TIME.com: A Yale lecture capped at 270 students? And no wireless Internet available? Dial up the anger on the New Haven, Conn., campus. After Alexander Nemerov moved his popular course Introduction to the History of Art: Renaissance to the Present from the Yale Law School auditorium that easily fit about 450 students to the more cramped Yale Art Gallery auditorium, he not only upset some students and alumni by capping the class size at 270 because of the smaller venue but also shocked some students who walked into a room devoid of wi-fi or cell service.
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Yale Prof Moves Class to Room Without Wi-Fi. Cue Outrage
TIME.com: A Yale lecture capped at 270 students? And no wireless Internet available? Dial up the anger on the New Haven, Conn., campus. After Alexander Nemerov moved his popular course Introduction to the History of Art: Renaissance to the Present from the Yale Law School auditorium that easily fit about 450 students to the more cramped Yale Art Gallery auditorium, he not only upset some students and alumni by capping the class size at 270 because of the smaller venue but also shocked some students who walked into a room devoid of wi-fi or cell service.
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5 comments:
What a brilliant man. Yes, I admit, I would be peeved if I had a classroom in which I had no connection to the technological world, but that also upsets me. I hate to think that our generation has become so attached to our electronic possessions that we can't go one hour without feeling lost without them. In a class where art is of utter focus, it makes complete sense for the students to need to focus on the projections and not down at their devices. Sometimes a little hard love is good for a person...or student.
To me, a 270-person lecture about intro to art history, in a darker room, with no internet sounds like naptime... Seriously though, in my mind, chopping a lecture capacity in half just so that a room could be darker seems extremely detrimental to a lot of students for whom Intro to Art History is a required class. Even beyond that, I personally feel that it is the student's prerogative whether to pay attention in a given class or not. Theoretically, we are all adults, and understand the consequences of not paying attention in class. I also take issue with needing to "see the artwork clearly." People are going to need to look at the works more than once, if not to further appreciate it, then certainly to study for exams. In that case they will probably look at it on their laptop or device anyway...So I'm not sure what is gained by forcing 270 people (which is still a HUGE class), to look at a piece of artwork on a projector, rather than on the screen of their own device, where they will probably be able to see it better....
This method of teaching could lead to one of two things for a student in his class: concentration time, or sleep time. I think his intentions are good and his method will be successful, but I don't think the dark room is very conducive to learning, even if it is about art. However, I also think that this kind of environment will make a more defined line when it comes to kids who pay attention in class without access to distractions, and the ones who choose to nod through lectures and fall asleep.
This is great. I'm in another lecture style class this semester where many of my peers heavily use their laptops for outside activities. Last year I was in a class about whose content I didn't care, so I too saw it as valuable time to catch up on email and do paperwork.
The trouble is that the approach isn't useful to anybody, and also devalues the status of having taken a class where a pass means little more than having shown up.
One professor I had last semester took the hardline approach: he locked the door at the start time of the class, and promised us that if he ever saw a phone or a laptop, its user would not be eligible for an A in the class. It seems strict, but since we're choosing to be students, we should avoid distractions ourselves and welcome the prohibition of distractions from our peers.
I can understand a professor wanting his class to pay attention, but a student has to take the responsibilty of paying attention themselves. If they choose to be on facebook etc... and it doesn’t distrupt the teachers lecture, I think they should be allowed to do so. I can’t help but wonder if moving to the other class was for better viewing or because the teacher wouldn’t have to compete with anything else. I also think to make a class that much smaller for that reason is unfortunate for the students who really want that class.
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