Opinion: Assumptions dressed

up as research
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16 Comments Sort by Top

16 Comments Sort by Top

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Robert Craigen · Associate Professor of Mathematics at University of Manitoba

1. Okay, let's start with the irony in the headline. Here we have PhD's in Education at an
Alberta university claiming that a Manitoba Mathematician is "dressing up" her
"assumptions" as research. Two things are commonly called "research" in the academic
world:

"original research": that which involves studying something directly (generally something
as-yet unknown, in question or poorly understood) and writing down, in an objective
fashion, what is learned from that study; and

"scholarly writing": the practice of reading the results of original research and reporting it
accurately and c... See More
Like · Reply · 8 · 14 July 2015 14:42 · Edited

William Guillaume · Brampton College

Discovery learning has become the sine qua non of curriculum consultants a mare ad
mare. Too bad most of it is gibberish from some uneducated anti-intellectuals found in
Faculties of Education all over the country. Best to shut them down while we have the
chance. Duh Homer!
Like · Reply · 3 · 13 July 2015 18:53

Shawna Bouchard Torres

I'm confused. Please help me understand why students are being taught that "standard
algorithms are more about computation than understanding, and are difficult to explain
how they work" if the OECD also agrees that "learning formal mathematics is necessary"?
How does a statement like "a degree of exposure to applied mathematics problems"
support the total abandonment of standard algorithms? Why are students no longer being
taught how they work, or even worse - that they are too complicated to understand? This
opinion piece doesn't appear to answer any of the outstanding questions and
concerns... See More
Like · Reply · 2 · 15 July 2015 06:55

Carlos Alberto Monteiro Torres · Director at Energygps

This opinion piece is an atrocity to the PHD title given to the Authors. It does nothing but
criticize one of the most objective pieces of writing released to date on a very contentious
issue. The supposition that stating opinions could serve as some sort of adequate rebuttal
to fact is utterly ridiculous. It is no wonder that the criticism is missing one very important
thing, merit. Where is their data, where is their research? Why aren't specific references
made to the reports they are mentioning, and other reports or studies for that matter?
Instead a subjective critique of an objecti... See More
Like · Reply · 3 · 15 July 2015 10:36

Lance M Grigg
Spot on posting but Sean B. Reasoned judgments about pedagogical suitability are
content-sensitive. In short the "either discovery or direct instruction" debate is a false
 content-sensitive. In short the "either discovery or direct instruction" debate is a false
dilemma. Teachers need both. They can select which approach is most apt at time "T" for
student "X". They can differentiate and integrate their instruction. This works in a post-
secondary environment as well. Many profs are already doing this in "flip" classrooms
across Canada. BTW, I'd appreciate it if people would refrain from spewing abusive ad
homina in their postings. It isn't very helpful.
Like · Reply · 2 · 17 July 2015 06:28

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