By Justus Sturtevant Editor in chief
Last year I wrote an editorial for this publication in which I attempted to communicate an issue I had with the educational system in our society.
The central point of the piece was this: in the classroom setting we are not focused on learning for the sake of learning anymore; we have become so preoccupied with knowledge and success that learning itself has lost its wonder.
Let me clarify for a moment what I mean. Think about it this way: if I were to sit in the basement of Degenstein Campus Center and poll students as they walked by with the question, “Why are you at Susquehanna?” what do you predict the results would be?
Perhaps I am wrong, but over the past three years here I have gotten the impression—from both students and professors—that very few people are actually convinced we are here simply to learn.
It seems to me that we are here primarily for the degrees and the power they hold in our society.
Let’s go back to my hypothetical survey for a minute. Can anyone honestly tell me that if I were to ask you why you are here you could say with any conviction that you are here to learn?
Maybe there are a few people out there that could answer in such a way, and if you are one of them then please tell me how you reached that conclusion, because I certainly wish I could say the same.
It seems to me that a more realistic answer for many of us would involve grades, degrees and career implications.
Now, I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that—well, maybe I am—but whatever happened to the wonder of learning? I’m guessing ancient philosophers never looked up at the night sky and thought, “Man, if I just understood how that worked I could make some good money.”
Obviously I’m being quite hyperbolic here; ambition has always played a role in studies, and it’s not like we never get caught up in the joy of learning anymore.
Still, I think it is safe to say that, lately, our society has become more-and-more caught up in the benefits associated with knowledge and less-and-less with the actual acquisition of knowledge.
Let’s assume for a moment that my theory is true. How would this trend manifest itself in the classroom?
I think we can see this in a lot of different ways, but there is one in particular that I would like to focus on: pointed questions from professors.
While most people would agree that a professor who asks questions of his or her class is preferable to one who lectures uninterrupted for the entire class period, lately I have become more aware of the types of questions professors ask.
A question that is open ended forces the student to engage with the material and to apply their own experiences and ideas to the issue. That, to me, is evidence of real learning.
A question that has a defined answer, as many math problems do, can still create opportunities for learning if the student is given the chance to work through it.
Those are not the types of questions that bother me though.
What bothers me are the questions from professors that seem on the surface to be open-ended but are not actually so open-ended.
We’ve all been in conversations where we can tell the other person is not really listening to what we have to say, but instead is just waiting to share their next, predetermined, thought.
Most of us find this kind of behavior rude and condescending in everyday conversations. What makes it any more acceptable in the classroom?
I understand that professors are more knowledgeable in their field than any student they teach, but it seems to me that asking questions they will eventually answer themselves, regardless of what the student says, discourages any creative thought from the student.
To me, being taught with leading questions is like being blindfolded and led through a maze; sure, I’m going to get out of the maze, but I’ll have no idea how I got to the end, or if in fact there was another, possibly better, way out.
The editorials of The Quill reflect the views of individual members of the editorial board. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the entire editorial board or of the university. The content of the Forum page is the responsibility of the editor in chief and the Forum editor
