(in more detail of course) ... that methods AND results are both important and i fully agree
the purpose of courses and training along these lines is to move up the scale on both ... that is, improve your methods for solving problems AND improving your odds of getting the correct solutions
trying to separate out each side of this method/solution equation seems like folly to me
which brings me to the following
this is a big issue with the USE of software ... it is so easy to produce reams of output ... but, have no idea what it is .... nor how it was derived
while i am a big fan of software ... i also recognize the downside ... because, too often ... instructors say: "well, if you need a t test, here is the button you press in software package A" ... it is almost TOO easy
now, i don't want to go back to the days when all this work has to be done by hand (well, it can't anyway) but, i do think we have to forgo the quick movement of the students TO the software before we have made sure they have some basic understanding of what is being done
of course, was that not the debate that raged over calculators?
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