‘ are?" _ ' if v " k The UPEI SUN, September» 27, 1979. page 5,

"human AND -: LEARNED ,

By Ann Higdon

IT’S EARLY IN TﬂE MORNING, AND THE SUN DANCES ‘L Of course, there are several arguments against AROUND TALL, LANKY YOUTES OPENING THE DOOR To THE the case that the need for marks is overshadowing WAREHOUSE.. THERE, SITTING 0N WOODEN BENCHES FOR ‘ the quest for knowledge in today’s university student. HOURsioN END, THEY INDULGE IN THE, THEN pRECIOUS,‘ \ One of these defences is the idea that marks and HOBBY OF LEARNING AND PQNDERING FOR THE SHEER FEELING knowledge go hand in hand. Well, the school system

did start with the good intentions of measuring knowledge in students by assigned points (or marks) for each bit of imformation learned.. However, there is a loophole in it, in such a way that students

need only submit a certain amount of what is to be .graded to memory although marks measure, to a certain extent, the capacity of learning in a student, they should not dominate the priority of knowledge.

OF ENLIGHTENMENT . . .

The above paragraph describes the values of knowledge and university life in the Greek and \ Roman Era at Athens under the guidance of such great ones as Plato, Aristotle , and Socrates. .

Back then, students could go to university as long

as their reasons were of an intellectual and inquisitive nature. Now, however, the idea of

learning for learning’s sake is slowly becoming

lost behind the scenes as the glamour of important, rewarding, high. paying jobs puts the campus into 'study the re uisite courses in a ro am, let alone Canada 5 economic SPOtllght' ‘The pressure is being other interegting subjects not neiesSZrily connected Put on Students to aPPear at convocation With high ‘ with the student’s goal. This is a fairly valid mark? and a 500d worklng knowledge 0f their reason except for the instance that learning Spe°1a}ty‘ Uhf0r?“93t31Y:markS and a thoaough should never be considered a waste of time or money educatlon do not 'walk down the same road as regardless of the importance of theematerial.

sometimes one can be achieved with only a little Although. students may (excuse me, change that to,

Another controversy arises over the fact that it is expersive enough (tuition fees and texts)

assistance from the other. Thus leaving several will probably. . . ) graduate and have no success factors'responsible for'the disturbed equilibrium in obtaining the right employment, they shouldn’t 0f tOdays univerSity grading SYStem° ; . , Y ' consider their time or money thrown away. If, . . . however, they do, then those people most likely didn’t One of these factors maintains that students‘can enter university with the idea of "enlightenment" no longer afford either the time or money to dabble . and might probably have been more suited to a in the "unrequired" hpmew°rk 0f their chosen-?rea 0f vocationally inclined job even if it is at the expense Study and this does ppt even ineluée SDCh culture' , of broadening their mental scope on the environment. inclined subjects as classics, languages, philosophy ' Finally, the last (hopefully) and probably least

and7or religiOn, all of which serve to put the student*s view of the world.as a whole in better perspective. "When a professor outlines the required work for his course (and the marks;), studentsxare hard put to satisfy their curiosity outside of the requisites.~ Those requirements are followed to the line because they pertain to future courses, graduate school or, again, rewarding employment.

excuse for valuing marks overea stable basis for , knowledge is the face value of the marks themselves. Students feel much happier with themselves if their ‘"report cards" reflect 80’s and 90’s. Of course, this is understandable, as long as the desire for high marks does not overwhelm and crush the number 'one Priority of university education; the valuabie experience of knowledge and possibly wisdom.

It seems that the unemployment issue is ‘

. . . . . To back up this article, I conducted a little affecting univer31t1es 1n such.a way that most ‘

VI . o 'l - o . r . ' . mlnl-poll which cons1sted of repllesfrom seventeen Students enter and graduate Vlth dreams Of hlgh- Students in either Arts, Business, or Science who

£231;§a::rgad gzzgenteiza£20£252ngivig Egielgigh were asked two questions. The first question was ‘ th ht that there was too school students encouragementto go to university. . 'Zﬂiihzi gzsggténtEZst,Zzgcompared to the old_ This is eaSily nOticed by the ObVious faCt thatthere are fashionzd idea of learning for learning’s sake. Sigy SindeDFS'gradPatlpg ind ngt ilgdlgg e:?:l3kenc Out of 17 students, 16 of the answers were affirmative, c .ye an,lncre881n§ num 6? o s ute: S S 1 eep while one was negative (pertaining to the argument uzgtzfgityltzoggghzs:ioggnzmgigzzig fotrgogd marks that marks are in direct proportion to knowledge).

~ ‘ ’ . 7 . ’ Then I dropped the big one. I asked these stu ents ; 5:22? em£%oyers tind to :1:; thimdgstEVIdence :f if they personally paid more attention to the grades infersS¥°faégfnkggzﬁgg§ihg fauitso: tie :c:::: 0 rather than the degree of value of their knowledge.

‘ ' ' , Well out 0t 17 students, 10 replies were :ystem and €mP1°¥ment,trends)- rhe SPudent Shouﬁd affirmative and seven were negative (these students

. . r ‘ sake of knowledge. Although e a ove res .3 whether 1t.;nCludes employment or graduate courses' “ reflects the opinions of a very tiny portion of the 2:: em£h381ihsh9uid Z: takentOf: Ege 3°: market univerSity population, the evidence supports itself.

Pu on e va ua e asse o ow e ge. - ,

So, in summary, one could likely say that students

mérksn and Spend more time becoming very familiar wlth Course work and thus, putting . light on their und¢rstanding. "iybe understanding +hen, could lead to curiosity and a more urgent hunger for knowledge” ‘ I r .I "I . \ / 1 I .- .0 ‘. y» ’ I3 ‘ - é.:.,' a“ . ‘,

AlthouéH'IuniVérSity education does nOt’ in 2' do tend to place more emphasis on grading than HDSt cases’ replace "Praetical’experiencen’ the idea learning. However, after analysing the causes for this that it is imPortant as a baSis for employment mMSt , trend, the fault is found to lay evenly on both, the 30? be neglected‘ Students tend to fall into the sides of the students and the university systems.

hlgh school syndrome" when going through university- ' But putting the blame on each other will not serve Many students find themselves "cramming" fbr teSts’ any Purpose. Therefore, knowing how slow government and term Paﬁérs and afterVreceiVing their grades’ "systems" tend to be, students should personally try gorge? the material they‘Studied (Studying is 3 to improve their flexibility between the pressures of

ecomlng a more general word to inelude memoriZing employment, mark status and "the good ’ode fashion .ior course work.) Almost needlessly, students are ‘vaiues of ejumacashunu.‘

Snoring the-implications, that if they follow the . “guns”! ‘7me Iggagood ! ' igh SChOOl syndrome" method, they will lose much ' ‘ emphasis on understandingécagility in the course. Bng v v , m It would be‘ wise for students to tone dOwn "rush for ,' buns-nine! ' ?" Lice?” / ‘ 2 ___ ?