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From: rws@gypsy.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.rumor
Subject: Re: Any news about the reputed bomb expl
Message-ID: <32900004@gypsy.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 16-Jul-85 09:17:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: gypsy.32900004
Posted: Tue Jul 16 09:17:00 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Jul-85 03:26:25 EDT
References: <1457@utah-gr.UUCP>
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Nf-ID: #R:utah-gr:-145700:gypsy:32900004:000:2368
Nf-From: gypsy!rws    Jul 16 09:17:00 1985


Okay, I can't stand it anymore.  When I was teaching at Rutgers, I made
every effort to make my lectures as two-way as possible, like by asking
open-ended questions, assigning exercises and then answering questions about
them, etc.  Still, I found that I could not rely upon the students to read
the textbook before coming to lecture.  I wanted to expand on what the
textbook had said, by adding examples from my own experience, and using the
chalkboard to create "moving pictures" that textbooks could not.

The best that I could do was to assign several exercises from each reading
assignment, which the student was expected to do for his own good, knowing
full well that I intended to base many homework problems on the exercises.
Then I would try to lecture on the "important points" of the textbook, to
make sure they got across.

I still believe that I was right most of the time.  However, in my final
semester of teaching, I had an unusually talented and eager group of
students.  After two weeks of class I asked them, frankly, how many read the
textbook before coming to class.  Most did not.  I asked why.  They said it
was because I was repeating what the textbook said.  I said okay, I won't do
that anymore.  They immediately started reading the assignments in
preparation for the class, and we ultimately covered twice the material I
had expected to cover.

Now, about taking notes.  After a couple of years of watching a roomful of
students hunched over their notebooks trying to scribble down everything I
was writing, I said to hell with protocol, and started distributing my
lecture notes BEFORE starting to talk.  Suddenly everyone was looking at me!
And asking questions!  And thinking!  I'll never go back to the other way.

I gave up teaching for both financial reasons and reasons of wanting more
colleagues within my specialty.  I now find that passing out lecture notes
ahead of time is the rule rather than the exception, whether it's an
in-house training seminar or a commercially offered course.  I also find
that 95% of the lectures I attend are give-and-take sessions, where either
the speaker will deliberately involve the audience, or a listener will
interrupt with questions leading to lively dialogue.  Surely universities
can go the same route.

Bob Schwanke

Siemens Research
Princeton, NJ
08540-6668

seismo!princeton!siemens!rws