Michael Sylvester wrote:
> This semester I decided to have the timeline of my lecture
> coverage based on chapter objectives instead of pages : for
> example,instead of telling students to read pages 4-16 for
> the next class period,I pass out the chapter objectives and
> tell them that by the next class period they should know
> objectives 1-6. I find that this method allows them to focus
> their study on objectives rather than the amount of pages
> they have to read. And of course,this allows me to quelch
> the frequency of students asking me "what page am I on?" do
> you employ this or other strategy, instead of telling
> students to read pages so and so for the next class?
I teach most of my classes on a one meeting per week basis (4 hours in
the case of Intro to Psych, 3 hours in most other cases) so in terms of
reading assignments, In my syllabi, I just assign one or more chapters of
the book for each week (most Psych texts have more than the 14 chapters
needed for a one-chapter-per-week schedule--although it would be nice if
the authors could get it to that count by combining some chapters into one
[hint, hint]). As far as being asked the pages in a class, since I don't
lecture from the text (I assume that anyone willing to pay today's prices
for texts is capable of reading the material s/he purchased without
someone explaining what s/he read), I don't run into that problem. Tests
are based (as my students are aware) on a combination of terminology from
the text (using the glossary definitions unless they are told specifically
otherwise) and concept-based ones (based mostly--but not exclusively--on
lecture). Since a lot of their work is non-text related anyway (I require
four 4-6 page essays, a term paper, nine quizzes [I drop the low one], and
a comprehensive final as well as active participation in discussion &
debates in class and/or outside projects), the issue of a text focus
doesn't usually come up. I _do_ like the idea of giving the class
objectives as you do--in my case, I provide general objectives for the
entire term, but I can well see the advantage of doing it on a day-to-day
basis as you do instead.
Rick
--
Rick Adams
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"... and the only measure of your worth and your deeds will be the love
you leave behind when you're gone. --Fred Small, Everything Possible "
