Re:Student Debt Payback Far Worse Than Believed
by cableshaft on Thursday January 19, 2017 @10:30AM
(#13436508)
> computer science would suffer... learning to effectively work in groups
At my university, 'working effectively in groups' usually meant one smart kid at the computer in the computer lab doing all the work while 7 other kids swarmed around them and copying what they did as close as possible without triggering the 'plagiarizing' senses of the teacher.
I worked alone (in the same computer lab) so I could actually learn and internalize what I was taught, but I'd look around and that was a common sight.
A university is not required (and in fact, I'd argue that classwork and grades isn't a good structure for it) in order to figure out how to be effective in a group. Working a single job in fast food taught me more about working in a group than any group project at school or the 'Small Group Communications' class I was required to take for my major.
At my university, 'working effectively in groups' usually meant one smart kid at the computer in the computer lab doing all the work while 7 other kids swarmed around them and copying what they did as close as possible without triggering the 'plagiarizing' senses of the teacher.
I worked alone (in the same computer lab) so I could actually learn and internalize what I was taught, but I'd look around and that was a common sight.
A university is not required (and in fact, I'd argue that classwork and grades isn't a good structure for it) in order to figure out how to be effective in a group. Working a single job in fast food taught me more about working in a group than any group project at school or the 'Small Group Communications' class I was required to take for my major.