Removing Numeric Integration in Exam Mode

[TheLastMillennial]

For my statistics class, I was disappointed to hear graphing calculators are banned so I have to buy a scientific calculator. From what it sounds like, numeric integration is a big reason why graphing calculators aren't allowed. I was looking at the custom exam mode config options on the Prime and although it's very extensive and configurable, there was no option to disable numeric integration.

I was wondering, with how configurable the Exam Mode already is with disabling specific functions, why doesn't it allow you to disable any function listed in the Catalog? Wouldn't that make the Prime accepted in even more classes?

[Wes Loewer]

(08-20-2021 07:07 PM)TheLastMillennial Wrote:  For my statistics class, I was disappointed to hear graphing calculators are banned so I have to buy a scientific calculator. From what it sounds like, numeric integration is a big reason why graphing calculators aren't allowed.

Quite a few scientific calculators have numeric integration. Are those banned as well?

[Albert Chan]

I never understood the rationale of exam mode.
With "normal" scientific calculator a cheap commodity, why bother ?

Better yet, have the classroom provide cheap calculators for exams (if needed).
(preferably all identical, so no students have an unfair advantage)

[john gustaf stebbins]

(08-21-2021 03:20 PM)Albert Chan Wrote:  I never understood the rationale of exam mode.
With "normal" scientific calculator a cheap commodity, why bother ?

Better yet, have the classroom provide cheap calculators for exams (if needed).
(preferably all identical, so no students have an unfair advantage)

Better, better yet, write an exam that tests actual knowledge, rather than 19th century computational skills.

-jgs

[trojdor]

(08-21-2021 03:20 PM)Albert Chan Wrote:  I never understood the rationale of exam mode.
With "normal" scientific calculator a cheap commodity, why bother ?

Better yet, have the classroom provide cheap calculators for exams (if needed).
(preferably all identical, so no students have an unfair advantage)

This is indeed the obvious 'exam mode' solution, and many schools in the US do that very thing.
(Most with differentiating colors, so that the students can't "accidentally" take them home, lol.)

I, too, have trouble with the exam mode concept, and am torn between opinions.
While I completely understand the need to teach math basics without the 'crutch' of a calculator, I also clearly remember the same arguments used today (against graphing calculators) being applied against allowing calculators to replace slide rules in the classroom...at any level.

Now, while I dearly love (and still occasionally use) slide rules, I'm not about to pretend they are the best tool to solve most math problems.

On the other hand, the engineering students I tutor are (generally) woefully lacking in critical thinking, and what I consider to be very basic problem solving skills.
So...exam mode or not...whatever they're doing isn't working very well.

I'm not really sure what the best solution is...

mike

[TheLastMillennial]

(08-21-2021 12:28 PM)Wes Loewer Wrote:  Quite a few scientific calculators have numeric integration. Are those banned as well?

That's right, I have to find a scientific calculator that doesn't have integration built in.

Now that I think of it, I should speak to my professor and ask if they would approve of a 'Scientific calculator exam mode' for graphing calculators. I can do that Monday and hopefully get some good feedback.

[TheLastMillennial]

Alright, I spoke to my statistics professor and she was very welcoming to the idea of having a "scientific calculator exam mode"!

Her main concerns were having memory and integration capabilities in graphing calculators. I explained that exam mode already disables memory which immediately made her more willing to have graphing calculators used in the classroom (Her course is online only currently). After I showed how you can tell if a calculator is in Exam Mode (the status bar color change and the testing LEDs) she said that she would be willing to allow graphing calculators even in an online setting during tests, as long as there was the ability to disable integration as well as memory.

Tim and Cyrille, would removing integration in a custom exam mode be a feature you would be willing to look into? Would you like me to ask my professor some specific questions or would you like me to ask more professors about the feature?