The Higher Education Thread

[Solon]

It's a simple rule. No translation programs. Open book final. No translation programs. Yet, they still do it.

Is it a take-home final exam?
Or are they pulling up translators in class?

I'm starting to think about going completely in for take-home exams, at least in upper-division classes. I think I would get better efforts from the students and a more realistic training for their future, where there's no dearth of information but students have a hard time assessing & processing it.

I've caught people using outsmart.it twice this semester. Both times the paper was almost incomprehensible and really easy to see that something was off. They beat turnitin.com alright.

I just punched the above post into outsmart.it. Here's what I got:

Is it a take-home final exam?
Or are they pulling up translators in class?

I'm commencing to contemplate concerning going completely in for take-home exams, at least in upper-division classes. I contemplate I should become larger efforts from the students and a extra realistic training for their upcoming, whereas there's no dearth of data but students have a hard period assessing & processing it.

I've caught people employing outsmart.it twice this semester. Both periods the paper was nearly incomprehensible and truly facile to discern that something was off. They beat turnitin.com alright.

[Mormon Red Death]

It's a simple rule. No translation programs. Open book final. No translation programs. Yet, they still do it.

Does your university have the lockdown browser? That works pretty well

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

[wuapinmon]

Is it a take-home final exam?
Or are they pulling up translators in class?

I'm starting to think about going completely in for take-home exams, at least in upper-division classes. I think I would get better efforts from the students and a more realistic training for their future, where there's no dearth of information but students have a hard time assessing & processing it.

I've caught people using outsmart.it twice this semester. Both times the paper was almost incomprehensible and really easy to see that something was off. They beat turnitin.com alright.

I just punched the above post into outsmart.it. Here's what I got:

Holy crap, that's bad, but it'll get better. Sometimes I pick an unknown story for a test just so I know that there's nothing out there on it, and they'll have to do the work. Take home tests reflect reality and synthesis, and I like them, but the pedagogues crow about it being an arbitrary assessment.

Does your university have the lockdown browser? That works pretty well

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

It's open book, open note, open internet search, and it's online. The only thing I forbid them from using are translation programs. I ask them to be on their honor. They always claim, "I thought you said.." bullshit. Using a translation program = you don't learn a damned thing. The part they use it on is a paragraph using reflexives in the preterit about what they did when they woke up that morning to get ready. Lots of "me levanté" and "me duché" stuff that would be very easy with a textbook open to that section. Nope, they'd rather write it in English and click "submit." One kid even left, "suallyI" in a section among the Spanish. I have them sign my own honor code, and it means nothing to some of them. It's almost always rich kids and it's fundamental laziness, and I don't think anyone has ever called them on it. I do. Some own up to it, in which case I let is slide with a warning. If they say, "I thought you said" or something similar trying to shift the blame, I fail them on that question. But, if they lie and deny....

[Devildog]

But, if they lie and deny....

Yeah Waup... You wouldn't like being a cop.

[Diehard Ute]

Yeah Waup... You wouldn't like being a cop.

Nope.

The rarity is people who don't lie in my world

[wuapinmon]

Yeah Waup... You wouldn't like being a cop.

The only corrections I want to make are with my students' papers, not their lives. I would never be a cop.

Nope.

The rarity is people who don't lie in my world

What's so bad is that you can tell when they're lying. The facial gestures, the tone of indignation in their voice, eye contact, it's easy to see without words really, when someone is lying to you if you accuse them of doing something.

But, then again, I never accuse unless I know.

[Diehard Ute]

The only corrections I want to make are with my students' papers, not their lives. I would never be a cop.



What's so bad is that you can tell when they're lying. The facial gestures, the tone of indignation in their voice, eye contact, it's easy to see without words really, when someone is lying to you if you accuse them of doing something.

But, then again, I never accuse unless I know.

With us people will lie to cover their lies...even when we've shown them we have proof.

