Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!xanth!ukma!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!nather
From: nather@ut-emx.UUCP (Ed Nather)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Student preparedness
Message-ID: <9318@ut-emx.UUCP>
Date: 10 Jan 89 18:01:35 GMT
References: <52767@pyramid.pyramid.com> <5053@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> <56@rpi.edu> <608@unocss.UUCP>
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Lines: 16

In article <608@unocss.UUCP>, fritz@unocss.UUCP (Sharon O'Neil) writes:
> [...] The university is viewed by many as an
> assembly line.

For "many" read "most system administrators", particularly at state schools
where a department is rewarded by the number of students they teach, not
by the quality of the teaching, or the time spent with students.  This
attitude encourages large, impersonal classes and (dare I say it?)
multiple-choice tests as the only practical testing method.  In my view,
quality suffers, as does enthusiasm for teaching.  Profs need feedback
too, and an occasional word from students that they are doing a good
job (if they are).

-- 
Ed Nather
Astronomy Dept, U of Texas @ Austin