Course standards needed
Issue date: 8/24/07 Section: Opinion
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In the first week of classes, many students experience an unbalanced enlightenment: they discover their 100-level general education classes will be more difficult than tailored, upper-end courses. Even worse, some students may discover their 300-level classes are immensely challenging, yet their necessary knowledge base from introductory courses is inadequate.
For an education that spans four or more years and includes a mix of the two basic course levels, an imbalance between class levels is an important area to address.
To us, the unevenness between classes seems like a problem of standards. Is there a standard of curriculum that must be met in each department, or does it vary by teacher, by class, by course level? Can an entire university create a set of learning expectations that applies to every area of study? Are teachers only responsible for getting through a textbook in their preferred manner?
We at the WC feel there is no guarantee of learning unless a set of consistent standards is established. Our educational expectations challenge the idea that in a 100-level course, there are teachers known for making the material exceptionally difficult while others make learning seem effortless. We recognize and respect the different background and teaching style of every instructor, yet we call for a level of instructional standardization that will ensure students can learn and remember the information they need for high-end courses.
With the knowledge that syllabi must be turned in ahead of time, it seems other methods may be necessary to endow each student with the knowledge base he or she needs. Perhaps individual departments need to use the same set of exams in each class; the creation of such tests would encourage teachers to distinguish which information is the most foundational for a higher education. By encompassing a limited amount of material in this way, there is a greater guarantee students will understand and remember the basics.
For an education that spans four or more years and includes a mix of the two basic course levels, an imbalance between class levels is an important area to address.
To us, the unevenness between classes seems like a problem of standards. Is there a standard of curriculum that must be met in each department, or does it vary by teacher, by class, by course level? Can an entire university create a set of learning expectations that applies to every area of study? Are teachers only responsible for getting through a textbook in their preferred manner?
We at the WC feel there is no guarantee of learning unless a set of consistent standards is established. Our educational expectations challenge the idea that in a 100-level course, there are teachers known for making the material exceptionally difficult while others make learning seem effortless. We recognize and respect the different background and teaching style of every instructor, yet we call for a level of instructional standardization that will ensure students can learn and remember the information they need for high-end courses.
With the knowledge that syllabi must be turned in ahead of time, it seems other methods may be necessary to endow each student with the knowledge base he or she needs. Perhaps individual departments need to use the same set of exams in each class; the creation of such tests would encourage teachers to distinguish which information is the most foundational for a higher education. By encompassing a limited amount of material in this way, there is a greater guarantee students will understand and remember the basics.
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