We'll even tell people "remember, I already know the answers to the questions I'm asking you" and they'll still lie.

Oh well. Job security I guess.

[UtahDan]

Nope.

The rarity is people who don't lie in my world

I think it must be remarkably hard for someone in your line of work not to develop a dim view of humanity.

[Diehard Ute]

I think it must be remarkably hard for someone in your line of work not to develop a dim view of humanity.

You just leave it at work.

Yeah we're not trusting, but you learn to appreciate the good friends and family more.

[Damage U]

Is there any Elementary Ed teachers here? I could use some directions and opinions.
Reading the first few pages of this thread got me thinking about the situation my son is in. Though it's a bit below "Higher Education" at this time, I think it will soon become pertinent in his education. He's a 3rd grader now. Last year he was a finalist in the second grade spelling bee. He was spelling 3 and 4 syllable words and may have missed 5 or 6 words all year. Fast forward to this year as part of common core the school district is pushing a program called Words Their Way. My son is now spelling one syllable words like pare, pair and pear but he not being taught the definitions. His first spelling test he missed 5 words, because he spelled the wrong hare, hair or pair, pear (earlier post in this thread example, cannon or canon) . His spelling homework consists of "sorting" which boils down to putting the round peg into the round hole and the square peg into the square hole. My wife has talked to his teacher and there does seem to be a mythical method to the madness, something to do with vowels and consonant and their order.
After the first month I've done away with the sorting homework and have gone back to the old school way of memorizing the spelling and knowing the definitions. He's aced every test since.

[Solon]

Is there any Elementary Ed teachers here? I could use some directions and opinions.
Reading the first few pages of this thread got me thinking about the situation my son is in. Though it's a bit below "Higher Education" at this time, I think it will soon become pertinent in his education. He's a 3rd grader now. Last year he was a finalist in the second grade spelling bee. He was spelling 3 and 4 syllable words and may have missed 5 or 6 words all year. Fast forward to this year as part of common core the school district is pushing a program called Words Their Way. My son is now spelling one syllable words like pare, pair and pear but he not being taught the definitions. His first spelling test he missed 5 words, because he spelled the wrong hare, hair or pair, pear (earlier post in this thread example, cannon or canon) . His spelling homework consists of "sorting" which boils down to putting the round peg into the round hole and the square peg into the square hole. My wife has talked to his teacher and there does seem to be a mythical method to the madness, something to do with vowels and consonant and their order.
After the first month I've done away with the sorting homework and have gone back to the old school way of memorizing the spelling and knowing the definitions. He's aced every test since.

My wife does Math Ed., which makes me an expert in overhearing what people are complaining about in math.
I don't know about how it goes for spelling specifically, but the uproar over the Common Core is pretty overblown - at least in my neck of the woods.

According to my wife, the bottom line on ALL the research is essentially teacher knowledge - whether it's pedagogical content (how to teach) or subject content (what to teach), how smart/capable the teacher is makes the biggest difference on how well the kids do.

Nevertheless, we continue to think that the new expensive technology or the new magic curriculum will solve all of the problems. All of the curricula have strengths and weaknesses. A good teacher can maximize the strengths and compensate for the weaknesses. I think that as long as society keeps spending its precious education dollars on technology & administrators instead of getting the best possible teachers that we'll still struggle to make progress.

I am not suggesting that technology & administrators are unimportant; just that they are not as important as the quality of the teacher for educational success.

Damage, it sounds like you're a good, conscientious, involved parent.
I'll bet your kid will be just fine as long as you & your wife keep working with him.

