Monday, February 16, 2015

Education as Selection, Not Instruction

If this idea on education is right, it has profound implications for what should go on in a classroom and between teachers and students. And regarding passing and failing. Our schools are not engaging in selection, but are trying to make sure that everyone survives. But in doing so, the herd immunity is weakened over time, and the population becomes weaker and weaker and weaker. Less and less learning occurs.

This is an idea that needs fleshing out. I read it and the sudden truth of it hit me like a ton of bricks.

3 comments:

English101 said...

This relationship between students and teachers can also be clearly seen on the p. 5 passage in Arum and Roksa (http://books.google.com/books/about/Academically_Adrift.html?id=A2lxFH5cgukC), in which an unspoken (spontaneous?) order emerges whereby the two parties agree not to hurt each other in hopes of each "surviving"--quite sad.

Troy Camplin said...

You should share more details. I'd be interested to see what you're talking about with your views on it.

Troy Camplin said...

And yes, that is a spontaneous order -- but not all spontaneous orders are good. There are perverse spontaneous orders. The one that has emerged where professors make life easier for students in exchange for not being harassed by the students and administrators is a prime example.