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Open, Honest and Humane

Students can teach us how to be more effective teachers. Assignments should be sufficiently challenging without overwhelming the student. For the CS 103 final web-based project, we encourage students to investigate new ways in which computers are being used in their major or intended field. We encourage them to create something they would feel proud to show a potential employer at a job interview. There is always much gnashing of teeth and bitter complaining while students settle on a topic. Yet, once they begin, they become excited and interested. Such a topic forces them to investigate something they perceive as being difficult and therefore gives them a sense of accomplishment when they discover that they can do it. (See sample projects)

Exams and quizzes need be scheduled to provide the students with milestones of their progress. For example, scheduling a quiz so that the student will get it back prior to the drop date for a class can let a student know he or she in trouble before it's too late to rectify the situation.

We should read their final evaluation comments carefully. While we may not agree with their solutions (example: "there should be less work in this class"), they will help us to identify problems (example: students don't know how to tackle and organize their work). Students also vote with their feet. When they stop coming to lectures and labs, it's time for us to buckle down and innovate. Teaching and learning form a complex, "two-way" relationship. Students have expectations of their teachers and teachers have expectations their students. Both have to be open, honest, and humane for this partnership to succeed.

Final Considerations