dunroving

Actually, I quite like that system as it allows you to put together select chapters from different books, to create a text that ties in exactly with the course you are teaching. It means you (or rather, the students) aren't paying for 15 chapters when they only need 10 of them.

I only use about 50% of my own textbook when I teach the undergrad stats class, because 50% of it isn't relevant for the course I am teaching. Of course, that doesn't do much for my royalties!

rebs

Fair enough... but what about 'reading around the subject'? just because it is not directly taught on the course, might it not have some merit?

It just seemed to me to be part and parcel of the whole limited attention span thing...

SultanOfSwing

It would probably help if university text books didn't cost £7,346,987.50

I usually just got the text books from the library at uni but I did read them beyond what I needed them for usually, since I had them for a while. Chemistry In Context for A-levels though, I read that one cover to cover.

dunroving

Yes, I think it depends on the extent to which you expand the boundary between "targeted learning" (only having to learn what's needed to pass the exam, or for your professional goals) and broader principles of the underlying discipline. In this case, there are several chapters in the book that have no relevance at all (not even broadly) to the applications the students will need.

Believe me, I am more "old school" (learning for learning's sake) and struggle every day with the compromises that are being forced on education, either by successive governments and poncey decision-makers, or changes in society in general.

On my bad days I come home from work convinced the world is going to Hell in a hand-cart. Bloody Twatter, Fartbook, and t'interWeb is turning people's brains to mush.

SultanOfSwing

Except for BE. You get a better class of poster on here

Actually, there are quite a lot of well-educated bods (and well read laymen like myself, if I may say so) on here. It is, other than maybe astronomy.com, one of the more informed forums I venture on to.

Arsebook and twatter though, I'm right with you there.

jibsymalone

The current generation in education, I find, does not seem to retain much of anything. They are so reliant on computers and Google it is almost scary. My nieces and nephews are usually shocked i can do basic math in my head, without a calculator/phone/computer

Sally Redux

Totally different approach now. My kids shock me all the time with lack of basic knowledge. Then again my daughter is doing far harder maths than I ever did.

jibsymalone

But what would they ever do if all this technology went away?

Hotscot

When civilization collapses I'll be over here making Scotch...

Sally Redux

They are funny. The girls don't even use a mirror - take a picture of themselves instead.

jibsymalone

Please send me an invite!

Hotscot

There are certain people here who automatically get an invite.

I don't care about the brightest, just the best

SultanOfSwing

If civilisation collapses, I'll be off looking for Daryl ...

Hotscot

SultanOfSwing

Christ, the governor was a twunt, wasn't he?