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Re: [Phys-l] Who really failed?



Hi Bob and all-
While I am not an advocate of any particulat view of Bab's reslt, I note the phrase "(except a move to online homework)". OK, you made a change, and you got a changed result. That fact argues, persuasively to me, that the change that you made was not ignorable. In other words, we are not entitled to treat any change in our relationships with our students as ignorable.
Further thought seems to be needed.
Regards,
Jack

"Trust me. I have a lot of experience at this."
General Custer's unremembered message to his men,
just before leading them into the Little Big Horn Valley




On Fri, 21 May 2010, LaMontagne, Bob wrote:

Brian,

Your comments are wrong on so many levels it's hard to know where to begin.
The condescending statements about Christians indicates issues you need to
resolve personally.

First test, second test - doesn't really matter. As a single datum it
doesn't allow any grand conclusions, antireligious bigotry put aside for the
moment.

I have been teaching 28 years. My exam averages have been fairly consistent
over the years - falling in the 65-75 range. I always have a core of 3-4
out of 25 students who get in the 90's. However, this paist semester, with no
change in techniques (except a move to online homework), my second exam had a disastrously low average of 40. It was a bimodal distribution of lots of 25 - 30's and the usual 3 above 90. When I handed back the exams I was stunned at the reaction. Most of the low performers didn't bat an eyelid. They just put the exams aside like nothing had happened. Only two people saw me after to talk about improving their grades. The only other reaction was a parent who called the Dean stating that I couldn't fail a whole class like that.

I had no indictor that such a low average was coming - although the first exam was at the low end of my traditional range. Third exam was back to normal, but a number of low performers had already left the class.

Low averages can happen. When I pressed for feedback I received little insight as to why that average was so low - a few students said they thought there were more conceptual questions vs numerical than my first test.

The Dean took an historical approach to the matter - reviewed my past grading and favorable comments he has received about my teaching over the years. He just chalked it up to the mix of students in this particular class (my other class had the usual distribution of grades.)

I am appalled by the approach taken by the administration in Louisiana.

-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [mailto:phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Brian Whatcott
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 8:53 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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