Dear Tipsters:
I understand how this issue of low student aspirations frustrates us as
profs, but I can also remember fairly clearly (or, given the nature of
memory, I believe I remember clearly) my own attitude as an undergrad.
I always intended to go to grad school (some day) and was an "A" student
who wished to maintain that GPA. However, depending on the nature of the
course and my relationship with the prof, I played games like finding what
was the least possible work I could do and still get an "A." This was
academic brinksmanship (brinkspersonship?? :{ ) with no emphasis on
learning at all. I also remember what (who) really engaged my passion, and
frankly my microbiology class was no competition.
Just my pitch for keeping in mind that our profs would have had reason to
tear their hair out about many of us, and that we can stimulate and engage
only to the extent that the student allows us to...
Esther
At 04:08 PM 2/27/01 -0600, Stephen W Tuholski wrote:
>Mike,
>
>Wow. 1 in 25.
>
>It has been suggested to me before that this is a real problem. We may
>want to teach at a high level, and try to motivate our students to learn
>the material, but at the end of the day many students only want to
>pass. I find this very depressing, although it does explain poor grade
>distributions despite my best efforts... you can lead some students to the
>classroom, but you can't make them want to learn....
>
>
>****************************************************************
>Stephen W. Tuholski Ph.D.
>Asst. Professor
>Dept. of Psychology
>Southern Illinois U. at Edwardsville
>Edwardsville IL 62026
>Phone: 618 650 5391
>Fax: 618 650 5087
>http://www.siue.edu/~stuhols
>
>"Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so."
> - Bertrand
> Russell
>***************************************************************
>
Esther Yoder Strahan, Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Heidelberg College
310 E. Market St.
Tiffin, Ohio 44883
U.S.A.
Tel. (419) 448-2238
Fax (419) 448-2236
