“Tucked into the second page of the syllabus was information about a locker number and its combination. Inside was a $50 bill, which went unclaimed.” It’s a story of life in college: “Professor Put Clues to a Cash Prize in His Syllabus. No One Noticed” (The New York Times).
And the syllabus was only three pages long.
A funny, sad story, but I have to question the word clues in the headline. Merriam-Webster:
something that guides through an intricate procedure or maze of difficultiesIf you tell someone looking for 123 Main Street to seek the source of acorns, you’ve given a clue. But if you tell that person to turn right on Oak, left on Main, and go two blocks, you’ve given directions, not a clue. The syllabus gave students all that was needed to get the money: a locker number and a combination. Directions, information, not a clue.
specifically : a piece of evidence that leads one toward the solution of a problem
Thanks, Elaine.
[Anyone in academic life should recognize RTFS.]
comments: 4
The professor claims that he can't duplicate this. He's missing an opportunity. He could place the "clues" in any material he provides to students. I think his students will scour his materials.
That’d be an interesting experiment. I can imagine someone racing from the room after he passes out copies of an assignment.
I wonder if they'd have found the directions even if they were on the first page...
--Frex = Fresca
Perhaps if the instructor had read the whole damn thing aloud, word by word, as too many instructors do.
Post a Comment