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----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken Gebhart" 
I feel that the reason many people have trouble REMEMBERING how celestial
navigation works after once having learned it (and most people do), is that
they have not worked through the abstractness of the concept, which is best
accomplished through reflection on what is really happening.


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I strongly agree with Ken on this.

Numerous texts and teachers emphasize following step-by-step instructions
with little or no examination of the underlying principles. Not only are
students of this method less likely to retain the knowledge, they are more
likely to overlook their own mistakes and are ill-equipped to troubleshoot
their sight reductions.

People do have different learning styles though. For some it's easier to
memorize the step-by-step first, while others can't follow directions
without knowing why. Whether underlying principles should come sooner or
later in the curriculum depends on the students, but if the concepts aren't
addressed at all, the skills won't stick.

Carl Herzog

   

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