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<title><![CDATA[Comments for entry "Two Kinds of Students" at Dilbert.com Blog]]></title>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from mhlong47]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1737062]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Late to the party, so most likely no one will read this.  I got roped into being a college instructor late in life and have now taught 4 classes in IS, database,spreadsheet, language, introduction.  It's been a fairly high correlation between those who turn in homework and test scores they receive.  This is an evening school for returning students at one of those non-profit former business/trade schools.  At the college level, for most students (those not continuing on to advanced degrees or to very specialized degrees) what college is a lot about is being able to give your employee an assignment and have him/her complete it within a specified time.  Just like most jobs they will get.  A generic college degree should tell a prospective employer that the applicant was given assignments and turned in decent work over a period of time.  Just like a workplace environment.  That's all.  I assign everyone homework, but I don't count it against them if they don't turn it in, and if they do, it replaces poor quiz scores (which feed into the unit tests which feed into the final).  It's strictly to their advantage to turn it in, strictly (they get higher test scores, and they replace poor quiz scores), and I still see about the same ratio of students turning/not turning in as one would expect.  It's NOT the homework, it's the student.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from DirtKing239]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1736034]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[I like your thinking Scott.  However, for me personally, I needed to have homework count for a grade in order to motivate myself to do it, even if it was only a small percent of the final grade.  I also seemed to do better in classes that graded homework, because if I didn't do the homework, I wouldn't know the material well enough to get a good grade on the test.  Personally, I think homework should never be worth more than 10% of the overall grade because a student shouldn't lose more than a letter grade for not turning in their homework.

Now for applying this scenario in the real world, I agree that whether you want the dedicated student or the one that can ace the tests highly depends on the job; however, I would split it up a little more differently than you.  For any project-based job where you have deliverables and deadlines (engineering, jounalism, etc.) you would probably want someone that was more dedicated because for these types of jobs there's alot more homework and not too many tests.  Not doing your homework means when a deadline comes up, you're going to have to stay up late and do it anyways.
Whereas with the people who do well on tests would be better for jobs that have more 'tests' than 'homework' (such as sales, marketing, lawers, etc) because if you know your client, you can whip something together last minute and still knock the presentation out of the park.

But all in all, I think your idea is good, but just needs a few tweaks.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from inequal]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1735387]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Scott and everbody else,
Thank you for starting this thread.  I usually just read your comic, but today was different.  I am interested in your opinion and ones from the group that have been responding.  Many start their comments with a â€œget high gradesâ€ and â€œbored with rote homeworkâ€.  This indicates to me the possibility of above average intelligence.  Any comments or suggestions for the average student?  Most will not go on to be engineers and many appear to have a motivation issue throughout life.  I have attended several high school classes where teachers struggle to teach to the smart kids and babysit the ones sleeping in the back row.

I am also curious about other systems.  I have visited Taiwan several times and am amazed at the number of school-aged children reading in the stacks of bookstores on Friday night.  Their system uses merit to determine the type and quality of school you attend.  Down to the Jr. High level even.  If you test poorly, you attend a school to prepare you for life and to work in the factory.  Good grades can get you to a college prep school.  Further, their education system as well as the language required far more memorization than in America.  School days and years are longer and cram schools are very common.  On the other extreme from the comments from the Scandinavian.

Please share your thoughts?      
]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from drazen]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1734360]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[I was a student with little interest in doing homework in high school, but who aced almost every test with ease (I would easily have had a 4.0 if not for my seething hatred for tedious assignments). This was due to a combination of factors: I was raised with enough classical rote learning for certain things like arithmetic and spelling to be 'automatic;' I went to private school for grades K-8, so I was ahead of the curve for the first 2 years of public high school; and I had some engaging teachers who made grasping the material fairly easy. So for me personally, doing homework was just a boring chore with little value most of the time, at least during high school. 

During college, there was less work and less explanation, and doing the problems became invaluable -- it might have been the 1990's, but you were still on your own and nobody was going to hold your hand for you, at least where I went to school (and the senior, tenured professors were almost all AWFUL lecturers who contributed very little). But in that case, the work was actually teaching something and serving a purpose, not reinforcing something I'd already known for 2  years, or making me regurgitate something that was 90% similar to other things I already knew cold. 

My favorite grading structure was a college class that was set up something like this: you could score between 0 and 100 points. There were four &quot;quarters&quot; worth 25 points each. Each quarter had a short weekly quiz and a homework assignment. The midterm was worth 50 points minus whatever you already got for quizzes and assignments. And the final was worth 100 points minus whatever you'd earned in the class to date. The assignments and quizzes were hard as hell and REALLY made you think about the material, but if you did the work and grasped the concepts by the end of it, you could earn an 'A' -- but only if you did the work. Sure, you could probably get a B with minimal effort, but the system was set up to both reward people who learn slowly over time AND those who could nail the material quickly. If you didn't want to do homework, you could still get an 'A,' but only if you nailed the quizzes and exams. I think there was an optional paper for people to make up missing points, too. So, bottom line: you could be a &quot;test&quot; person or a &quot;paper&quot; person and do equally well in that system, yet it was still measuring your knowledge. 

