The other day, I was explaining to my students the process profs use to grade research papers, and the more I explained, the more I kept thinking, “This is insane! This whole system is insane!”
The strange beast that is our education system
Tales of your teacher’s failures
My first wall hit me in second-year university. It seemed as though every course was a “weeder” course. Organic chemistry, biochemistry, calculus—all these classes were utter beasts.
Do I Need to Know That?
As a teacher at a local university, I see the fallout of our emphasis on grades first hand day after day. We do a great disservice to our youth by allowing them to believe grades define success. As we approach final exam season at our university, I find myself beset by many students trying to... Continue Reading →
Engaged Learning – My Grand Experiment Part II
A while ago I wrote about my decision to experiment with the use of engaged-learning practices in my third year business classes (see Engaged Learning - My Grand Experiment Part I). Time to tell you the results. Overall, I'm happy with how it worked out, though it wasn't a clear win on every parameter. Let... Continue Reading →
Engaged Learning – My Grand Experiment Part I
I discovered the etymology of the word 'lecture' is "to read". It hails from when universities first formed in the middle ages, before printing presses made textbooks widely available. The lecturer would recite the university's copy of the textbook during class while students took notes. Since students can now buy their own textbooks, how do... Continue Reading →