Re: Attention Experienced Professionals

From: Daniel Morgan <damorgan_at_x.washington.edu>
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 19:15:38 -0700
Message-ID: <1097720224.593786@yasure>

--CELKO-- wrote:

>>>I even explained how to post in newsgroups (identify yourself as a

>
> student, show the work you've done so far, and ask for advice, not
> answers). The final was given as "no collaboration". <<
>
> That I like! Actually set up rules for it.
>
>

>>>I too give all tests, midterm and final, as take home. And I too

>
> allow collaboration. As close to the real-world as possible. Open
> book, open internet, open brain. <<
>
> The problem is that it is someone else's book, internet and brain.
> How do you access the student himself? "John is a moron, but he is so
> much bigger than the other students that he can bully them into doing
> his work for him." or "John can hack into files and change his grade
> better than anyone on campus" or what?
>
> I taught at a now-defunct school in Los Angeles years ago. I gave
> each student a customized multiple choice exams in class -- easy
> enough to create with a computer even in the old days. Then I let
> them copy off of each other in class :)
>
> I just left a start-up for-profit school in Salt Lake City which
> starts students working on projects in teams from the beginning. It
> is too early to report on how well this approach is working, versus
> traditional teaching methods.

My students are all 35+ years old. All have a BA or BS degree minimum. Almost all have 10+ years of experience. And 75+% are in industry doing the job albeit sometimes poorly. They need to learn the skills necessary to do the job and do it well.

If they learn that by collaborating or doing research that's great. The model I follow is the same one used in medical schools and law schools to train professionals. Often answers come from research. No one, not even Joe Celko and Tom Kyte have all the answers at the end of their finger. But both of you certainly know who to call and how to look it up.

-- 
Daniel A. Morgan
University of Washington
damorgan_at_x.washington.edu
(replace 'x' with 'u' to respond)

Received on Wed Oct 13 2004 - 21:15:38 CDT