Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Which project team do YOU want to be a member of?

Most courses nowadays have one or more projects to be done by student teams. Sometimes I assign you to a team. Other times, I let the class divide itself into teams. Which do you prefer your instructor to use? There are pros and cons to each. Assigning you to a group means you'll meet some people you've had little or no contact with, broadening your social skills. Letting you choose a team means you can get with a group that has a schedule compatible with yours, so you can meet easily. I've used both, and lean towards assigning you to a group. When you choose your team members, there's a tendency to pick your friends rather than those who will best complement your own efforts. And it's a lot harder to come down hard on a free rider (someone who doesn't do a fair share of the work) when he or she is your friend.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

What does the old professor do in the summer?

In the summer, I spend a lot of time preparing for my fall courses -- a lot more time than any of my students do, I'm sure. There are so many new developments in marketing that it takes a lot of research to keep up (whereas I don't think Shakespeare has written anything new lately that Literature profs have to bone up on!). And there's the continual flow of new editions of texts, or wholly new texts, that I have to at least skim over. So think of me while you're lying on the beach and I'm in my study at home doing what? Studying.