This probably isn't too suprising, since they have been given a summer to forget everything. An early quiz is a good wake-up call.

I wonder, how many of the students had some kind of internship over the summer? Perhaps they retained the material better. (or perhaps they forgot it all, if they discovered they don't need the 'book material' in the 'real world' )

- Jeff
Jeff Veneziano | 09.26.07 - 12:56 am | #

The question is how they would have done before. I would be surprised if it were much different. Perhaps you misjudged earlier. It is really the changes that are significant.
Lord | 09.24.07 - 2:44 pm | #

Thanks for all the advice. But I was a bit surprised at the immediate assumption as to how I "teach".

But fear not - I'm very explicit about my expectations for my students, and make a lot of resources available for them to get assistance. In fact, I probably work harder on my teaching (and yes, I understand the difference between teaching and lecturing) than most of my peers - likely to the point where I overinvest in it to the detriment of my research.

But unfortunately, the sad reality is that many of them have been given credit in the past for substandard grasp of the material. So, they often come to class with an inflated sense of their own competence.

In the intro course, they are "competing" against a pretty mixed bunch, including many who ahve a hard time with math and accounting (mostly, but not only, the Management and MArketing majors). As a result, they see grades that are inflated due to a substantial curve.

When they get to my class, they're in an upper-level finance course. So, it's a much higher standard. Consequently, many are a bit shocked. I try to be as explicit as possible the first day of class exactly whtr my expectations are, but many don't take it seriously until the first quiz/exam/problem set.

It's not a problem limited to my classes. I have a pretty large circle of friends in the field at a wide range of colleges (from teaching heavy to top R! level schools). When I go to a conference, I hear similar views from most of them.
Unknown Professor | Homepage | 09.24.07 - 12:33 pm | #

Are you actually teaching or are you
lecturing? Don't play "catch me".
Assist your students. Enable them so that they may find success.
Rupert | 09.22.07 - 1:50 pm | #