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Re: Problems in Education



Just a couple of comments regarding Mike's polemic and Rick's and John C's
replies regarding willingness to study at outside of class.

First hear hear!! for what Mike said, I couldn't have said it better.

One minor quibble, I worry about the idea of telling students the magic
number of two hours of home time for each hour of class time. I graduated
in the top 15% of my college class in the early seventies and well remember
spending something more like 3 hours or so per class hour in my introductory
physics class, and in the advanced physics courses it was more like 4 or 5
hours. Some other classes I took only required maybe an hour to 30 minutes
per class time. These times were what was required IMO to have a good
chance at earning A grades (didn't quite always get the grade, though).

I think the better statement is that it takes as much time outside of class
as is necessary. Perhaps this might average over all classes to 2 hours per
one hour of class, perhaps not. But my guess is that for most students the
Physics and Calculus classes may require a bit more to achieve high B to A
work in a rigorously offered course. Of course, if the course is not
rigorous . . .

And as always, your mileage may vary!

I noticed that in John Clement's reply he only suggested that lots of time
doing rote back of the chapter problems may not be helpful. (Though I
remember consciously deciding to work all odd number word problems on the
sections of my calculus text on related rates and min/max problems as being
indispensible for aceing the test on that material. Though, I hasten to add
that that was the only time I did that in the course.) He didn't say lots
of time trying to understand the material as "homework" was a problem.
Indeed, the example of his daughter was that such time would result in more
time spent working at home.

Enough for the moment.

Joel Rauber

If we cannot expect 30-60 minutes a night for homework in
junior high, 60-90 minutes a night for high school, and 1-2
hours out of class for each hour in class for college... and
if we cannot expect students to spend this time in a manner
that enhances their personal understanding of the material...
then I don't see how any curriculum is going to succeed. If
"having a life outside of class" is the current standard for
education, then we must change that standard or else accept
the dumbing down of America. I don't see any way to have
"less is more" if this is understood as less time spent can
yield more learned. That "ain't gonna happen."


Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.
Phone/voice-mail: 419-358-3270
Professor of Chemistry & Physics FAX:
419-358-3323
Chairman, Science Department E-Mail
edmiston@bluffton.edu
Bluffton College
280 West College Avenue
Bluffton, OH 45817