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Originally Posted by sanddrag
My personal opinion is that in this case it is one of those "calculators make you stupid" scenarios.
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As a math teacher, I would argue that it is not the calculator (or spreadsheet) that "make[s] you stupid", but the way in which it is used. Both the calculator in the classroom or the spreadsheet for motor calculations can be a very powerful learning tool if used appropriately. Prior to last season, I had very little understanding of electric motors and how to choose an appropriate motor. Exploring the JVN Motor Calc spreadsheets and playing with the various equations helped me gain a much better understanding that I could then pass on to the students.
By the same token, just using the spreadsheet with no understanding of what the results really mean or how they were obtained can have the same negative effect as handing a calculator to an elementary student to do math. With no understanding of the output, it is impossible to judge if the results make sense.
I look forward to seeing this new design assistant, as well as the updated JVN spreadsheets, to give me more tools to help teach the students.