Calculators and learning

On 3/1/2013 1:01 PM, Cindy Croxton Electronics Plus wrote: I had and SR-11 in 73 or so in school. University of Missouri, Rolla banned them in tests till then, but had the Wang Nixie calculators in a lab when I started in 1971 for use on a First come first served signup basis. Slide rules were allowed, and I had an 8" circular one which gave 5 and 6 place results quicker than the straight ones. In 74 they were allowed in tests and their use really exploded. I recall seeing HP as well, but would not swear to which one. Even with the calculator introduced in the tests, simple errors wouldn't flunk you, but not justifying the work you had would. If you did something stupid and didn't realize it didn't pass a reasonableness test, or if accuracy was explicitly required in the work, then you got dinged. but if you did something obvious but something you would catch normally in checking (not a test setting) it seldom even dinged you. So the calculators and slide rules were not to get accuracy, or speed, but just to make it easier. I think using computers, and newer techniques which may have had calculators available started to be incorporated into the curriculum then as the hardware and methods started to go out, but I think we had the basic calculators at the same time as others out in the workplace did, so they had not had time to make up and adopt new techniques then. Still a lot of slide rules and adding machine math.