Comments on: Should your grading patterns be public? In how much detail? http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2007/07/22/should-your-grading-patterns-be-public-in-how-much-detail/ "A man needn't go far to find a subject, if he's ready with his salt-box."--Uncle Pumblechook Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:18:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Alex http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2007/07/22/should-your-grading-patterns-be-public-in-how-much-detail/#comment-380 Alex Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:48:04 +0000 http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2007/07/22/should-your-grading-patterns-be-public-in-how-much-detail/#comment-380 Yes, I believe *the* punk student works well for me. In their current incarnation, I would say that (at least in my eyes) the current "home page" (referring here to the official CCSU Blurb in the departmental homepage) is severely lacking. Students want to get an idea of the person they will be interfacing with, for good or bad. RMP.com partially fufills this ( although I have, in truth, never used it, relying instead on firsthand accounts from people I know and trust. One student's savior appears to be another student's tormentor, and I understand how one maligned grade can deter a student's perspective of the professor in question.) but ultimately intimate contact is more effective, and not in the "contagions of Intimacy" that some would suggest. The average student will probably do the following in this order: Check RMP, ask friends, then decide. I believe, as I said before, Open-sourcing your Education process will both make it better for students to learn, and another tool for students to avoid learning, although I believe it reflects better on the former and incredibly minor on the latter. The better one can see the man in front of the class is in fact a man, not some educational homonculus set there by "the administration" who is earnestly trying their best to destroy you, the better the educational process is. Now, *this* website is another insight to the professor-student relationship, one that I believe is lost on the majority of students. A place such as this, a "Home page Away from Home" in the students eyes could definitely help in their choice in a professor. This is all assuming that I have the grasp of an average student, which I may not.... I have heard such words out of their collective mouths that make me yearn for some sort of Judgement to come down on them. Curse my longing for interwubs and education! Curse it! Yes, I believe *the* punk student works well for me.

In their current incarnation, I would say that (at least in my eyes) the current “home page” (referring here to the official CCSU Blurb in the departmental homepage) is severely lacking. Students want to get an idea of the person they will be interfacing with, for good or bad. RMP.com partially fufills this ( although I have, in truth, never used it, relying instead on firsthand accounts from people I know and trust. One student’s savior appears to be another student’s tormentor, and I understand how one maligned grade can deter a student’s perspective of the professor in question.) but ultimately intimate contact is more effective, and not in the “contagions of Intimacy” that some would suggest. The average student will probably do the following in this order: Check RMP, ask friends, then decide.

I believe, as I said before, Open-sourcing your Education process will both make it better for students to learn, and another tool for students to avoid learning, although I believe it reflects better on the former and incredibly minor on the latter. The better one can see the man in front of the class is in fact a man, not some educational homonculus set there by “the administration” who is earnestly trying their best to destroy you, the better the educational process is.

Now, *this* website is another insight to the professor-student relationship, one that I believe is lost on the majority of students. A place such as this, a “Home page Away from Home” in the students eyes could definitely help in their choice in a professor. This is all assuming that I have the grasp of an average student, which I may not…. I have heard such words out of their collective mouths that make me yearn for some sort of Judgement to come down on them. Curse my longing for interwubs and education! Curse it!

]]> By: jbj http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2007/07/22/should-your-grading-patterns-be-public-in-how-much-detail/#comment-378 jbj Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:03:50 +0000 http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2007/07/22/should-your-grading-patterns-be-public-in-how-much-detail/#comment-378 Thanks, Chuck! Alex--not just *some* punk student--surely the definitive punk student, right? ;-) So, in your view, students do look up professors' home pages? Thanks, Chuck!

Alex–not just *some* punk student–surely the definitive punk student, right? ;-)

So, in your view, students do look up professors’ home pages?

]]> By: Alex http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2007/07/22/should-your-grading-patterns-be-public-in-how-much-detail/#comment-377 Alex Mon, 23 Jul 2007 16:41:51 +0000 http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2007/07/22/should-your-grading-patterns-be-public-in-how-much-detail/#comment-377 As a student, this is a sort of tricky field from my perspective. of course, the average student would Use this in the same way that they use RateMyProfessor- they want to "MetaGame" the school experience, maneuvering their way through school with as little as resistance as possible. At the same time, "Open Sourcing" this aspect of your education can ( as chuck said) Communicate your professionalism. Then Again, I am just some punk student. As a student, this is a sort of tricky field from my perspective. of course, the average student would Use this in the same way that they use RateMyProfessor- they want to “MetaGame” the school experience, maneuvering their way through school with as little as resistance as possible. At the same time, “Open Sourcing” this aspect of your education can ( as chuck said) Communicate your professionalism. Then Again, I am just some punk student.

]]> By: Chuck http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2007/07/22/should-your-grading-patterns-be-public-in-how-much-detail/#comment-374 Chuck Mon, 23 Jul 2007 14:08:42 +0000 http://www.jbj.wordherders.net/2007/07/22/should-your-grading-patterns-be-public-in-how-much-detail/#comment-374 I don't see why this information shouldn't be made public. Like you, of course, I was a Brittain Fellow, and my grading history certainly never caused me any specific problems. I also found that most of my students were well-informed about me as an instructor, in part because my grading history was public knowledge. In fact, I think posting this information can work to communicate your professionalism as an instructor to post this information. I don’t see why this information shouldn’t be made public. Like you, of course, I was a Brittain Fellow, and my grading history certainly never caused me any specific problems. I also found that most of my students were well-informed about me as an instructor, in part because my grading history was public knowledge.

In fact, I think posting this information can work to communicate your professionalism as an instructor to post this information.

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