Physics continues a tradition of assesment in graduate program based on final exams and of the form of mathematized exersices with no conceptual qs or essays.
This fulfils the aim. Of. Mastering demanding nomenclature in the domain. Given slow progress in field last decades this might be a good alternative but there are also pedagogical reasons.
This form of assesment is extreme and outdated.it has further disadvantages
** Students do not develop critical research skills such as literature analysis and research.
**certain skills for future researcher are notvtested i. E ability to combine research from different Source, ability to think critically of competing thesis or theories, to discern gaps in current research
** A mixed approach should ensure all aims
1) Physics is trying to describe the world with numbers. The science of numbers is mathematics. If you want to describe the world (writing an essay) without numbers and mathematics, you are doing philosophy, not physics.
2) During the masters program, you mainly study the methods how scientists solved their problem is the past, from text books and research papers. To practice these methods, you solve mathematized exercises.
3) During the PhD program, you need to practice how to solve new problems, that nobody has solved before. Also need to learn how to publish your results in a scientific paper. Essay writing skills are useful here, but you can not avoid mathematics completely.
Mr Gabor Kurdi,
Thank you for reply. I agree with most, certainly. But ..
1. Regarding pint 2: I think most Masters programs are not based as you describe. Classic homework style assignments. I have to investigate more
2. Regarding your point 1.
- The role of math in phytsics is an area of different interpretations. Some believe its the fence to philosophizing. Others think that there is a conceptual basis in new discoveries - math is a redefinition of axioms, assumptions etc. Math can be used as one tool to substantiate claims and if reformulation is the main part.
- knowledge of literature which is the form of essays is vital to identify gaps
Mr Gabor Kurdi,,
In addition
1. Since validity in science is accepted via
- community's endorsement and constructively building on others quotes
- journal essaying productization skills i.e. of ideas, innovations,
the essay creation skill & essay rating is important skill.
It is absent in physics programs due to prejudices but the best physicists master the skill and have an advantage over others
2. Essay writing is prejudiced in physics cycles and it can be shown to backfire.
- Using a sentence by sentence causal structure, basing your persuasive narrative on unique combination of other's sayings and assumptions is still scientific and may open roads in physics i.e. Einstein used concepts from Gallileo, Minkofski and it was not just a mathematical (although scientific discoveries are not usually a clear conceptually as GR or SR, this does not make such a project that has clear conceptual counterpart to mathematical arguments being unscientific, that is a distortion)
3.
To sum up
1. The issue is not about removing mathematics or questioning their role in physics. It is about what motivates Ph. D students most.
2. Current physics master curricula are, dispite the existence in some of a parallel non written or expressed properly strategy in the programs, are monopolizng learning goals to undepagogical levels.
( 80% Application goals to Calculations and 20% understanding (explain why) in specific situations. Pedagogical this is a scandal. Bloom demands 4-2-2-2-1 ration in knowledge, understanding, application, synthesis, evaluations. Essay qs address the latest 2.)
3. I believe students should be inquired to experience by self-discovery radical formulations that involves new conceptual ideas ornee physical quantiries as Smolin's variety, views that provenly mathematically rebuild established theories
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