For my minor capstone, I decided to take monetary policy. The class itself is very poorly structured. The professor is an employee of AIG and for the first 6 classes, he was absent for half of them. Teaching at Baruch is a second job for him and there isn’t much to say about it. The textbook we are assigned is written for and by the British. This is because the only book that is updated for the current situation is this one. The way he teaches the class is very different from the rest of the school. Instead of using PowerPoint slides like every other lazy professor, he writes on the board and dictates the information. This old school type of teaching and in my opinion far more effective than the current trend. What do students do when the professor hands them the notes in class (in the form of PP slides)? They slack off, fail to pay attention, and reread the slides when midterms come along. PP slides are meant to be an aid to the lecture, not the notes. This type of teaching is far less effective than writing on the board.
Here’s why: When you are writing your own notes, a certain mental capacity and willpower is needed in order to follow the lecture. From my own personal perspective, learning is best done this way. It is the precise reason why I did so well in HS, back when all they did was write on the board. You see, when the professor writes on the board, he isn’t supposed to write everything down for you. What he writes down is part of the formula and the meaning behind the symbols you must listen and jot down for yourself. The problem with most students is that they are mindless drones that imitate what the professor writes down without properly absorbing the information the professor supplements the lecture with. So you wrote down the formula, when you look back, you have no idea what they represent. For me, I don’t simply copy, I create my own notes, due to my understanding of what is told to me. It’s similar to learning how to do something on a job; your boss shows you how to do it once. You must pay attention during the demonstration and make sure you have a crystal clear understanding or else you’ll forget. This is also why I am not a fan of getting notes from someone else. If you don’t understand what the person is writing, how can you study from someone else’s notes?
It’s quite a phenomenon in the class because no one is falling asleep during his lecture. No one dares fall asleep because if you do, you’ll miss out. This is why old school lecturing is so powerful. It keeps students on their toes and forces them to focus. Otherwise in the other scenario, they cut or fall asleep knowing the information is and will be made available to them on Blackboard. It hurts the student because the lack of care. When notes are given to me, I don’t even bother looking at them until the day before the exam. That is not learning, it is cramming. If I ever become a professor, I would definitely do a good job at teaching because I know how to break info down and the best way to deliver it.
