Getting Through to Students

James of OTB points to a post by Greg Goelzhauser concerning the classroom and whether or not it is reasonable for students to know what a professor thinks they should know. While Greg makes a legitimate point (i.e., that sometimes a concept is so obvious to the prof, that the prof can’t understand why the students don’t get it), I think that Bret Marston is more on target: learning is hard, and students rarely make the effort that they should in regards to their studies.

For example, every couple of semesters I find it necessary to abruptly cancel class once it becomes evident that no one has done the readings. After calling on a few folks, and getting squat, I tell them that I am no longer going to waste my time in class, tell them that I am going to work in my office ,and that they ought to take the opportunity to go read. Further, I make it rather clear that I am not happy about the situation.

Now, the first time I did this I knew there was a risk that they would consider the time off a welcome break and a reward for slacking. Quite the contrary: the next class period, they had read, and were ready to discuss the material. Indeed, the event had a nifty unintended consequence: it became a story on campus about how I “went off” in class and how I expect them to work, etc. It doesn’t mean they read all the time, but it clearly affects some of them. And, of course, I have to have an eruption from time to time to keep the legend alive.

Teaching at a university is sometime like psyops.

In short: students will often do as little as possible, and require substantial motivation. This doesn't fully address Greg's point, but it is part of the issue, without a doubt.

Posted by Steven Taylor at September 23, 2024 10:06 PM | TrackBack