"N2EY" wrote:
Yep, if you accept that skill is a type of
knowledge. Besides the skill of actually
hammering, there's knowing what hammer to
use for a particular job, knowing how to
hold the hammer and thing to be hammered,
and what safety precautions to take.
Obviously building something with a hammer requires knowledge, but even a
two year old child can learn to hit a nail with a hammer - the skill.
Many of the written test questions are about
the rules and regs, such as band edges and
power limits. Also symbol identification,
definitions, and other facts. One doesn't
have to know what a kHz is to know that the
40 meter band is 7000 to 7300 kHz. Nor does
it require an understanding of the operation
of electronic components to correctly
identify which symbol is, say, a JFET.
All requiring far more knowledge than the skill of hitting a nail with a
hammer.
More importantly, since the Q&A are all
in the public domain, all that is needed
to get an answer correct is to identify
which of the 4 answers is correct. (snip)
Then you dispute the multiple choice method of testing, which means you
must also dispute this method of testing when employed by schools and
colleges throughout this country and around the world (and the studies once
used by those schools to determine this is a sufficient means of testing for
educational purposes).
How this is done by the testee and how much
understanding is involved is not a concern
of the FCC or VEs as long as there's no
cheating involved. Rote memorization, word
association, and random guessing are all
accepted ways of getting an answer correct.
Get enough answers correct and the license
is issued.
If the FCC is not concerned, why are you? Obviously, the FCC has
determined this method of testing is sufficient to meet the goals it has for
Amateur Radio license testing. Perhaps you're dissatisfied with this method
because you don't truly understand the goals of those license exams. Again,
the exams are an entrance exam to get into Amateur Radio, not a final exam
to determine ultimate skills and knowledge. In Amateur Radio, the primary
develop of skills and knowledge comes after those entrance exams through
actual experience.
I never saw much if anyhting about radio in
any of the science textbooks I had, grade
school through college. I did see some stuff
in my engineering textbooks, though. But by
then I had been a ham for 5 years.
You're out of date, Jim. Many college science textbook used throughout the
US cover these subjects (radio and electronics). For example;
The Sciences, An Integrated Approach, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Chapter 5 (pg. 115), Electricity and Magnetism (electromagnetic force,
electric circuits, ampere, voltage, resistance, ohm's law).
Chapter 6 (pg. 127), the Nature of Waves (wavelength, frequency and
velocity).
Chapter 6 (pg. 139), the Electromagnetic Spectrum (radio waves,
induction, radio waves and the atmosphere, ducting).
Chapter 11 (pg. 241), Electrical Properties of Materials (conductors,
insulators, semiconductors, and superconductors).
Chapter 11 (pg. 240), Technology (diodes, semiconductors, transistors).
Even many high school science textbooks cover the basics. For example;
Physical Science, Holt/Harcourt Publishing.
Chapter 17 (pg. 420), Introduction to Electricity (electric current,
conductors, insulators, ac/dc, resistance, resistors, Ohm's Law, electric
circuits, series and parallel circuits).
Chapter 19 (pg. 480), Electronic Technology (semiconductors, diodes,
transistors, integrated circuits).
Chapter 20 (pg. 508), The Energy of Waves (amplitude, frequency,
wavelength).
Chapter 22 (pg. 568), The Electromagnetic Spectrum (radio waves, am/fm
modulation, induction, destructive and constructive interference, the
ionosphere).
Dwight Stewart (W5NET)
http://www.qsl.net/w5net/