The standard instruction on my exams (and most of the faculty in our department
say the same thing) is "Answers without supporting work will not receive
credit."
what about receiving credit when a solution is given but, no answers? the TWO go hand in hand ... you can't totally divorce one from the other
i think that if mathematicians have the view that all we want you to do is to present a cogent argument ... even though that does not necessarily lead to THE/A solution that is correct ... then mathematicians are a bit misguided
as an example ... a person could work on a standard deviation problem ... go through all the CORRECT STEPS ... but, towards the end do small miscalculation (the steps could be correct) and come up with an answer that is way WAY off ... could even be a ridiculous answer ... but, i guess that ok, right?
process is important ... very important ... so are results
the notion that the computer will get the results right ... so we don't have to worry about them ... is sidestepping the issue ... after all, you can plug in data to the computer and push the button "sd" and get the right answer ... and have NO idea HOW it was arrived at ... so, is it better to know the right process and get a wrong solution ... or, use a tool that will get the right answer even though the understanding of the process is shaky ...
let's face it ... if you can't do both ... know and perform the process AND be able to find and KNOW you have found the correct solution ... you're in trouble
let's sure hope that the military folks don't have an overabundance of great process people ... but, ones who also can't find the right answers
The point is that the student is being graded on how good a solution they wrote. A solution is an argument which explains why the answer is whatever it is.
so, if they give a great explanation on how they got (though they don't know it) the wrong answer ... this is good? what's important is the congruence between problem process AND derived result? ... not that it is the correct process and the correct answer?
talk about weak education ... and low level goals and aspirations
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