Tuesday, September 25, 2018

“Not gonna do it”

Julie Schumacher, author of Dear Committee Members and a new academic satire, The Shakespeare Requirement, in an interview with The Chronicle of Higher Education:

“At Minnesota we’re supposed to be using Moodle or Canvas or something with our students, and I announce on Day 1: ‘Not gonna do it. If you guys want to know what the assignment is, come to class. I’m going to write it on the chalkboard right here in front of you.’”
A related post
“Such is the future of education” (A passage from Dear Committee Members)

[Alas, the interview is behind a paywall.]

comments: 4

Frex said...

"I’m going to write it on the chalkboard right here in front of you.’"

I thought, Is that allowed? :)

Michael Leddy said...

Only if the room still has a chalkboard. (Or “blackboard,” as I’d say.)

I dunno — I gave out assignments on typed pages with reading questions and background info. Writing (titles? page numbers?) on the board? Pretty foreign to me. But different strokes.

Frex said...

I'd say blackboard too. They were pretty rare even when I went back to college in 1993, except in science classrooms.

I truly wonder if profs are REQUIRED to use the online programs.

Michael Leddy said...

Adjunct faculty would have very little choice if it’s expected. A tenured prof, on the other hand, might decline.