Say Hi to Web Developer from Philippines Interested in Physics

[Borek]

Novices tend to classify problems by surface-level features. Experts consistently ignore these, readily perceiving the underlying structure of a problem, and using this as the categorization basis.

Whoa, an eye-opener I am an expert, I always concentrate on what is under the quilt, not on what is visible above.

More ramble, please.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Whoa, an eye-opener I am an expert, I always concentrate on what is under the quilt, not on what is visible above.

More ramble, please.

Borek
--
http://www.chembuddy.com
http://www.ph-meter.info

I'm going to try to start a thread on perceptual learning when I get some time. I took a class from a PL guru last quarter and he introduced us to lots of interesting research. I want to gather and summarize some of the "goodies" he gave us to read. A major focus of the class was on applications of PL research to math learning, so some folks here, especially teachers, might find that interesting (I hope).

 

[Evo]

MIH, what is your degree in?

 

[Danger]

MIH, what is your degree in?

Sex education; but she's an experimentalist, not a theoretician.

 

[phyzmatix]

Sex education; but she's an experimentalist, not a theoretician.

Sex? What is...?

...wait! EUREKA! I remember!

*runs off looking for wife*

 

[Math Is Hard]

MIH, what is your degree in?

It's in cognitive science, with a specialization in computing.

(Danger, I'll leave the sex education to Moonbear. )

 

[fuzzyfelt]

I'm going to try to start a thread on perceptual learning when I get some time. I took a class from a PL guru last quarter and he introduced us to lots of interesting research. I want to gather and summarize some of the "goodies" he gave us to read. A major focus of the class was on applications of PL research to math learning, so some folks here, especially teachers, might find that interesting (I hope).

A better understanding of perception and cognition can also be interesting for art-minded persons, too. I'd like to write about that in the art and arts thread, but will be away from the computer for a while, but will think about how I might do that while I'm away.

 

[Math Is Hard]

A better understanding of perception and cognition can also be interesting for art-minded persons, too. I'd like to write about that in the art and arts thread, but will be away from the computer for a while, but will think about how I might do that while I'm away.

You just reminded me that we had a considerable number of art majors in my "sensation and perception" psychology class. That was a really fun class because we studied depth cues and illusions.

 

[Borek]

I'm going to try to start a thread on perceptual learning when I get some time.

Honestly - I have spend over 10 years close to dyslexia therapy (see dyslektyk for an idea what I was doing there - note that the page is in Polish, so you have to guess details from pictures). I have seen unbelivable amounts of snake oil and mumbo jumbo built around combinations of words like perceptual, cognitive, sensory, learning and therapy (and others).

I am not assuming "perceptual learning" fits the same category, but you may have a hard time convincing me

 

[Math Is Hard]

Honestly - I have spend over 10 years close to dyslexia therapy (see dyslektyk for an idea what I was doing there - note that the page is in Polish, so you have to guess details from pictures).

What were you working on? That looks like some kind of a software training program designed to help people with dyslexia. Is that what is was? Was it effective? I spent several years working in educational software. I always hoped I could work on a program that could help people with dyscalculia (math problems).

I have seen unbelivable amounts of snake oil and mumbo jumbo built around combinations of words like perceptual, cognitive, sensory, learning and therapy (and others).

I hear you. Words like "perceptual, cognitive, sensory" make very good marketing buzzwords. Not unlike "quantum". I think there's always an opportunist ready to take the tinest crumb of a legitimate research finding, pump it up and twist it for their purposes, and milk a book or a product out of it.

I am not assuming "perceptual learning" fits the same category, but you may have a hard time convincing me

I wouldn't dream of trying to convince you of anything. I was simply thinking about sharing some studies on perceptual learning that I found interesting. If you find problems with the design or analysis of the studies, I think that's really helpful.

 

[Borek]

What were you working on? That looks like some kind of a software training program designed to help people with dyslexia. Is that what is was? Was it effective? I spent several years working in educational software. I always hoped I could work on a program that could help people with dyscalculia (math problems).

Two programs for dyslexic children. Both are sets of simple exercises. Dyslektyk is built mostly around visual analysis, Sposób na dysleksję ("method for dyslexia" or "way of dealing with dyslexia") mostly around phonetics. Nothing very fancy - but kids like them. Therapists in Poland like them too. No idea if the programs are effective - I have never found a reliable way of checking (by that I mean method that I will trust, not the one that could give good looking results ready to be used in ads). Even if these programs are not effecitve in dyslexia therapy, they for sure train hand-eye coordination, attention, concentration and so on, so using them won't hurt. If you are interested I can try to dig out materials in English that I have prepared in 2000, could be I even have somewhere version of Dyslektyk with English menus. I was not able to find anyone interested in publishing English version, could be I have not tried hard enough. I have a Finnish version published though.

I was thinkg about dyscalculia therapy software at some moment, but decided against. While dyslexia is perceived as a problem, dyscalculia is not - there is no public awareness. There is no market - and my programs are purely commercial, if they don't sell, I am getting hungry.

I hear you. Words like "perceptual, cognitive, sensory" make very good marketing buzzwords. Not unlike "quantum". I think there's always an opportunist ready to take the tinest crumb of a legitimate research finding, pump it up and twist it for their purposes, and milk a book or a product out of it.

Couldn't put it better by myself.