Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by deadA1ias 1890 days ago
To extend the OP's line of thinking does it really matter. Exams can be rescheduled, extenuating circumstances taken into account. As someone that has fallen ill quite suddenly through examination periods due to chronic illness I never appreciated the dogmatic approach taken when administering tests. I'm a human being, things happen, systems go down...
2 comments
sega_sai 1890 days ago
What I meant is when whole systems go down (i.e. canvas, blackboard, office365 or similar) as opposed to the internet for one person, the problem is the amount of stress and extra-work inflicted on thousands of people is (I think) can be quite large. Sure, nobody died, it's nothing like that, it's just people get upset about it because it is something outside your control and affects many people.
link
bsder 1890 days ago
> Exams can be rescheduled, extenuating circumstances taken into account. As someone that has fallen ill quite suddenly through examination periods due to chronic illness I never appreciated the dogmatic approach taken when administering tests. I'm a human being, things happen, systems go down...

The problem is that any "leeway" will be taken up by cheaters. And the cheaters far outnumber the people like you who genuinely need some slack.

When I taught, I tried not to be dogmatic. But people have to understand that when a prof gives leeway, he's putting his ass on the line ... he doesn't have authority to do that and he could get burned if someone gets riled up about it.

So, if your prof cuts you slack that you needed, keep it to yourself and STFU.

link
Griffinsauce 1890 days ago
> And the cheaters far outnumber the people like you who genuinely need some slack.

Citation needed.

I suggest reading "Human Kind" by Ruther Bregman, which is an interesting (and substantiated) counterargument to this idea.

link
bsder 1889 days ago
> Citation needed.

My class.

Quote from student: "Thanks for having the best class."

Reponse from me: "Best?! You're getting clobbered in my class."

Quote from student: "Yeah, I'm not doing that well, but the bullshitters who always manage to butter up the Professor and skate through are actually failing for the first time ever. Everybody knows where they stand in your class. And, they know that if they put in the work they get the grade and if they don't, well, they get hammered."

Response from me: "Thanks, I guess?"

I considered it a compliment only because my father who taught high school for almost 4 decades said: "You're teaching a class. The students have to think you know your material, and they have to think you are fair. Nothing more. If they like you and/or respect you, so be it ... but those are non-goals. Your goal is to teach them the material, not be their friend."

link
Griffinsauce 1880 days ago
That sounds great but it's second hand anecdata and says absolutely nothing about the ratio of cheaters:non-cheaters.
link