So How's That Open Curriculum going

mpnsoft
Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:21:22 +0000

Based on the available data, it would seem that Amherst has both a low number of math/science majors (at least relative to other top LACs), and relative disinterest in math/science among the humanities majors.



Isn’t your use of the word “disinterest” an assumption based on the stats? For instance, Amherst doesn’t award credit for A.P.’s. Do you know which kids took A.P. Calculus and A.P. Chemistry in High School and decided that now they’d devote the fleeting time they have at Amherst to other pursuits? And is that inherently bad? These are very bright kids – many of whom will educate themselves in a variety of subjects.

Jessica got a 5 on the A.P. Physics test. Suppose she doesn’t take any additional Physics courses at Amherst. Your #’s only tell us that she didn’t take the course at Amherst – not whether she’s using the open curriculum concept as a crutch. In fact, I think that looking at students who chose to go to Amherst through the lens provided by these numbers simply leaves us with a skewed view of the school and tells us little about how knowledgeable students actually are in a variety of disciplines.

Most of the adults I know don’t retain the information they don’t use. In the remote past, I learned Spanish, lived in Guadalajara, Mexico, and spoke the language. Now, I barely remember a word. If you force a student to take a math course for the sake of providing a broader education… and the student never uses the knowledge and can’t help his or her own kids with their homework in that subject years later… precisely what have you achieved? (Of course, if you can get students excited about classes outside their comfort zones, that’s a different story.)

Regardless, I was simply providing my own experience and that of my daughters.