My least favorite grading method? &quot;Class participation,&quot; especially when it went up to 20%. That's just a load of bull manure - completely arbitrary and subjective, and it proves even less than nailing a test.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Paddington]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1734229]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[My experience with mathematics (especially at a higher level) is that the students who do the homewqork pass the tests with little diffculty. Those who try to cram before tests do not.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from hbmindia]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1734073]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Here in India, the parents do the kids' homework.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from blampow]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1734071]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[[Your argument supports my idea of separate grades for homework and tests. But I'm sure you memory is excellent. -- Scott]

Well, the separate grade idea's okay, I just took issue with some of the ideas you mentioned en route to that conclusion.

Particularly the idea that tests are good at detecting &quot;brilliance&quot; - my memories of high school tests included people cramming the night before and forgetting it all right after the test, with little understanding at any time.  Throwing mnemonic memorisation devices at a multiple-choice wall to see what sticks.  

It's possible I just went to a bad school.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Telanis]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1734067]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[No.  If the kids don't have to do homework, the ones who need to won't, and will fail the tests because they haven't learned anything.  That may be their own fault but teaching is about nurturing, not leaving kids (low-willpower and high-impulse) to their own devices -- which is why we have teachers in the first place and not just quarterly exam administrators.  And the smart kids need homework too.  Whether in university or in the real world, you need to have developed discipline and study skills regardless of how smart you are and how good your grades are.

[You make me wonder if willpower, also known as emotional intelligence, can be trained into kids via the homework process. I haven't seen any evidence of that. Consider every family with multiple kids that are raised the same and have wildly different outcomes. -- Scott]]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from meblackstone]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1734030]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[It's also interesting that there are character assumptions made about those that don't do homework.

My personal bias is do it if you need it, because I was successful like that. The assumption from those that did do their homework is that others must be slackers that goofed off, did drugs, or got the women.

In my case, I worked two jobs and did volunteer tutoring.

Point being, doing homework is quite possibly the most indirect way of getting work skills like reliability.

Putting homework in it's appropriate priority (different for each student) demonstrates a valuable work skill as well. There is always limited time. Dropping non-value added work is a necessary part of being a valuable employee (or employer). This demonstrates responsibility, not the reverse. Whereas plowing on with homework that is of no benefit demonstrates an overabundance of conformance where innovation is a key part of employment.

[I agree. And the ideal student might skip homework for a class she can ace and use the spare time to study for a class that is more of a struggle. -- Scott]]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Professor59]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1734029]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Saying that the point of homework is to prepare for tests is a fallacy.  Building the rest of your arguments on top of that is a joke.
Homework shows whether a student can be reliable and follow instructions.  It helps the teacher judge whether the student is capable of learning and functioning in the workplace.
While it can also prepare students for tests, so can learning to cheat.  Or just being an exceptional test-taker.  I could have passed all my high school tests, including the SAT, on my first day of high school because I was good at that kind of thing.  You too, probably.
I didn't read all the comments here, but I hope you get ripped by some teachers.

[How'd you score on reading comprehension? I suggested separate grades for homework and tests. That way a college or employer has more information. It's the same reason that individual classes are reported in addition to the overall grade. The more you know about the student, the better. -- Scott]]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from JesseJ]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1734028]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[I'm seeing a lot of additional ideas on this, so reluctantly, I'll add more beyond my original comment.

I had a fantastic college calculus teacher (the late Dr. Harold Wexler) who commented that homework counts 98% if you don't do it, and 2% if you do.  I did every problem, and I agree with him.  I got a B, but I never worked harder for a grade before or since.

I have been teaching engineering design classes (part time) for about 35 years.  In my opinion, design is not a 'test' kind of skill.  It involves a commitment of time, energy and enthusiasm to actually 'make' something.  Not to mention creativity.  Having it actually work is, in itself, a reward.  Being able to write it up and/or present it to others closes the loop.  No homework, no tests, just 'do it'.  But, that's just me.

About 35 years back, a friend of mine and I were halfway up to the top of one of the World Trade Center towers when he commented: &quot;Do you know who C students work for?  Often, the 'lowest bidder'.  Have you figured out who probably got the contract for this elevator?&quot;   Gulp.

My college performance on tests was 'spotty' at best.  I didn't keep any report cards where I got all A's, but the card for the quarter that I got 3 C's and a D sits on my nightstand.  I show it to my kids, or anyone who wants to see it.  I survived, and it's a reminder.

The biggest lesson the university can offer is to teach people to love learning.

IMHO]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Kuroneko]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1734027]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[It's a complicated issue.  Some people are bad at tests and may do badly even if they know the material.  At least if they did all their homework, they probably know at least some of it.  

You also are trying to teach kids to prepare in advance instead of waiting until the last minute.  Just because some kids are able to get away with cramming does not make that method the most ideal and quality way of performing.  Also, a longer period of exposure means you remember the material better long after the test.    

Also, even smart people would do better to be able to work with others at least decently.  At the work place and even as a boss, you don't always get to do and have things exactly as you would like.  Flexability is better.

