Russell Kirkpatrick's Journal
Posted At : 7:16 AM
| Posted By : Russell
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Russells' Daily Grind
Mood: Resigned
Now reading: Bujold's Vorkosigan series
A new semester has started, and I am lecturing students in Research Methods. They have to choose a topic to research and put in a proposal by next Monday.
Aside from the students who have been invisible until now and therefore want me to do all the work for them (ha!) the main problem is actually a very complex and deep-seated one. Students hate uncertainty.
Here's how it works. Many of these students are teenagers or in their early twenties, have asked the hard questions, have spent the last few years evaluating their home environments and have in most cases struck out on their own.
Yet when they get to my class they just want to do what they're told. They don't want to think of a topic for themselves. They don't want to come up with a method. They especially don't want to think about theory. Just tell us what to write down and we'll write it down.
They say things like 'Is what I'm doing right?'
Well, there's no right or wrong in choosing a topic. Is it interesting? Is it of a manageable scale? But no, they still search for certainty.
I'm worried about the kind of students we send out into the big bad world of employment, where there are seldom right or wrong answers to be copied from the blackboard. This class is such a lot of work for me, but it is so, so, so important for the students. The more uncertainty the better.
Oops, better go. Here's another student now.
But a gold star and a big red tick is so much more comforting... ;)
One of the things that struck me most about moving to the workforce was how "book smart" you are doesn't matter nearly as much. You either get the job done well or you don't and kudos to those that get it done well AND quickly.
At the end of the day I suppose it comes down to validation - sounds like your students are just looking for it a bit early in the process. Here's hoping they work it out soon :)
Posted By fiona / Posted At 7/27/06 8:35 AM
You're right about validation. I've tried to explain that my validation will be about the quality of their work, not whether they are right or wrong.
And yes, hopefully they'll think about logistics and project management skills. Because the experience ought to make them more employable.
Posted By russell / Posted At 7/27/06 8:55 AM
Only young people want to be told what to do and what is right and what is a bad idea? That sounds like me. I hate uncertainty. I want to know RIGHT NOW that my next book is going to be a bestseller, and that I won't die until my health gives out around 132. Most of all, I want to be 21 again, and know all I know now.
Don't worry about the young, Russell. At that age, they have the resilience to bounce back when things go wrong. It's when you've got arthritic knees that bouncing becomes a problem.
I would've thought that part of quality *is* whether you've reached the right answers. I mean, there's not a lot of point in beautiful methodology if it's taken you down the wrong path, is there? Or am I being too black and white again?
I know this doesn't have much to do with the post, but i felt weird placing ANOTHER thing on the guestbook so i'd just like to say: HORRAY! More Maps!
Posted By Aaron / Posted At 8/3/06 2:01 PM
I think that the way your students are acting is partly a symptom of the way Primary and High School is taught. It seems to me that Primary/High School have always been about: "Listen to what the teach says. Listen and take note, but don't ask too many questions. You are here to learn from the teacher, not question them." This is an attitude my (very inquisitive) son has had to deal with especially in Yr5 of Primary School. They seem so intent on cramming them with information to prepare them for High School that there is no time to wonder why, or to make any decisions of your own. You are there to be a sponge. You listen, and at exam time you regurgitate.
I think many Uni students can find it hard to get out of that way of being taught. They are expecting you to tell them how to do it, always wondering if what they have done is correct. They've never had to make too many decisions in a classroom setting before. It think it can be intimidating for them, and a hard habit to break.
Posted By
AShR / Posted At 8/3/06 2:12 PM
One of the greatest things to learn I think, and one of the last things society teaches, is to be confident that you have done the best you can do, and that it is a good thing. If it's not right, generally you can fix it. That's a bit of a problem with education: if you get something wrong, often you don't have to fix it, which is an important part of life. I know this because I went to work today knowing that many things could be wrong, and already considering ideas of how I could fix them. As a result, the day wasn't as hellish as it appeared to be at 4.30am this morning.
Posted By Nicole Murphy / Posted At 8/14/06 7:21 PM
Actually, I like to think of education, in some respects, as teaching how to get as many things right in one go as possible. I don't think it's acceptable for an Air Traffic Controller to get things wrong very often... Universities are great places that allow you to think for yourself. For some high school students this can be difficult at first, but it's the same was working in a new place, it takes a bit of adjusting.
Posted By Arthur / Posted At 8/17/06 10:04 PM
