I would be interested in learning about the weaknesses of the Harkness format for teaching. For example, is it a disadvantage for students to transition to large lecture based classes in college? When I visited Exeter, I wasn’t very impressed with the actual transfer of knowledge during the class and felt like there would be a lot of reading/self-directed learning afterwards. Yes, this is good because it teaches kids how to teach themselves, but there must be a role for a teacher to teach something rather than introduce topics for discussion.
Is there a type of student that would simply be better in a lecture hall? Perhaps the shy, quiet type? Or is that the type that benefits most from Harkness and the eager to participate student might be better off listening intently to instruction?
At the Exeter revisit day, they made it seem like Harkness was the best way for teaching for every student. Not sure about this though.
I do think Harkness is suitable for every student on humanity subjects. But teaching math such as Calculus BC is another story. I was told that it was very inefficient.
I can’t speak to “actual” Harkness but my kid’s school just switched to “Exeter math” which is based on Harkness. My kid is NOT impressed. Math is not her strong suit so teaching herself is not very effective. To each his own. I can see how it might work in a humanities course, but math is based on hard facts and specific methods… So if a kid is lost, I can’t see how they could ever “get” it this way. given that math is a sequential subject, I foresee problems in later years becoming more difficult to recover from.
I fully admit I may not understand the process, but based on what I have read and from reading comments on CC over the years, my opinion is that this method is not well-suited for math.
I’ve read that Exeter has found its students outperform on the math portion of the SAT, when compared to predictions based on the incoming SSAT scores.
This is a question about weakness, but just a note that the math at Exeter is not really about teaching yourself (though it for sure is not a top-down method of delivery)–that sounds like an execution problem more than a Harkness problem.
I think that Harkness is not suited for quiet students who genuinely prefer to sit back and take in knowledge from a teacher, rather than actively participate in class. There are shy kids who appreciate the way Harkness forced them out of their shells, but there are others who don’t ever grow to like it and argue that they just learn to play a role that doesn’t reflect who they really are (they often then make the logical leap then that everyone is faking it just as they are, which I think is untrue). Every year, someone will publish a blog or and Exonian article about why they hated Harkness, and that personality type always seems to be at the root of the problem.
In a perfect world, with everyone actively engaged and prepared for class, no domineering or shy students, and a teacher that can and will redirect as needed, Harkness can be great. But many classes have their “Harkness Warriors” who dominate discussions and talk over other students. Not all teachers are good at reining them in.
It may be that the Exeter kids score better on the math SAT, but if you are used to a teaching method where a rule is explained after which practice problems are done to illustrate the rules taught, I think it can be hard to start with the problem and work out things from there in a group discussion setting… maybe if you are trained in Harkness from the start, then it might be easier.
I think that Harkness relies heavily on self teaching - almost like the lecture is happening outside the classroom (in the form of reading) and the class is simply discussion of some of the more interesting or complex concepts. I think that you need to be very gifted in Math to succeed in and benefit from Harkness style teaching for this particular subject.
Son is going to Exeter. That was the major decision on this Spring Break in New England. I don’t know if there is a perfect school for him out there, but Exeter is pretty close. I have a few concerns because I worry all the time and second guess decisions all the time.
At this point, we are committed and I would try to make the best of any potential weaknesses identified at Exeter.
Okay I know this is getting away from the focus on weaknesses, but, ack!-- I strongly disagree with the idea that Harkness is not good for math. My kid hated math before Harkness. His PSAT’s were okay but placed him in the second lowest course available at Exeter–and for a while there, it looked like that might have been a leap. While he spent a LOT of time learning how to do math Harkness style at first, by second trimester, it all clicked and his math confidence rose tremendously. In fact, his all time favorite teacher at Exeter was a math teacher While he remained a humanities oriented kid throughout his time at Exeter, he took math through calculus and loved it, and is now pretty fearless about jumping into college math and economics.
And as far as the best students go…well, there’s a reason why Exeter has a rep. for being a mathy school. The math curriculum was carefully developed by Exeter math teachers specifically for Harkness. For my student, spending some serious time on 8 word problems every night was far more interesting than doing every fourth problem in his math book lesson as assigned in middle school. The way they sequence math and build on previous understanding is brilliant. Exeter teaches kids to think mathematically.
An important part of learning not often appreciated, is doing things that you are unfamiliar with or uncomfortable. That’s where real experience happens. Thinking mathematically requires problem solving and self reliance. My daughter is currently learning that… it’s very cool.