Subject: Re: When is CL not appropriate?
From: jim borgford-parnell (bparnell@u.washington.edu)
Date: Fri Jun 23 2000 - 11:32:55 EDT
Paul Hertzel wrote:
In the colleges I have taught, the above words would be interpretted
as confusing "learning" with "testing".
I must say that in my own teaching practice it has been a long time since I
have separated learning from the assessment of learning. I suppose that if
you subscribe to their separation, my words might sound confusing. In that
light, I can also see how interaction between students is only viewed as a
study convenience rather than an important aspect of learning (you will
notice I didn't say "all" learning), and as such should not be dismissed in
the assessment of learning.
I am also very happy to hear that you only teach on enlightened campuses,
where chairs aren't bolted to the floor, where too many people aren't
crammed into rooms too small to enable intelligible discussions, where
faculty know how to lead discussions and create learning activities that
take advantage of the student resources in each class. I have to wonder
however, how it is that you know how everyone on your campus teaches.
Having the autonomy to teach collaboratively and cooperatively isn't the
same as doing it, or knowing how to do it.
Jim
Jim Borgford-Parnell
Instructional Consultant
Center for Instructional Development and Research
University of Washington
(206) 543-6588, Fax: (206) 685-1213
----------
>From: Paul Hertzel <hertzpau@niacc.cc.ia.us>
>To: "jim borgford-parnell" <bparnell@u.washington.edu>, tpanitz@capecod.net,
math-teach@forum.swarthmore.edu, stlhe-l@unb.ca,
wac-l@postoffice.cso.uiuc.edu, aera-c@asu.edu, aera-c@asu.edu,
aera-j@asu.edu, mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu, CLTALK@asu.edu,
pod@catfish.valdosta.edu, k12assess-l@listsrva.cua.edu,
K12admin@listserv.syr.edu, Middle-l@postoffice.cso.uiuc.edu,
tips@fre.fsu.umd.edu
>Subject: Re: When is CL not appropriate?
>Date: Tue, Jun 20, 2000, 7:22 AM
>
> Jim Borgford-Parnell wrote,
>
> At the same time, we expend enormous time and effort
> creating elaborate systems to force people to learn on
> their own, to not look over their neighbor's shoulder,
> to not talk in class. . .
>
> In the colleges I have taught, the above words would be interpretted
> as confusing "learning" with "testing". We expend enormous time
> and effort to make sure students test on their own, do not look over
> their neighbor's shoulder during tests, do not talk during testing . . .
>
> But we make no such efforts during learning. Studying together is
> encouraged, looking sideways during class to see how others have
> interpretted activities, and asking questions is encouraged. I have
> never been to a college where it was otherwise.
>
> The important distinction, I think, is that the learning (and therefore
> the testing of it) really is a personal, individual thing that takes place
> inside one's mind, but cooperative methods are encouraged as useful means
> toward achieving it.
>
> Paul Hertzel
> NIACC
> Mason City, IA
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