In this course we will be spending a good deal of effort attempting to get you to "understand" how to solve these problems. You need to know what my working definition of "understanding" is. I have based my definition on the work by David Perkins.
I will quote several portions of the chapter by Perkins (1998).
"understanding is the ability to think and act flexibly with what one knows."
"more like learning to improvise jazz or hold a good conversation or rock climb than learning the multiplication tables"
"to gauge a person's understanding at a given time, ask the person to do something that puts the understanding to work - explaining, solving a problem, building an argument, constructing a product."
"The performance view of understanding favors incremental learning and fosters incremental learners."
"Performances require attention, practice, refinement."
"Learning for understanding occurs principally through reflective engagement"
"New understanding performances are built on previous understandings and new information provided by the instructional setting."
"Learning a body of knowledge and know-how for understanding typically requires a chain of understanding performances of increasing challenge and variety."
"Learning for understanding often involves a conflict with older reprertoires of understanding performances and their associated ideas and images."
Perkins, David. 1998. What is Understanding? In: Teaching for Understanding. Martha Stone Wiske, Editor. Jossey-Bass.
January 4, 2001