Nearly all my professors are Democrats.Isn't that a problem?

[Chazwozel]

But that's not what I was asking about. Research profs and grad students I can see as making some sense. I was asking, why make research profs teach undergrad level 100 or level 200 courses when they aren't good teachers and the majority of students in the class are there because it's required core curriculum and couldn't care less about the actual subject matter?

You're making sweeping generalizations that make your question impossible to answer (the bolded part). If you really wanted answers, you wouldn't use biased language like you did.

No. I'm asking a question about a practice that is in effect. Research profs aren't limited to teaching exclusively graduate students. Chaz's answer was "Research profs don't have to be good teachers because grad students are supposed to figure it out on their own." So it's already been accepted by both sides that many research profs aren't cut out for teaching.

Just because two people had bad experiences, doesn't count as definitive proof.

You know that though. :tongue:

Oh it wasn't a bad experience on my part at all.

And I think I had only one graduate class where I didn't like the professors (Immunology) but that was because the course was really disorganized with a new person teaching a new section almost every day. Every other class I've had the profs were great and LOVED to talk about science and help you get to the bottom of questions. They just don't spoon feed you answers like undergrad ones do.

 

[GasBandit]

But that's not what I was asking about. Research profs and grad students I can see as making some sense. I was asking, why make research profs teach undergrad level 100 or level 200 courses when they aren't good teachers and the majority of students in the class are there because it's required core curriculum and couldn't care less about the actual subject matter?

You're making sweeping generalizations that make your question impossible to answer (the bolded part). If you really wanted answers, you wouldn't use biased language like you did.

No. I'm asking a question about a practice that is in effect. Research profs aren't limited to teaching exclusively graduate students. Chaz's answer was "Research profs don't have to be good teachers because grad students are supposed to figure it out on their own." So it's already been accepted by both sides that many research profs aren't cut out for teaching.

To say all research profs are bad teachers is really stupid, first of all. I only gave you that example of my professor as a way to show you why it could be misunderstood that they're bad teachers.

Which is why I used the word "many" instead of "all."

Secondly, I don't know of many primary research profs that teach undergrad.

Heck, I got 2 my freshman year alone. My calculus prof was verbally absolutely unintelligible and wrote equations with one hand while erasing them with his other... taking notes was like trying to read tickertape being directly fed into a shredder.

Also, this discussion got me interested in looking up other things about it, and I found this paper debating the merits of institutional research on undergraduate teaching, referencing studies that show that while it sounds good in theory, it doesn't happen to be beneficial much in practice (but that doesn't stop them from trying it).

 

[Le Quack]

I dont even think it would even be "many." Seem to me more like "a few" or "some"

 

[Krisken]

Words like "many" are used to support arguments that have no basis in fact. It's so subjective, there's really no value in it.

 

[Covar]

both of my Discrete Math teachers were primarily research based. One was absolutely horrible as a teacher, the other was fantastic. I'd also be willing to bet that a good majority of my teachers who had English as a second language were brought on for research. Well I hope so anyway.

 

The problem is, most schools don't grade their professors on their teaching abilities because it all hinges on student performance. Say a professor is a shitty teacher but his (and I'm using the male form as a frame of reference not a sexist term) class does well grade-wise. This could be because he's an easy grader or because the students learned in spite of his actual teaching ability. The university merely sees the final GPA and goes by that and the professor's research.

Passing students with good grades in *most* universities looks better for the school and thus the professor.

 

[Chazwozel]

The problem is, most schools don't grade their professors on their teaching abilities because it all hinges on student performance. Say a professor is a shitty teacher but his (and I'm using the male form as a frame of reference not a sexist term) class does well grade-wise. This could be because he's an easy grader or because the students learned in spite of his actual teaching ability. The university merely sees the final GPA and goes by that and the professor's research.

Passing students with good grades in *most* universities looks better for the school and thus the professor.

I disagree. In both undergrad and grad, we evaluated our profs and the university took it pretty seriously.

 

[Adam]

My economics professor wrote a book called "The Rise and Fall of the American Empire" yet he managed to keep his politics checked at the door. That said, economics isn't exactly a liberal-leaning philosophy.

 

[Krisken]

My economics professor wrote a book called "The Rise and Fall of the American Empire" yet he managed to keep his politics checked at the door. That said, economics isn't exactly a liberal-leaning philosophy.

:uhhuh: Yup, Economics and Ethics will always be at war.

 

[JCM]

It's always interesting to me that EVERY side thinks theirs is the open minded side and that the other is closed minded, when in fact they have the same basic methodology in attempting to further their causes and beliefs. The problem is that when someone has a different view on the same subject using the same data it is difficult to reconcile yourself to the differences. Things like statistics on abortion or the death penalty are numerous and anyone can get them, yet there is a political and social divide that will never be crossed by those on opposing sides - with neither side able to give an inch on their platform or belief.

In the end it's not how well you teach or talk but how you practice and act that gives an idea of your true ideals.

This.

To be a teacher one must only teach, direct the debate and never give his own opinion, not only to allow students to form their opinions on their own, but because its impossible to give an unbiased view.

Heck, Im a centrist, every damn test of political siding shoves me squat in the middle, yet Im damn biased towards many things, imagine someone on the left and right.