ON the flip side, I do think homework has gotten to be such a huge chore and has become a bit over rated.  Part of being a success is a well balanced personality.  Kids should have free time beyond school.  In many ways, it's getting so that kids spend almost all their time either at school or working on school projects.  There needs to be room for other kinds of development as well. 

Anyway, I have come to believe that success is more about attitude than anything else.  It's an attitude that you want to and can do it and that you will work at it and look for solutions to problems until you find them and keep trying until you figure it out.  I am not sure either homework or tests, the way the system is currently designed, really do much to teach that quality.   
-Eva]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Bloodboiler]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1734026]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Lets say I'm the guy who programs your pacemaker.

Can I slack off and do piss poor job most of the time and then then pulls everything together at the last moment before shipping when there's no time to make sure everything actually works.  Or would you prefer that I work diligently and hand in every part of my work on time to be thoroughly tested?

[I give you a grade of F for your poor analogy, but B+ for the work you put into it. -- Scott]]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from meblackstone]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1734000]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Interesting. The comments overall seem to favour forcing homework to build character, or work ethic.

I would have expected the population of readers of your blog to have more elitists (no, that's not a bad word).

One of the biggest lies we are all told is that everyone is equal, and we can do anything if we work hard enough. I think this is why the majority of the comments with positive feedback reflect the idea that it's all about hard work. Or most people commenting suck at taking tests and want the reinforcement that their higher homework scores are a better representation or their value.

Maybe I had different style tests, but mine very rarely had to do with memorizing facts to regurgitate. Mine were generally essay questions involving why something happened, and how to apply that information. In engineering classes, the questions were generally very open ended, and required thought. It was possible for people to come up with very different solutions and get equivilent grades. Homework was more limited.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from kyel]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1733979]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[@Ecks - I should have qualified that homework that is designed to rehash what is in a book is not what I meant.  Homework should be about taking the lessons learned and applying them to show and develop understanding and expand beyond what was taught  in the classroom.  

It is also something that has to be age appropriate as people learn differently at different ages.

As to test anxiety, I do not believe it relates to how well someone is likely to work under a pressure environment.  In fact, I would believe that you could tell quality individuals by their homework which simulates most job settings in the office better.  Writing reports, meeting deadlines, reviewing documentation, following instructions, exceeding expectations, effort and curiosity being attributes I would see homework showing more so than tests do.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from blampow]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1733876]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[No disrespect Scott, but I never thought the point of homework was particularly to prepare kids for tests - and if anything, I would have thought tests were *more* biased to favour memorise-and-spit-back-out type students than brilliant ones.  

Being able to store a set of facts over a short-or-medium term makes you about as &quot;brilliant&quot; as a sheet of rapidly biodegradable note paper, and is a completely irrelevant skill in a smartphone enabled world.

[Your argument supports my idea of separate grades for homework and tests. But I'm sure you memory is excellent. -- Scott]]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Delosian]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1733875]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Hi Scott, interesting comment there. I remember in secondary school receiving an &quot;87% fail&quot; for &quot;not meeting mandatory requirements&quot;. My exam mark was 87% so I should have received an A grade but I failed to hand in an internal assessment that was worth nothing but was mandatory.

I also remember a class where the homework (&quot;internal assessment&quot;) was worth 25% of the years mark, scored by if you did it or not, so even if you scored a &quot;fail&quot; in the exam, the total COMBINED mark meant that if you scored at least 30% in the exam and did all the homework you would pass the class! Crazy? Yes! Because if you didn't hand in any of the homework it was an instant -25% to your years mark regardless of if you aced the exam, which made it nearly impossible to pass!]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Kingfisher]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1733857]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[I think the more important factor is the subject matter that one is trying to evaluate in the student.  

For example, if you are trying to evaluate a students writing ability, then it is much better to grade the student on papers that they turn in.  If on the other hand you are trying to grade a students reading comprehension skills, then assignments are a poor metric, and a formal test is much better.

The purpose of formal schooling is not to endow students with all of the skills and knowledge they will need for the future.  Rather it is to evaluate a students ability to learn and adapt.  Post-secondary schooling then follows by training students on how to learn those skills.  Most of the skills a person will use will be learned on the job.

Heres some more examples of whether a student is better evaluated on a test or on homework:

Math: Test
Biology: Test
Physics: Homework
Chemistry: Test
Writing: Homework
Reading: Test
History: Homework
Sociology: Homework
Shop/HomeEc: Homework
Geography: Homework


]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from JesseJ]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1733839]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Two kinds of Students?  Hmmm . . . there are two kinds of people. Those who classify students in one of two buckets and those who don't.
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<title><![CDATA[Comment  from crogers23]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/1733837]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[&gt; In the real world, results are what matter the most, as long as you arrive at the results legally and ethically.

Disagree with your premise - the purpose of homework is not always to prepare for a test.  I can remember in English and History class being assigned homework essays.  The purpose was to prepare students to do work, in this case writing on an assigned topic, which in and of itself was the learning.  

I'd also submit that teaching students a good work ethic, even if the work doesn't directly affect their test scores, is valid - often one must &quot;show their work&quot; to receive credit.  This is true as well in the real world, where one's pronouncements are often challenged.]]></description>
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