UNDERGRADUATE ranking based on the student’s environment

[bluebayou]

<p>^^Concur with dstark. :)</p>

[dstark]

<p>:)…</p>

[UCBChemEGrad]

<p>

@tk

But I don’t recall ever experiencing a TA leading a discussion section in my private college. The closest I came to this was in a break-out section where a TA managed the lab activities. Having TAs lead discussions would concern me even more than having TAs lecture on basic introductory material. If it’s a 4th year PhD, he or she might be very good (and of course, a professor has to start somewhere). But if it’s a seminar discussion of some important book or concept, I’d prefer it to be mentored by an experienced professor with a mature perspective.

</p>

<p>Do you understand what a “discussion section” is? In my experience at Berkeley, we had “discussion sections” or “recitation sections” for the larger science, math, engineering, and economics courses. It was lead by a TA and normally was used for homework/problem set discussion. I never had a discussion sections for humanities and social sciences courses…the classes were small (to foster discussion) and led by a full professor.</p>

[tk21769]

<br>

<blockquote>
<p>Do you understand what a “discussion section” is? </p>
</blockquote>

<br>

<p>Well maybe not. I’m glad for the clarification because back in the day, I don’t recall ever using this term. Nearly every class was small enough for q&a if not continual discussion. There wouldn’t have been much need for separate sections to accommodate it.</p>

<p>If TAs are “a feature not a bug”, why does anyone complain about them? </p>

<br>

<blockquote>
<p>I never had a discussion sections for humanities and social sciences courses…the classes were small (to foster discussion) and led by a full professor.</p>
</blockquote>

<br>

<p>What’s “small”? About what would the typical number be for a freshman/entry-level humanities or social science course at Berkeley or other top state university? What I see is data showing fairly high S:F ratios (like 22:1 for Berkeley vs. half that for many private universities). According to Berkeley’s latest CDS, 300 classes have 50-99 students and 251 have 100 or more. Now, it also reports that 1,228 have only 2-9 students. That sounds like a mixed bag to me, though I have no personal experience to put those numbers in perspective. I don’t know how the 1,228 or the 251 are distributed by field and level and what is the impact of these distributions on the average undergraduate’s experience.</p>

<p>Sorry if this is covering old ground.</p>

[lesdiablesbleus]

<p>

@Cuse0507

Dook has slipped up big-time as of late, not advancing far in the tourney and losing repeatedly to its arch-rival. It may be a top 5 program, but it is in no way the best. Even the recruits are recognizing this now, and are thinking twice about Dook (i.e. Harrison Barnes).

Is that why we signed Kyrie Irving, quite possibly the best PG in the country, for 2010 and you guys could only get Kendall Marshall? Harrison Barnes may be the best recruit in the nation but he’s coming to UNC for his one year pitstop in the NCAA before moving on to the NBA at the worst possible time. A senior Kyle Singler will wipe the floor with a freshman Harrison Barnes on any given day.</p>

[Cuse0507]

<p>

Is that why we signed Kyrie Irving, quite possibly the best PG in the country, for 2010 and you guys could only get Kendall Marshall? Harrison Barnes may be the best recruit in the nation but he’s coming to UNC for his one year pitstop in the NCAA before moving on to the NBA at the worst possible time. A senior Kyle Singler will wipe the floor with a freshman Harrison Barnes on any given day.

</p>

<p>Right-go ahead and pretend like Duke didn’t throw everything it had at Harrison Barnes. Coach K was banking on landing Barnes, but Barnes saw the light and chose the school where he has the best chance of winning a national title.</p>

<p>Oh, and I wouldn’t get too cocky about Singler-he hasn’t been able to do much against the Heels yet. We’re used to him, and we’re used to beating him.</p>

[kb10]

<p>

It’s good (if tiresome) to dispel stereotypes. But I don’t recall ever experiencing a TA leading a discussion section in my private college. The closest I came to this was in a break-out section where a TA managed the lab activities. Having TAs lead discussions would concern me even more than having TAs lecture on basic introductory material. If it’s a 4th year PhD, he or she might be very good (and of course, a professor has to start somewhere). But if it’s a seminar discussion of some important book or concept, I’d prefer it to be mentored by an experienced professor with a mature perspective.</p>

<p>At issue is not only the quality of the classroom experience. Also important is the exposure of senior, tenured faculty (people who have a stake in academic decision-making) to the perspectives of young students.</p>

<p>My outlook is influenced by my experiences as an undergraduate in a private college. Classes in the humanities and social sciences there typically focused on the discussion of primary source materials. The teaching tended to be Socratic. One method would be to lead off with a question that had challenged discussions in the past. I think this approach makes for a good learning environment but it depends heavily on small classes, experienced professors, and actively involved students.</p>

<p>If you don’t buy the “Great Books” concept, if you think college classes should focus on introducing students to the latest hot ideas and methods in the field, then in some disciplines a young professor or a 4th year PhD may be as current on these approaches, more “fresh”, than an older tenured professor.

</p>

<p>Can you tell me what school you went to, and what year? Because if you went to college in the last 15 years, this is absolutely BS, and cannot be true, there are PhD students doing teaching at every major research University.</p>