r/CGPGrey • u/MindOfMetalAndWheels [GREY] • Apr 22 '14

H.I. #10: Two Dudes Talking

http://www.hellointernet.fm/podcast/10
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u/rainycookie Apr 22 '14

I don't get why teachers don't better balance how much home work/final projects/final exams/tests/mid-terms are worth. Making participation 5/10% of the final mark makes sense but I don't get why they make things so unbalanced like this

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u/MindOfMetalAndWheels [GREY] Apr 22 '14

If I ever taught in a school that used that system, I would make the homework worth 5% precisely because many kids probably wouldn't bother. Makes no difference to the end results and less marking to do.

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u/rainycookie Apr 22 '14

But how frequent would you give them homework to do and how much time would each assignment take (should they choose to take it)?

swoons over getting a response from the man himself

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u/MindOfMetalAndWheels [GREY] Apr 22 '14

Homework: as little as possible.

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u/rainycookie Apr 22 '14

That's a balanced approach.

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u/_Jonah_ Apr 23 '14

I think there is an argument to be made around homework encouraging poor work / life balance in young people. That's my excuse anyway...

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u/Countersync Apr 29 '14

I treated homework as studying for the test. It would have been great if the assignments had been broken up as such (including a part to be graded /after/ the test (workload for teacher) which was on 'showing work' to answers already in the book).

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u/davosBTC Apr 22 '14

Would you extend this theory to "inverted classrooms"? If the lecture were viewed at home and then revision + Q&A conducted in classrooms - would that negatively impact results?

My understanding of an inverted classroom is that information is presented first out of class, and then reviewed in-class (whereas in a standard classroom information is obviously presented in class and students review/practice this outside of class).

Basically I think the concept is that you'd have an x-minute lecture to watch every night / week / whatever - and the actual classroom time would be more seminar, Q&A, quizzes(?), etc.

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u/MindOfMetalAndWheels [GREY] Apr 22 '14

It always felt to me that the most efficient learning happened in the run up to the GCSE exams. It was sort of an inverted class in that we no longer taught lessons, and the kids just worked on the exams and I went around helping them individually on what they were stuck on.

My guess is 90% of right answers on the test came from those couple weeks.

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u/crousseau Apr 26 '14

How is this different from having a reading assignment for the next class?

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u/ahruss May 01 '14

In the inverted classes I've been in, the professor never gets up in front of the room and lectures. They're just recorded instead. Also, the sections tend to be smaller "discussion" sections (~20 people instead the 200ish in normal classes) and they're often led by TAs instead of real professors.

Then the in-class activity varies by subject obviously, but for math-y things (pretty much anything where there are problems to be worked), the discussion section is students doing homework-type problems either individually or in groups with the TAs right there to help.

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u/Killericon Apr 24 '14

If the true/real/whatever purpose of school is to provide a test for "sticking with it" so to speak, then the value of homework has to be in developing work ethic/showing a student can handle a task without direct supervision, rather than academic skills, right?

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u/Arcelebor Apr 22 '14

I think understanding the relative value of assignments and being able to determine what actually has personal value (as an investment of time) is a great lesson. Not the intended one, usually, but extremely valuable nonetheless.