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I'm going to go against the grain here and say that the students could very well feel the content they're learning isn't very valuable to them. It is good pedagogy to find ways to get the students invested in what they're learning. For instance, I don't get the soft skills argument since they're probably already doing these things in their general ed and other major specific courses so that it feels like having to give presentations to practice feels redundant.
What's with the confusion? The professor/student dynamic is different from a manager/employee one, let alone a coworker/coworker one. Knowing when to exercise authority is a soft skill, too. The students a being offered an opportunity, and if the professor had the time to motivate them individually by explainng the rationale and appealing to their enlightened self-interest, I suspect he could. However - that's not the best use of his time.
He is doing them a huge favor by not teaching a subject that requires practice by books and note-taking. And if they feel that the effort needed to actually become good at presentations is beneath them, he's also doing them a favor by not letting them get away with that.
I'm going to go against the grain here and say that the students could very well feel the content they're learning isn't very valuable to them. It is good pedagogy to find ways to get the students invested in what they're learning. For instance, I don't get the soft skills argument since they're probably already doing these things in their general ed and other major specific courses so that it feels like having to give presentations to practice feels redundant.
Well, then - easy A. But that's a rare complaint, isn't it?
What's with the confusion? The professor/student dynamic is different from a manager/employee one, let alone a coworker/coworker one. Knowing when to exercise authority is a soft skill, too. The students a being offered an opportunity, and if the professor had the time to motivate them individually by explainng the rationale and appealing to their enlightened self-interest, I suspect he could. However - that's not the best use of his time.
He is doing them a huge favor by not teaching a subject that requires practice by books and note-taking. And if they feel that the effort needed to actually become good at presentations is beneath them, he's also doing them a favor by not letting them get away with that.
the confusion is that you would on the one hand note how important soft skills are, and on the other saying something like "They need to shut up and soldier"
have you taught in college? i have (albeit as an adjunct, not prof). i think you're wrong. soft skills are important to professors as well, and student preferences do matter
the professor/student dynamic is different from a sergeant/private one
My Grandson told me an interesting story about what happened in one of his classes in college:
He is a business major and is taking a class on Business Communications. (A required class for all business students.)
Anyway, this is an interactive class that involves role playing, case studies, group projects and individual presentations. This really angers the students who believe a college class should be a: lecture, read books, write papers and take tests model. They don't want to get involved in "silly" presentations, role playing exercises, group presentations, etc.
So when the Instructor tries to get volunteers for presentations and role playing the students refuse. They just don't want to do it.
Should the Instructor force them up to the front of the room by saying they will fail the class without participating, or just change the class so it is the: lecture, read books, write papers and take tests model?
No, no begging. He shopuld just give them an "F" for the day. If they don't like it let them drop the class. Of course when they get in the real world, these will be the same employees that **** and moan when they are asked to do something they don't want to do.
the confusion is that you would on the one hand note how important soft skills are, and on the other saying something like "They need to shut up and soldier"
have you taught in college? i have (albeit as an adjunct, not prof). i think you're wrong. soft skills are important to professors as well, and student preferences do matter
the professor/student dynamic is different from a sergeant/private one
I was being slightly (but only slightly) facetious. (And actually, sergeants (and commissioned officers) need serious soft skills as well.)
The subject matter doesn't lend itself well to the "lecture, books, papers, exam" model favored by the students, and if the professor has the time to appeal to them on those grounds, well and good. But eventually it boils down to who has the academic expertise and who doesn't.
I love the "book and lecture" classes and dislike the more practical and/or interactive classes. Why? I have a deficiency in planning and execution, especially if it involves team work. That means I need those classes and experiences to teach me. The classes we dislike the most, are usually the ones we need!
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