If STEM subjects are taught like Jiu-jitsu...

[genecop]

Stem?

 

[Zanatos333]

S.cience
T.echnology
E.ngineering
M.ath

 

[Jesus X]

 

[icemanliddell]

Haha, even professors make teaching a part time job.

That's why I advocate online education. Not to diss the traditional model, but for me, learning online is much better and cheaper. Universities could reach out more students at a small investment. I also took a short college algebra course at Arizona State U and I'm starting to enjoy algebra.

The only problem is the accreditation. I doubt if employers would find certificates acceptable even if it comes from Harvard (but I will take it anyway). But my aim is to create my own business someday so who knows what sort of projects I could create and sell in four years. Another thing is, could a self-taught student learning online pass an engineering, or accountancy board?

The subject that I'm taking...and in fact finished is CS50. I'm now taking up MIT 6.00x at edx.org.

Oh yeah. CS50 seems popular in Arab countries. I've seen lots of students in FB proudly display their certificates. Good for them, but it feels odd that a lot of those who finish come from there, perhaps outnumbering American students.

 

[loyalyolayal]

I beg to differ.

@MadSquabbles500 teaching position at STEM fields is cutthroat. It's how many relevant books you've written, not how many cawks you've sucked. Although the latter doesn't hurt.

 

[BJ@LW&WW]

The number of engineers who drop out is very high. I hear the same about nursing but that is pretty far away from my field. My point was more that the people dropping out of engineering probably didn't belong there in the first place. I know plenty of people who went into engineering as a default choice. I don't know of one who graduated with an engineering degree. I think we do a poor job of guiding students in high school. Everyone being pushed into college is a bad idea. I think that is part of the reason why drop out rates are so high in stem fields. If you are doing something you are unsure about, you will give it up once you feel resistance.



Lectures are a necessity once you get to upper level undergraduate work. The source material doesn't even attempt to cover everything a lecture would. There are enormous gaps in the material that need to be filled in or derived. I can only speak for physics classes so maybe its different in different fields. Getting through a standard calculus based physics class that covers intro mechanics and intro e&m with no lectures should be relatively easy for bright students. Getting through quantum mechanics and e&m without lectures is almost impossible. I get nervous if I'm teaching a class and no student ask questions, it usually means they have no clue about what is going on. The really smart students ask questions all time and they are usually really difficult to answer.

Another reason they get payed well is that they can simply go outside the university system and get payed well. They have real skills. You hear English professors complain all the time about how much they get payed compared to professors in stem or business. They complain because they don't understand basic economics.

for me the idea of 'not belonging' to a major and the source material being too difficult is not really mutually exclusive though, and the 'not belonging' part is kind of hard to determine (other than the fact that the person couldnt cut it.)

In my engineering major, i only went to classes when they were required or when i had a specific issue and did fine. maybe is different for physics, but if it is, i can only imagine that means the source material needs to be improved.

Haha, even professors make teaching a part time job.

That's why I advocate online education.

i actually like the idea of online courses as well, but I think tests/quizzes still need to be administered in person on a regular basis. and i think a qualified 'lecturer' should be made available to chat online with about any questions as well.

 

[icemanliddell]

for me the idea of 'not belonging' to a major and the source material being too difficult is not really mutually exclusive though, and the 'not belonging' part is kind of hard to determine (other than the fact that the person couldnt cut it.)

In my engineering major, i only went to classes when they were required or when i had a specific issue and did fine. maybe is different for physics, but if it is, i can only imagine that means the source material needs to be improved.


i actually like the idea of online courses as well, but I think tests/quizzes still need to be administered in person on a regular basis. and i think a qualified 'lecturer' should be made available to chat online with about any questions as well.

Oh, and add tougher exercises to gain more accreditation.