Re: [Phys-l] Who really failed?

[Bill Nettles <bnettles@uu.edu>]

Brian, I can put a different spin on it. Maybe she expected students to actually study. There are situations where a course has been taught by an "easy" professor, students flock to it because they don't have to study more than 15 minutes before the test. Then a new professor comes along and students think the course won't change. Bad study habits are not an excuse. It being a non-majors course says that it's probably a core requirement, which means the university should care that there is some content to the course. But face it, LSU is all about sports anyway. (Apologies to Ed Zganjar.)

Bill N

________________________________________
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Brian Whatcott [betwys1@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 7:52 PM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Who really failed?

Plaudits for an experienced professor notwithstanding, failing 90%
 of a freshman class in an introductory non-major course on a
first test bears an uncomfortable resemblance to the devout
Christian fundamentalist households who spank their
three year olds for some misdemeanor.

Brian W

Bernard Cleyet wrote:
> I managed to find this from a student willing to stick her neck out:
>
>       • Dr. Homberger is the best instructor I've had
>       • Posted by Elizabeth A. Cook , Medical Illustration at Johns Hopkins on April 15, 2010 at 4:45pm EDT
>       • In case anyone is thorough enough to follow through on this issue, I want to completely support Dr. Homberger in all of her efforts.  I have had a great fortune of being her student and working with her in her lab for the past year.  Students that care, students who love to learn and to be challenged revere her and respect everything that she does.  She teaches in a way that has become outdated because it isn't product-oriented...i.e. how many graduates can we churn out each year as if we're producing sausage or some other horrible packaged meat.
>
> Education has become an institution that is now subject to productivity in numbers but not in quality.  Americans may wonder why we're so behind in the world in terms of education, and this is exactly it.  If something doesn't have an immediate and demonstrative value in practical or economical terms, we are quick to discredit it.  This is a battle that art and art education have always dealt with, and it troubles me to no end that this mentality has infiltrated higher education and the political nonsense that has no business butting in with how universities go about educating our future.
>
> bc
>
>
> On 2010, May 20, , at 06:03, John Clement wrote:
>
>
> > http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/04/15/lsu
> >
> > This story should make the national news, whether of not it is picked up by
> > the networks and newspapers.  Anyone who supports the business model of
> > education should read this story.  Quake before the administrators!
> >
> > John M. Clement
> > Houston, TX

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