IF YOU WANT TO:
Repeatedly touching base with the fundamentals or basics.
One engineering professor believes that too much of science and engineering is presented to students in a rote, plug-in-the-numbers way. "There are thousands of formulas," he points out, "but all of these are variations on a very limited number of basic ideas or theories." These basic ideas are `ideal theories' from which are derived all the `approximate' or `technical theories' which engineers use."
"I try to teach students how to judge when we can use an approximate theory with confidence and when we are forced to go to a more rigorous level. In this way, I keep touching base with the fundamentals to reinforce students understanding of them."
Another engineering teacher concurs. "Students typically are presented with 100 different equations in each course they take. They are exposed to 1100-1200 equations overall. Rote memorization is futile; no one can remember that many equations. You have to point out over and over again that these 1200 equations are all embedded in about 8 basic ones."
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