PS>RM>Logical extension of the argument... If teaching logical
PS>RM>thinking is the goal (rather than teaching programming),
PS>RM>then why not do it the best you can?
PS>        Teaching logical thinking is a fine educational goal.  I most
PS>certainly see a need for schools to do so.  Unfortunately, not all
PS>students are motivated to take mathematical courses which promote such
PS>skills.  I wonder if they would be more inclined in a programming
PS>course?  Writing a program that works is a very positive experiences.
PS>It should be a source of inter - motivation.
Most universities offer a course in Logic under the Philosophy
department which is generally considered equivalent to the math
department's course in logic. I believe that symbolic, boolean logic
with all the accompanying symbols is taught in both of these cousres.
I remember that I had to learn this symbolic logic in my high school
geometry course. I did well in it, but didn't really see how it related
to the rest of the stuff, including the proofs, that we were doing. We
teach symbolic logic at our high school in an elective math course for
our 11th and 12th graders called "Math for Liberal Arts Students" which
follows Algebra II. I don't think the instructor is real succesful with
it. It's hard for the kids, they don't understand it, and they don't
like it.
About 3 summers ago I took a course at Cal State Los Angeles during the
summer. It was a transitional class for math majors going from lower
division coursework to the upper division work. Part of the course
centered on this symbolic logic. Most of the students just didn't get
it. The instructor maintained to me in a private conversation, that
students either already were able to think logically, or else not, and
precious little could be done with a college student who already didn't
have a knack for it.
I don't know that I have a point here, especially, but just sharing
passing thoughts. Certainly logic doesn't have to be taught under the
auspices of the math department.
Sheila
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