On 21 Dec 1999, R.W. Hutchinson wrote:
> There are persistent rumours that the U.S. Air Force, which has a
> massive educational system, including teacher-training, does a far and
> away better job of "education" than the "public school system." You
> don't have to be outstandingly intelligent to join the Air Force,
> either, and it seems to be able to cope with a wide variety of students.
> a) are the rumours false?
I don't know empirically, but 'twouldn't surprise me if they were true.
> b) if not, is the success a function of subject matter rather
> than their approach to teaching, and hence presumably
> inapplicable to teaching Statistics?
My guess would be, neither of the above. People in the Air Force want to
be there. If they don't successfully learn what the AF wants them to
learn, they won't be there. Classic example of motivation, that would
probably overcome even pretty bad teaching. But the instructors also
want to be where they are, and if they show up as incompetent, they won't
be there. So there's motivation on both sides of the classroom fence.
> I am not, nor have I ever been, in the Air Force, and hence I am
> unable to shed any light on the matter, but for DECADES I have been
> picking up rumours that something about their educational system WORKS.
Where there's a lot of persistent smoke, there very well may be a fire.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Donald F. Burrill [EMAIL PROTECTED]
348 Hyde Hall, Plymouth State College, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MSC #29, Plymouth, NH 03264 603-535-2597
184 Nashua Road, Bedford, NH 03110 603-471-7128
