Comments on: AND and OR http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2005/01/18/and-and-or Distributed Action Research, communities of practice and social objects by Andy Roberts Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:15:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Anonymous http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2005/01/18/and-and-or#comment-30583 Anonymous Mon, 24 Jan 2005 15:16:18 +0000 http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2005/01/18/and-and-or#comment-30583 "stand up if you are a girl" Remember that phychology programme on BBC1 a while back which follows the lifes of roughly 10 kids? Well half the programme was spent demenstrating that the main thing a young kid (they were aged 5) is most sure about is there gender. so the words "stand up if you are a girl" have a very powerfull impact, and are more than clear. The child probably stops listening at this point, and thinks about how he/she is going to make sure he's in the correct group with other people of similar gender. For example, how many of the girls stood up for the AND question, despite not having a T in their name? “stand up if you are a girl”

Remember that phychology programme on BBC1 a while back which follows the lifes of roughly 10 kids? Well half the programme was spent demenstrating that the main thing a young kid (they were aged 5) is most sure about is there gender.

so the words “stand up if you are a girl” have a very powerfull impact, and are more than clear. The child probably stops listening at this point, and thinks about how he/she is going to make sure he’s in the correct group with other people of similar gender.

For example, how many of the girls stood up for the AND question, despite not having a T in their name?

]]> By: Andy http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2005/01/18/and-and-or#comment-30582 Andy Sun, 23 Jan 2005 12:49:55 +0000 http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2005/01/18/and-and-or#comment-30582 Thanks for your insight Evan, it's probably more important than the subject I thought I was writing about. I think you're right that the social dynamics are more influential than understanding the question. What the implications are for attempting to teach logic I'm not sure. Maybe the emotional implications of asking one set of children to stand up without explaining why are too much. They may even try to guess what measure is going to be dished out to the standing up group and adjust their choice, or just want to be in the same group as friends. We do a similar thing for branching database, splitting the class up into smaller and smaller groups according to simple yes/no rules, and that seems to work ok. Perhaps it's more neutral than "stand up/sit down" . Congrats on first blog post by the way :-) Thanks for your insight Evan, it’s probably more important than the subject I thought I was writing about. I think you’re right that the social dynamics are more influential than understanding the question. What the implications are for attempting to teach logic I’m not sure. Maybe the emotional implications of asking one set of children to stand up without explaining why are too much. They may even try to guess what measure is going to be dished out to the standing up group and adjust their choice, or just want to be in the same group as friends. We do a similar thing for branching database, splitting the class up into smaller and smaller groups according to simple yes/no rules, and that seems to work ok. Perhaps it’s more neutral than “stand up/sit down” .

Congrats on first blog post by the way :-)

]]> By: Evan http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2005/01/18/and-and-or#comment-30581 Evan Sun, 23 Jan 2005 01:14:17 +0000 http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2005/01/18/and-and-or#comment-30581 I think I would have stayed sitting down at that age too - much better than explaining to the stupid idiots in the class how standing up doesn't infact make you a girl, but just shows that you are capable of using your brain rather than following social dynamics - ie. if in doubt, do nothing, say nothing, avoid attention; hide, forget that your name has a T in it. Wait A minute, my name doesn't have a T in it, I guess I would have been ok then. I think I would have stayed sitting down at that age too - much better than explaining to the stupid idiots in the class how standing up doesn’t infact make you a girl, but just shows that you are capable of using your brain rather than following social dynamics - ie. if in doubt, do nothing, say nothing, avoid attention; hide, forget that your name has a T in it.

Wait A minute, my name doesn’t have a T in it, I guess I would have been ok then.

]]> By: Eve Thirkle http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2005/01/18/and-and-or#comment-30580 Eve Thirkle Tue, 18 Jan 2005 12:20:23 +0000 http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2005/01/18/and-and-or#comment-30580 I fear for the youth of today! :^) I fear for the youth of today!

:^)

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