Sunday, June 15, 2008

Can Real Life Physics Example Be Taken Too Far?

This news article reports on a physics question that does not sit well with a number of people.


In today’s Senior Physics exam, one of the problems is about a 'virtual' crime scene in which a victim is lying on the stage in the school auditorium with a gunshot wound to the head. There are four student suspects, and the problem has to do with calculating trajectory and other physics issues.

Many administrators are complaining.

Ruth Rosenfield President of the Montreal Teachers Association cannot believe how such an insensitive question could have been included in the exam, in light of the Dawson College shooting.


What do you think? Would a question like this be appropriate at Columbine high school, Virginia Tech, or Northern Illinois University? Or is there a better, less controversial way to test students about projectile motion without invoking such imagery?

Zz.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

If students get expelled for talking about this kind of stuff, then I don't see why it would be ok for questions on tests to talk about it. Just another example of foolishness in our public schools.