Sounds like good reasons to me; it probably helps to have an
understanding Dean.
________________________
Joel Rauber
Department of Physics - SDSU
Joel.Rauber@sdstate.edu
605-688-4293
| -----Original Message-----
| From: Forum for Physics Educators
| [mailto:PHYS-L@list1.ucc.nau.edu] On Behalf Of Spagna Jr., George
| Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2006 7:42 AM
| To: PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU
| Subject: Re: What students will do. (was: Physics Solutions Manual)
|
| Bernard asks
|
| >p.s. George, did you readopt a text because their grades plummeted?
|
| And Joel adds
|
| >Or because you got tired of listening to the complaints on student
| evaluations?
|
| >Or, what was the reason?
|
| It's a bit more complicated - top grades slipped a little,
| and more students "fell off" the bottom of the distribution.
| More importantly, it became clear that by not using a set
| textbook we were apparently (student perception) sending the
| message that they need only fully engage the material while
| in class. Even misusing a textbook (e.g.
| "solving" assigned problems by trying to mimic a worked
| example in lieu of reading and trying to understand the
| material) seems to be of more benefit than not using it at
| all. At least, if it was "their" book, they seemed to use it
| more out of class.
|
| I also have two advantages in dealing with student
| complaints. First, I have tenure - which doesn't foster
| indifference to student feedback, but does allow perspective
| rather than knee-jerk responses. Second, I am department
| chair so I can shield non-tenured faculty when they are
| carrying out a consensus decision of the department. I have
| discussed our pedagogical approaches with the Dean, and he
| understands and encourages what we are trying to do.
|
| **********************************************
| "Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than
|
| sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
|
| - Martin Luther King, Jr.
|
| **********************************************
|
| Dr. George Spagna
| Chair, Physics Department
| Randolph-Macon College
| P.O. Box 5005
| Ashland, VA 23005-5505
|
| phone: (804) 752-7344
| fax: (804) 752-4724
| e-mail: gspagna@rmc.edu
| http://faculty.rmc.edu/gspagna
|
|
| Spagna Jr., George wrote:
|
| >A number of years ago we experimented by replacing an
| adopted textbook
| >with a "lending library" of our new and recent textbooks. Homework
| >assignments were written by the faculty, sometimes using textbook
| >problems, but often generating "context rich" problem
| statements. We
| >thought we were doing them a favor by not requiring the
| purchase of a
| >$100+ tome.
| >
| >Students were encouraged to figure out where we were in
| their borrowed
| >book by paying attention to the subjects we were working on. If
| unsure,
| >they were encouraged to ask.
| >
| >They didn't use the books, except perhaps as paperweights.
| We've gone
| >back to an adopted textbook.
| >
| >**********************************************
| > "Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than
| >
| > sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
| >
| > - Martin Luther King, Jr.
| >
| >**********************************************
| >
| >Dr. George Spagna
| >Chair, Physics Department
| >Randolph-Macon College
| >P.O. Box 5005
| >Ashland, VA 23005-5505
| >
| >phone: (804) 752-7344
| >fax: (804) 752-4724
| >e-mail: gspagna@rmc.edu
| >http://faculty.rmc.edu/gspagna
| >
| >
| >
| >
|
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