[wuapinmon]

Is there any Elementary Ed teachers here? I could use some directions and opinions.
Reading the first few pages of this thread got me thinking about the situation my son is in. Though it's a bit below "Higher Education" at this time, I think it will soon become pertinent in his education. He's a 3rd grader now. Last year he was a finalist in the second grade spelling bee. He was spelling 3 and 4 syllable words and may have missed 5 or 6 words all year. Fast forward to this year as part of common core the school district is pushing a program called Words Their Way. My son is now spelling one syllable words like pare, pair and pear but he not being taught the definitions. His first spelling test he missed 5 words, because he spelled the wrong hare, hair or pair, pear (earlier post in this thread example, cannon or canon) . His spelling homework consists of "sorting" which boils down to putting the round peg into the round hole and the square peg into the square hole. My wife has talked to his teacher and there does seem to be a mythical method to the madness, something to do with vowels and consonant and their order.
After the first month I've done away with the sorting homework and have gone back to the old school way of memorizing the spelling and knowing the definitions. He's aced every test since.

I hear you about spelling. The don't teach cursive anymore. Kids can't sign their names. They can't spell. Teachers in 3rd grade will let kids spell words however they want because "it's better that they be writing than not." My child was in 6th grade before she was expected to know her times tables from memory. She still can't do basic mental math. Your work with your children will pay off. It's an investment in their future that requires sacrifice now, when you're tired, worn out, exhausted from a long day. Their minds are little sponges, and if you expose them to things, they will learn and do better and grow. I applaud the old school ways you're using. Just be sure not to undermine the teacher's authority. I made that mistake with my oldest, and I've not succeeded in getting her to fully respect her teachers still.

[Damage U]

Thanks Solon and wuapinmon,

As far as math goes, I have mixed feelings. I do like that they are getting started early on it. The biggest problem I have is the new way of teaching it has kept me from helping him. There is no "right" way to get the answer. My son has 10 -15 ways he can choose form to get an answer. About all I can do is tell him if he got it correct. I can see how this may help him think algebraically. It doesn't seem to hinder him, he's tops in his class. I hear you wuap on the times tables. I tried telling my son about them and he looked at me like I was off my rocker.
Spelling is the beast I'm battling. I have done my best in not undermining his teacher. I think that the problems we have in education are because of the machine that the education system has become. The art of teaching is being lost. I liked the video that tooblue put up on the 1st page. I mainly feel that the 3rd grade has been a step or two backwards.

Thanks again for your opinions. Do either of you have any opinions on charter schools?

[U-Ute]

There was a post on Reddit yesterday where someone took notes on the out loud comments her boyfriend made as he graded papers. His views on red pens are particularly amusing...

http://www.reddit.com/r/funny/commen...to_me_grading/

[Solon]

Easterbrook's TMQ column on ESPN.com mentioned this site recently:

http://spendingdatabase.knightcommission.org/

I love football. I really do.
But the school I work at couldn't afford to buy library books for the past few years; the same years that many people retired and weren't replaced, and part-timers & non-essential staff were laid off; the same years that football spending shot through the roof.

This is an FCS school - no swanky TV deals to justify the expenses.

Here's the Utah site, although I think the numbers are jacked because of the switch to the PAC.

http://spendingdatabase.knightcommis...ersity-of-utah

[tooblue]

York University professor who refused student’s request to be separated from female classmates broke ‘obligation to accommodate’: officials

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/01...ate-officials/

After refusing to honour a male student’s request to be separated from his female classmates for religious reasons, a York University professor has found himself at odds with administrators who assert he broke their “obligation to accommodate ...”

A student, who remains nameless due to privacy reasons, asked to be counted out of a scheduled group project due to the course’s heavy preponderance of female students ...

After getting wind of the resolution — as well as Mr. Grayson’s stated refusal to honour his accommodation — the student cheerfully backed off ...

He attended the group session without protest and even wrote a memo to Mr. Grayson thanking him “for the way you have handled this request.”

“He’s a reasonable guy,” said Mr. Grayson.

Nevertheless, the rejection incensed university brass. According to Mr. Grayson, on October 18, he received a letter from the Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies ordering him to accommodate the student’s wishes.

[LA Ute]

Even Mother Jones is in on the action.

Is Graduate School a Racket?

[tooblue]

Even Mother Jones is in on the action.

