As we near the end of the semester, take some time to reflect on what
you've learned in this last section, how it draws on material from
previous sections and other courses you've taken, and how it
might be useful in fruture courses. Then write a 2-6 page summary
of the material. Think of this summary as a tool you might use in
a few years when studying for the GRE's, or when you need to do some
analysis for your employer, etc.
There are several techniques for tyring to make sense of the material
before you start writing the summary. I usually try to list
everything on a sheet of paper (or set of notecodes) and then draw
lines between things to indicate connections. I often think about
big questions - see the list below - and try to organize my summary
following those questions. If you know of any ways that you think
may be useful for others, let me know.
Your final summary should be fairly brief (2 - 6 pages), clear, and to
the point. In grading your work, my basic goal is to determine
how well you understand the material we've covered. I will be
looking at both content and clarity. How well can you describe
the important aspects of the theory we've learned, intepret them both
in terms of theoretical importance and practical use, and make
connections between this material and other things that you know?
You should feel free to discuss the material among yourselves, but you
should write your summaries individually. You will, of course,
use your notes from class and the textbook. If there is a
particular topic that you don't understand, feel free to use another
book, either from the GAC library or one of my books.
Finally, here is a list of questions/ ideas to get you started.
Theory
What are the most important theorems? What definitions
do you need to understand them?
How do all the definitions and theorems fit together?
What are some of the subtle points? What does it mean
for something to not follow
a definition? When does a theorem not apply?
What are the key ideas of the theorems proofs?
Interpretation/Processes
What does the theory mean in English?
How does it inform your problem solving?
What processes does it give us?
Problems/Applications/Connections
What are some of the problems that helped you understand the
material better?
What are some applications of this material?
How is it connected to other material you've learned?
Sources - Beyond the textbook, the classes, and each
other, what other sources did you use to better understand the
material? Would you recommend them to future students? Why
or why not?