I struggled all through school with math classes (which I still passed) and it turns out Im actually extremely good at math. I just didn’t realise it until I was programming video games.

I was working on machine learning in games in 2009.

All this to say, the education system doesn’t deal well with people who think differently.

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Looking back through the comments the downvotes aren't about denying experience. The topic raised was no need to show work if answer is right...but there is a reason the work should be shown and it is for the future course / work setup. If people have trouble doing that, your school can setup an IEP (individualized Education Plan).

If anyone had taken my explanation as insult to experience that was not my intention. Two of my kids have ADHD. They both had wildly fluctuating math scores. Working with them on techniques to work through the method and not jump right to answering, helped them steady their grades. They were often done first out of everyone, but rounding error or just plain old transposition often messed things up, so part of showing work reasoning was "OK, you have 1/2 hour left till test is over, go through your steps backwards, does it still make sense" and often they'd find their errors, but you can't do that with an empty page with only an answer.

Until the system has multiple types of learning and testing setup, which could take decades, working with the system is really the only way to get through it. Finding the students currency often helps provide a reward system to counter what the executive function and impulse system aren't coordinating on

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 month ago

i typed a bunch, but it disappeared. I will try again. For example I had a topology descriptive geometry solving exam, I had not had time to learn how it was done due to job/life events.

I used my spatial sense to sketch up the solutions, because I didn't know the methods well enough to actually solve it. Got a great mark on the exam, prof gave me kudos in front of class. So while my faked end solutions passed the check, had the prof asked for the projection stage sheets to be turned in (showing how you work through the problem) I would have failed.

Right answers don't mean you know the material. And by you I mean the plural you, not you personally.

The profs are aaking to see work to see if you know the principles. People can arrive at an answer that looks right by doing the wrong things