Lecturers Questioning Named Students in Lecture

colossus-x

I was wondering what your views are on the practice of lecturers deliberately posing questions (in this case mathematical) to a named student (name read off an attendance sheet) during a lecture. Said event occured twice in one lecture and certainly looks as thought it will be a regular event in future lectures.

Just to be clear this is not the same as when a lecturer poses a question to the class leaving it open to whomever feels capable on inclined or bothered to answer it. Personally I have never seen this done in either my other UCD modules or in the university I attended previously.

Your opinions please

milly4ever

don't really like it, but it does keep people on their toes! what size of a lecture was it? i used to have that in some lectures of about 40 students.

colossus-x

Well there should be 150 if everyone turned up but I'm not sure how accurate I am on that. At least 70 - 80 attended that particular lecture. I might add the question was specific to material presented for the first time in very same lecture so one couldn't swat in advance.

milly4ever

i think being picked on in large groups like that is really scary :eek: i remember just wanting to run out when a lecturer started asking questions and wasn't just waiting on someone in the front row to answer! plus if the material is completely new it can seem worse although you can't really be expected to have all the answers in that case .
but in general though, as i had to go through it, i don't see a problem in others having to go through it too

TDOie

Has happened twice in two different modules so far this semester for me. Obviously I don't want to get asked but I guess it forces me to pay attention and prepare for lectures.

Red Alert

I've seen it done in smaller classes, but it's pretty evil to do in bigger classes.

WeeBushy

We used to have a lecturer that did it in a big class. At the beginning of each lecture he'd ask a few about the previous lecture. He'd start off asking the question to the class and if no one answered would ask individuals. He wasn't trying to catch anyone out, and if you didn't know the answer that was ok, as long as you took a stab at it, he was just trying to encourage the class to interact. In a large class it can be quite easy to put your head down and not get involved.

Now our classes are much smaller and our lectures know us so being asked a question personally is a regular occurrence and no biggy.

I guess it depends on the lecturer and if he's trying to catch people out, or trying to encourage the class to learn. The first is mean spirited, but I don't have a problem with it either way tbh. Nothing wrong with asking people questions imo.

colossus-x

Interesting feedback thanks, most don't like it but not bothered at the same time. I wanted to make it clear too that the questions weren't opinion questions they where "you either know the answer or you don't" type questions or "I've just told you this - now you should be able to work out the answer based on what I've just taught you" type questions. Personally I don't agree with it at all (that was probably obvious) but I don't mind being given say a few minutes to form an opinion about something or come up with some ideas about something in a short space of time but not an out of the blue give me the correct answer now thingy

Red_Marauder

To be very honest, if it was a large lecture, and if I may have been out the night before or not feeling full of enthusiasm for whatever reason - that possibility alone would probably make me skip the lecture and copy the notes later.

Ado86

Yeah I had one lecturer last year who used to this. I agree with others that it made be feel very uncomfortable, but it didnt keep me awake, it did make me prepare for the classes but I honestly don't think it benefited me very much.
Class size was approx 85 students, so a relatively large group. I did find that some students were more inclined to skip because of this though.

convert

Teaching style varies from lecturer to lecturer, so if one lecturer just 'lectures' in a large group, another may choose to ask questions. I don't think it's a bad idea as students will probably take more/prepare and learn better than they would from just passively sitting there. However, that said, I absolutely hated any lecturer/tutor who would ask questions of students, regardless of how small the group was. However, it did make me prepare for classes/lectures better.

33% God

I can understand why someone would be embarrassed or annoyed by a lecturer doing that; but to be fair we are all supposed to be big boys and girls now. If you don't know the answer or get it wrong then what's the big deal? You're unlikely to be the only one in the theatre who gets it wrong.
Unless there is some kind of penalty for getting it wrong, but if not then I don't think it's such a big deal.

bnt

Well, picking on specific students is the kind of thing I associate with school classrooms, frankly. I have one lecturer who points at people when asking questions, and it's annoying. Not because I'm embarrassed to answer, but it slows the lecture down.

Especially when you have to repeat yourself three times because of other noise or your voice bouncing off the walls. These lecture theatres are designed, acoustically, for 1-way communication: lecturer lectures, everyone else shuts up and listens. Simple. :rolleyes:

milly4ever

bnt wrote: »

Well, picking on specific students is the kind of thing I associate with school classrooms, frankly. I have one lecturer who points at people when asking questions, and it's annoying.

or worse, when they say something like 'person 3 rows from the back in the blue shirt' 'yes i mean YOU' !

redout

I use to have a lecturer that fcuked dusters at people who were asleep or staring out the window! He also use to like going around the class (small about 12 students) and ask everyone a different question. If he felt that you were BS'ing the answer he would just stand there and make you explan it to him before he moved on. It really worked in making people prepare for his lectures though. Scared the crap at of a few people no doubt.

