Wednesday, March 26, 2008

The Website

Many may say that the website is simply study skills. To some extent that is true, some of my website is study skills, but my website goes beyond simply study skills.

  • First most study skills books tell you when to study and to some extent how to study, my website on the other hand tells you specifically and in detail exactly how to study.
  • Most study skills books may recommend finding another textbook, but often they do not specify which textbooks, my website gives specific books to refer to, as well as the rating of the book on amazon. In addition, study skills books are static, meaning that if a new textbook is published after the study skills book is published they cannot recommend the book. My website on the other hand is dynamic, I constantly look for highly rated books and change my recommendations accordingly.
  • Most study skills books emphasize understanding the concepts, with the implicit assumption that if one understands the concepts one will be able to solve the problems. The issue with such reasoning is twofold first, how do you go about understanding a concept? "Understanding" the concepts is necessary but not sufficient to solve problems.
  • The most significant difference between my website and most study skills books is that I emphasize the reasoning process rather than simply understanding the concepts. For it is the reasoning process that leads one from problem to solution.
  • Understanding is the result of a reasoning process not the other way around. So if you learn how to reason correctly then understanding a concept is simply a judicious application of the reasoning process.
  • My website offers specific advice on how to strengthen and refine the reasoning process, which in turn allows one to strengthen and refine the ability to "understand" concepts which in turn modify the reasoning process.
  • My website offers specific advice on how to test your reasoning processes to determine if your reasoning processes reflect an accurate "understanding" of the concepts.
  • My website analyzes the reasoning processes, cognitive habits, and planning techniques of notable people in the fields of mathematics and physics. These serve as insights into some of the best reasoning processes.
  • My website not only emphasizes critical thinking, but also the strategies, tactics, and tools necessary to solve problems in mathematics. These reasoning processes are specific to mathematics and must be practiced everyday in order to be effective.
  • My approach is not bound to one theory, study, or result, rather my approach is more philosophical. Philosophical principles are ontologically prior to any theory, study, or result, (with some exceptions) hence reach farther than the latter.
  • Finally my website emphasizes the importance of explaining your reasoning process to yourself, (almost self-referential). This way you can strengthen your own "understanding" of the subject. Also I emphasize the importance of explaining your reasoning process to people who know the subject so you can determine any faults or weaknesses.
John Gonzalez

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