Is Graduate School a Racket?

Has the ratio of full-timers to part-timers plummeted everywhere?

In my institution of higher learning the answer is yes. It's a nightmare. Our enrolment is growing with fewer full-time faculty to teach core curriculum classes. Too many part-time faculty lack the real world experience and skills to be effective in the class room. We started back to classes this week and three part time teachers have already been canned for simply not showing up to the first class.

[Mormon Red Death]

In my institution of higher learning the answer is yes. It's a nightmare. Our enrolment is growing with fewer full-time faculty to teach core curriculum classes. Too many part-time faculty lack the real world experience and skills to be effective in the class room. We started back to classes this week and three part time teachers have already been canned for simply not showing up to the first class.

Speaking from experience it's a nice and pretty easy part time job. especially the online classes.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

[tooblue]

Speaking from experience it's a nice and pretty easy part time job. especially the online classes.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

Where I work, the system is broken right now. Admin has adopted the part-time model spoken of in the article in order to cut costs. However, they are trying to do it using a fifty year old delivery model. Our union is too powerful and the biggest stumbling block. Classes can only run between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm. A complex formula of contact hours, times number of students divided by a new prep versus a class I have previously taught variable prohibits me from being optimally used to deliver core curriculum. This semester is the first semester I have not been in border line non union sanctioned overtime. I'm exhausted. I finally said enough. It's crazy.

[Scorcho]

some nice recognition for the U's Law School

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=28466091&nid=148&title=u-of-u-ranks-2nd-among-law-schools-nationally&fm=home_page&s_cid=queue-1

[LA Ute]

some nice recognition for the U's Law School

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=28466091&nid=148&title=u-of-u-ranks-2nd-among-law-schools-nationally&fm=home_page&s_cid=queue-1

Boo-yah!

[LA Ute]

From Instapundit, a blog written by a law professor at Tennessee:

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: Administrator Hiring Drove 28% Boom in Higher-Ed Work Force, Report Says. “What’s more, the report says, the number of full-time faculty and staff members per professional or managerial administrator has declined 40 percent, to around 2.5 to 1. . . . And the kicker: You can’t blame faculty salaries for the rise in tuition. Faculty salaries were ‘essentially flat’ from 2000 to 2012, the report says. And ‘we didn’t see the savings that we would have expected from the shift to part-time faculty,’ said Donna M. Desrochers, an author of the report.”

The report is at http://chronicle.com/article/Adminis...&utm_medium=en

[tooblue]

Any one want to read my abstract. It's not long (200 words), just looking for some thoughts.

[Mormon Red Death]

Smaller colleges facing fiscal problems and declining enrollment

[mUUser]

Taking my daughter to visit BYU, Utah and USU this week…campus visits, department visits, apartment & condo hunting, ending with the game on Saturday night. I have a feeling my other daughter is burning out with softball and will transfer to Utah or USU next year -- might have two at Utah in the next couple of years. Can't believe how quickly this is going. Sigh….

[U-Ute]

Stories from the classroom...

University/college lecturers of Reddit, what's the most bizarre thing you've seen a student do in one of your lectures?

[chrisrenrut]

Stories from the classroom...

University/college lecturers of Reddit, what's the most bizarre thing you've seen a student do in one of your lectures?

Man, I just wasted so much time reading that thread. Too entertaining.

[mUUser]

On the front page of Yahoo today.

https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/fath...272650372.html

Right or wrong, we're paying for whatever scholarships don't cover to allow them to graduate debt free.

[Solon]

On the front page of Yahoo today.

https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/fath...272650372.html

Right or wrong, we're paying for whatever scholarships don't cover to allow them to graduate debt free.

It's right. The guy makes a couple of good points: 1. College isn't for everybody & 2. Kids need to be very aware of how much college costs & how to pay for it.

but, like so many other weirdos, the extreme position isn't doing any favors. There is a lot more to value in a college education than just increased earning potential.