Handsome Bob

I don't mind as long as the lecturer fully "commits" to the "teacher" role. If you are going to ask questions of specific individuals then I would also expect that lecturer to do things such as

• Tell people who are disrupting the lecture to kindly STFU or GTFO.
• To be approachable and to not have a dismissive attitude if someone is struggling with something and asks you for help.
• That they treat people with respect and not just do or ask things to embarass people.

colossus-x

redout wrote: »

I use to have a lecturer that fcuked dusters at people who were asleep or staring out the window! He also use to like going around the class (small about 12 students) and ask everyone a different question. If he felt that you were BS'ing the answer he would just stand there and make you explan it to him before he moved on. It really worked in making people prepare for his lectures though. Scared the crap at of a few people no doubt.

...I think your pulling our legs

colossus-x

redout wrote: »

I use to have a lecturer that fcuked dusters at people who were asleep or staring out the window! He also use to like going around the class (small about 12 students) and ask everyone a different question. If he felt that you were BS'ing the answer he would just stand there and make you explan it to him before he moved on. It really worked in making people prepare for his lectures though. Scared the crap at of a few people no doubt.

LZ5by5 wrote: »

I don't mind as long as the lecturer fully "commits" to the "teacher" role. If you are going to ask questions of specific individuals then I would also expect that lecturer to do things such as

• Tell people who are disrupting the lecture to kindly STFU or GTFO.
• To be approachable and to not have a dismissive attitude if someone is struggling with something and asks you for help.
• That they treat people with respect and not just do or ask things to embarass people.

I have to say I thing your third point is the real issue here. I think the aim is precisely to embarrass people into doing more prep for a lecture and I don't think it's on. As someone earlier pointed out 'we are supossed to be big boys now' meaning adults,which bloody well means (to me) that if I choose to zone out in a lecture I can without feeling I'm going to be pounced on surprisingly by the lecturer.

redout

colossus-x wrote: »

...I think your pulling our legs

honest to god dusters flying threw the air was a regular enough occurence.

More of a lob than a fling in fairness.

Or the old lecturer coming to your table and slamming the book down if you nodded off.

colossus-x

redout wrote: »

honest to god dusters flying threw the air was a regular enough occurence.

More of a lob than a fling in fairness.

Or the old lecturer coming to your table and slamming the book down if you nodded off.

Yeah, did this all happen in 1937?

redout

colossus-x wrote: »

Yeah, did this all happen in 1937?

LoL

more like late 90s early 00s

Tayto2000

colossus-x wrote: »

I have to say I thing your third point is the real issue here. I think the aim is precisely to embarrass people into doing more prep for a lecture and I don't think it's on. As someone earlier pointed out 'we are supossed to be big boys now' meaning adults,which bloody well means (to me) that if I choose to zone out in a lecture I can without feeling I'm going to be pounced on surprisingly by the lecturer.

For real? If you're going to disrespect the effort the lecturer has gone to in presenting the class to that extent, why bother even showing up?

Most lectures I've been in where the lecturer was asking questions of the class were usually the big classes where it's an attempt to get some engagement going...

colossus-x

Tayto2000 wrote: »

For real? If you're going to disrespect the effort the lecturer has gone to in presenting the class to that extent, why bother even showing up?

Most lectures I've been in where the lecturer was asking questions of the class were usually the big classes where it's an attempt to get some engagement going...

On your first point I agree and you shouldn't feel you have to turn up just to sign an attendance sheet and then doze off.

On your second point you haven't understood this thread because I clearly stated in my OP or a further reply that that situation you describe is NOT what we're discussing here.

Tayto2000

I read your original posts, it sounds exactly like what I described.

If he's picking names off the sheet, it's pretty clear that he's not picking on people he thinks aren't paying attention, since how would he know who the person he's seen not paying attention is?

Maybe it depends a bit on the demeanour of the lecturer, but I'd like to think that asking questions of the class is in the spirit of engagement via the Socratic method rather than just a mean spirited attempt to embarass individuals.

colossus-x

Tayto2000 wrote: »

For real? If you're going to disrespect the effort the lecturer has gone to in presenting the class to that extent, why bother even showing up?

Most lectures I've been in where the lecturer was asking questions of the class were usually the big classes where it's an attempt to get some engagement going...

By no stretch of the English language could what I'm talking about here be described as "asking questions of the class". You have used these words in both your replies and I think you deliberately put it this way to water down the overall perception of whats going on here.

And as for 'disrespecting the lecturer" I find it laughable that anyone would think that I (as a student) was under some obligation to put an effort in for the sake of the lecturer, I'm still giggling about that. He does what he does only because he gets paid to do not because he/she feels compelled to pass on their wealth of knowledge to us for the sake of the profession and ultimately mankind as a whole

WeeBushy

colossus-x wrote: »

He does what he does only because he gets paid to do not because he/she feels compelled to pass on their wealth of knowledge to us for the sake of the profession and ultimately mankind as a whole

That's very cynical, and a complete generalisation of the profession.

colossus-x

WeeBushy wrote: »

That's very cynical, and a complete generalisation of the profession.

