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A comment on Cal State will no longer require math and English placement exams. Parent comment

Re:Cal State will no longer require math and English placeme... by panda88888 on Wednesday August 09, 2017 @02:24PM (#14972150)
I dislike the lack of emphasis on rote memorization. IMO the correct approach should be 1) understand the concepts, then 2) practice until such concept becomes muscle memory, which will serve as the foundation for the next level.

This is the same approach that sports/martial art/artisans use (deliberate practice, etc). The concepts are tools, and being able to use those tools intuitively and instinctively is key to advancing to the next level.

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Re:Cal State will no longer require math and English placeme... by wl on Wednesday August 09, 2017 @02:50PM (#14972392)
Consider the standard long division algorithm. Would you rather students become fast and accurate in applying it or would you rather students have the skills to understand what's going on and derive it for themselves? Drilling will certainly help with the former, but it crowds out time that could be spent exploring concepts. There's a balance to be struck.
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