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by cafard 1349 days ago
Damn near fifty years ago, I had a multivariate calculus teacher who thought it was amusing to provide tests where the curve peaked about 49%. I was lazy and neglectful of doing the homework problems, so I don't blame him for my own performance. But it didn't seem like a good way to run a class.

I should say that he did not curve on 50% and grade on 90%: I think that a 50% was probably a B- or a C. But it was a while ago.
1 comments
hilbert42 1348 days ago
"provide tests where the curve peaked about 49%"

Fucking smart Alec, he'd have deserved it if students had let his tires down.

The only possible saving grace would have been if he'd demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that multivariate calculus would provide the means to get such precision, ipso facto the class results (complete with workings out). Even then, it's a ratshit idea of the worst order.

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forgetbook 1348 days ago
It is/can be entertaining to be a smart Alec. Many people in higher education roles view themselves as researchers, and teaching (not just students, but the work of teaching itself), as beneath them.
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hilbert42 1346 days ago
"...work of teaching itself), as beneath them."

Smart Alec yes—so long as no one's hurt. It's easy to understand how teaching is considered beneath them as it's distraction. It seems to me that a possible (or partial) way of ameliorating the problem would be to teach students from the outset that the principal role of a university is educate and that if they which to do research under the auspices of a university then they must expect disruption as routine.

Whilst I understand that being disrupted is irritating, the fact that they consider teaching beneath them seems shortsighted. I am not a teacher but on ocassions I've had to teach and I quickly discovered that there's nothing to hone one's own knowledge more than to teach. When teaching in front of a class, 'knowledge' that one's thinks one's clear about in one's mind quickly distills into either actual knowledge or embarrassing garbage.

One wonders then why teaching isn't more highly valued with this lot (whenever I've had to teach I've considered it a privilege and it boosted my ego to boot—especially when in debate with intelligent students who ask interesting questions—some of which yours truly couldn't answer).

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