Please don't quote me out of context.

colossus-x

WeeBushy wrote: »

That's very cynical, and a complete generalisation of the profession.

...and I was being more sarcastic than cynical. Now back to the original topic...

fillmore jive

There's a certain lecturer in the physics dept. who not just asks people questions in class, but also gets them to come down to the blackboard and work out equations and that in front of everyone.

Handsome Bob

fillmore jive wrote: »

There's a certain lecturer in the physics dept. who not just asks people questions in class, but also gets them to come down to the blackboard and work out equations and that in front of everyone.

I'd just laugh at him and tell him get a job in a secondary school if that's his style of lecturing.

colossus-x

fillmore jive wrote: »

There's a certain lecturer in the physics dept. who not just asks people questions in class, but also gets them to come down to the blackboard and work out equations and that in front of everyone.

This is what I can a convenient 'filler'.

Last semester one of our modules turned into half lecture/half tutorial and we had tutorials besides. In this case said lecturer posed scientific questions and spent sometimes over half the lecture going around checking peoples answers that they were to have written down. I find this strategy totally unacceptable and of course that's half the 50mins the said lecturer does not have to prepare for. And to add insult to injury attendance was taken - so it was a required that we spend half the time waiting for the lecturer to get on with it. Outrageous. I stopped going to those lecturer half way through as if I'm going to waste my time I'd rather be the one to do it rather than someone else deciding that for me.

Marvinthefish

LZ5by5 wrote: »

I'd just laugh at him and tell him get a job in a secondary school if that's his style of lecturing.

OMG I know. I like to just go into college (preferably after 10am, those 9am lectures are so hard to get in for) and sit in the middle of the lecture theatre beside my mates with a coffee and a copy of the MetroHerald. Of course I'll take notes and stuff (usually end up undecipherable though LOL) but the lecturer usually emails everyone the notes anyway so it's grand.

Marvinthefish

colossus-x wrote: »

Last semester one of our modules turned into half lecture/half tutorial. In this case said lecturer posed scientific questions and spent sometimes over half the lecture going around checking peoples answers. I find this strategy totally unacceptable and of course that's half the 50mins the said lecturer does not have to prepare for.

I would agree that getting the class to write down answers on pieces of paper is fairly ridiculous. Going around to check individuals' answers is even more so. Lectures and tutorials should be clearly defined and separate IMO. However, going back to your original post, a lecturer posing a question to one person (read off a class list) is acceptable in a lecture if it doesn't distract from the main points of the lecture, there is no obligation for the person to answer, it doesn't take too long, and other people can stick up their hand if the person asked is silent for, say, 5 seconds.

Tayto2000

colossus-x wrote: »

By no stretch of the English language could what I'm talking about here be described as "asking questions of the class". You have used these words in both your replies and I think you deliberately put it this way to water down the overall perception of whats going on here.

You have emphasised that he is picking a person at random off an attendance sheet and asking them a question. How is this not asking questions of the class? You also stated that you believe that it's an attempt to force people to prepare more for the class. You then contradict yourself by saying that the "question was specific to material presented for the first time in very same lecture so one couldn't swat in advance." As I have already pointed out, he can't be specifically picking on someone not paying attention this way since it's RANDOM out of a class list (again according to yourself) of 150! If you are demanding the right to have a snooze at the back, your odds are still pretty good if this is happening twice per class as you have stated. Worst case scenario, "I don't know" will usually suffice. I don't see the problem.

colossus-x wrote:

And as for 'disrespecting the lecturer" I find it laughable that anyone would think that I (as a student) was under some obligation to put an effort in for the sake of the lecturer, I'm still giggling about that.

This is a separate thing. I'm glad you think it's funny that you should be obliged to show any respect for the time and effort a lecturer has put in to preparing and presenting course material. Can you imagine how demoralising it is for a lecturer to have students blatantly sleeping, reading the paper, talking to each other and web surfing while trying to present course material? The fact that notes have to be available on Blackboard has made this problem worse.

colossus-x wrote:

He does what he does only because he gets paid to do not because he/she feels compelled to pass on their wealth of knowledge to us for the sake of the profession and ultimately mankind as a whole

How was Weebushy "out of context" here? Based on this statement, you come across as having serious contempt for those teaching you. Maybe you would find distance learning more to your liking? Not showing up and working off blackboard notes means you're halfway there anyway.

Tbh, when I first read your posts I assumed you were a 1st year who is just having the very common initial third level difficulty of adjusting to the concept of not being spoonfed the course material or being asked to engage with the class and teacher 'like a big boy' but I see from your other posts that I'm wrong. I would have thought that a mature 3rd year student would have the least difficulty with the situation you are describing and perhaps a bit of respect for the person trying to teach the coursework.