On Mon, 2006-12-18 at 18:10 -0600, Stuart Rohre wrote:
> Oh definitely, the basic math skills are needed, I just said the slide rule
> does not have to be taught, for one to learn to work basic math on the
> calculator. You can make errors with either, if your estimation skills are
> not honed.
>
> If anything, I think it is good to not even allow a calculator on tests. I
> accidentally forgot mine when I sat for the Extra, and managed to pass just
> fine with longhand math. However, they allow calculators, as that is
> accepted in schools today.
I know I didn't take a calculator to my FCC exams. None were portable in
those days. I don't remember if I took a slide rule, if I did it was not
much of one because I didn't buy the fancy Dietzgen until two or three
years after I passed all the exams the FCC would let me take without
serving a year at sea. In those days most exams except for novice
required drawing several schematics. Though I found the 1958 version of
the extra exam more modern (covered TV and FM as well as RTTY) than the
first phone (which didn't cover TV or FM but allowed one to work at
those stations).
There seems to be an art to technical testing to minimize the need for 4
or 5 digit computations but where the technical competence is tested
with only single digit computations. I'm far better at taking tests than
making them. In fact the few who have attended my classes and taken my
tests emphatically suggest I neither teach or test. And that's OK with
me. I admit I don't know either teaching or testing. So I refrain.
>
> Stuart
> K5KVH
>
73, Jerry, K0CQ
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