There are certain general-studies couses that almost all students at my
school take that are notoriously easy. I just had a student who has been
getting F's and D's on my tests, but who is getting an A and a B in two
of these other courses. She just barely got a C on my last test because,
she told me, she finally studied the material. When students get into my
course, they cannot understand why I am so "hard." I can't blame them
for thinking this way about my courses when their experiences in certain
other disciplines at this school show them that they can get a good
grade with little or no work.
Has this been a problem at your school (i.e., large differences across
disciplines in the rigor of courses)? Is there anything that any of you
have done that has helped to change this situation? Short of beginning a
campus-wide discussion of standards, I don't know what can be done. What
upsets me about it is that these students don't have a chance once they
get into upper-division courses. I'm also wondering if this is more of a
problem at community colleges than at other centers of higher education.
If so, it puts students transferring from community colleges at a
disadvantage.
Yours in the struggle,
Jeff
--
Jeffry P. Ricker, Ph.D. Office Phone: (480) 423-6213
9000 E. Chaparral Rd. FAX Number: (480) 423-6298
Psychology Department [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale, AZ 85256-2626
"The truth is rare and never simple."
Oscar Wilde
"Instead of having 'answers' on a test, they should just call
them 'impressions'. And, if you got a different 'impression',
so what? Can't we all be brothers?"
Jack Handey
