and effective is if it was multiple choice, but then it would be too easy for most students.

    It’s a conundrum, but I think that the best answer is currently just sticking to human-based grading, even if it means emailing online homework results to a teacher to review later. Maybe an option to email the teacher only on problems you feel were graded unfairly by the computer, such as for if it misunderstood you or was a bit stricter than necessary, in your mind. If nothing else, it would cut down the amount your teacher would have to grade by hand.

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