12-26-2012, 12:01 AM
WOW! This is shocking to me. My assumption was that most students, at least in the online environment, were testing out of classes. It is too bad that more aren't taking advantage of this option.
When I was in high school, a long time ago, I took my first computer programming course. At the time, I didn't know the difference between a computer and a microwave. I really had know idea what a computer was used for --- like I said, it was a long time ago. I'd only taken the course because I was afraid of taking trig. I was completely lost in class. The textbook wasn't much help either. Eventually, I went to the library and got another book on programming. I basically used this book to teach myself how to program. I loved it. I spent hours writing programs into notebooks when I was supposed to be learning chemistry, English, etc. I also spent hours debugging code that I had written but wasn't working correctly. My code was too complicated to ask for help from the teacher, so I had no choice but to solve the problems myself. This was real learning. I've now been working as a software developer for over 30 years.
It was later in life that realized I could learn anything like I had learned how to program. I didn't need to sit in a classroom and listen to a teacher lecturing in order to learn. Based on my own personal experience, I find learning on my own is far more effective. It is the students who need a teacher to walk them through the learning process who are really shorting themselves. They have to sit through material they already know as the teacher tries to get all the students on the same page. They need to sit through instruction aimed at the middle of the class even if they could go quicker (or need to go slower). If the instructor mentions something they find interesting there is no guarantee the instructor can go into details because of time constraints. When you struggle with something and are eventually able to figure out the answer on your own, you will remember it forever. Having a teacher prod you to the answer simply isn't the same thing.
When I was in high school, a long time ago, I took my first computer programming course. At the time, I didn't know the difference between a computer and a microwave. I really had know idea what a computer was used for --- like I said, it was a long time ago. I'd only taken the course because I was afraid of taking trig. I was completely lost in class. The textbook wasn't much help either. Eventually, I went to the library and got another book on programming. I basically used this book to teach myself how to program. I loved it. I spent hours writing programs into notebooks when I was supposed to be learning chemistry, English, etc. I also spent hours debugging code that I had written but wasn't working correctly. My code was too complicated to ask for help from the teacher, so I had no choice but to solve the problems myself. This was real learning. I've now been working as a software developer for over 30 years.
It was later in life that realized I could learn anything like I had learned how to program. I didn't need to sit in a classroom and listen to a teacher lecturing in order to learn. Based on my own personal experience, I find learning on my own is far more effective. It is the students who need a teacher to walk them through the learning process who are really shorting themselves. They have to sit through material they already know as the teacher tries to get all the students on the same page. They need to sit through instruction aimed at the middle of the class even if they could go quicker (or need to go slower). If the instructor mentions something they find interesting there is no guarantee the instructor can go into details because of time constraints. When you struggle with something and are eventually able to figure out the answer on your own, you will remember it forever. Having a teacher prod you to the answer simply isn't the same thing.
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