(D) is OK, if the request is respectful (it's what I'd do for a neighbour who was studying for a course, who asked me nicely for assistance with some part of it). It depends on whether you feel like volunteering your time to help that person, really. (E) is a sensible, neutral response - make it clear that the answers are out there, but you have to look for them and puzzle them through yourself.
Dominic ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, August 29, 2003 3:09 AM Subject: Re: Poll: How to respond to homework questions > > > > > (A) Give a perfect answer. > > (B) Give a subtly flawed answer. > > (C) Give an obfuscated answer. > > (D) Give a critique of what the questioner has tried so far. > > (E) Give relevant general advice without answering the specific question. > > > > As a general rule, I require any student who comes to me for help to > demonstrate that he (she) has made an attempt to solve the problem. After > that, I have found a combination of D and E gets the best results. Please > note that I encourage my students to ask for help if they are stuck after > making an honest effort (for various reasons ranging from outright fear to > simple lack of knowledge about how to relate to college instructors, many > won't even approach their instructors without such an instruction). > > > Murray Gross > Brooklyn College > > > > _______________________________________________ > Haskell-Cafe mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe _______________________________________________ Haskell-Cafe mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe