Textbook is crap?

Who else here thinks the text book is utter crap?

1) Hardly any worked examples
2) Stuff like "See if you can figure out where you went wrong."
3) No answers in the back of the book for guidance

Yeah to that!!!!!

The book is actually not that bad (and if it wasn’t for the software, I would not be able to pass this subject at all, no matter what the Tutorial letters are saying - There just isn’t enough guidance in the Tutorial letters for some of us “slower folks”).
The main problem is that you need to spend a lot of time working through the text book and do as much exercises as you can. The secondary problem (as I’ve mentioned) is that the study guide isn’t providing enough information, more so for those of us that are working (more sample questions with solutions etc. would have helped).

hexium Wrote:
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> The book is actually not that bad (and if it
> wasn’t for the software, I would not be able to
> pass this subject at all, no matter what the
> Tutorial letters are saying - There just isn’t
> enough guidance in the Tutorial letters for some
> of us “slower folks”).
> The main problem is that you need to spend a lot
> of time working through the text book and do as
> much exercises as you can. The secondary problem
> (as I’ve mentioned) is that the study guide
> isn’t providing enough information, more so for
> those of us that are working (more sample
> questions with solutions etc. would have helped).

I couldn't agree more. I'm having a heck of a time with the formal proofs, because they assume so much from you. The study guide has like 1 or 2 examples (if that) per chapter. It's just not good enough. With this kind of thing you need as much practice as possible, but how can I practice if I don't know have any examples to work with? Sure, the software helps you to an extent, but it really only assists in checking if you are right, not in guiding you to the right solution.

No, I don't think the software is that great. We should have been given more worked examples in the study guide. Not left to figure it out on our own using the software.

Ok, so we all agree that the study guide needs some work, but then, what exactly is wrong with the software? What makes it not so great? The software does precisely what it is supposed to (does it not?) and if the SOC had picked another textbook (which I can assure you would have been just as dreadful - these textbooks aren't designed for distance education) you would not even have had the luxury of using such tools. But while we are on the subject, how many exercises did you actually complete using say Fitch?

I've done dozens. The problem is there is no model answer to the exercises and too few worked examples. More effort must therefore be put into the study guide.

The software is excellent. Can any of us design something better? I know that it’s difficult, but is that any reason to discard the module as a 'failure'?

Some modules require that you think for yourself, apply the theory, and understand why some rules are made...NOT just do examples so you are capable of doing problems blindly.

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