Education done like work flex-time

reasons

  • scheduling class around work, home, and other parts of life can be very difficult
  • especially when a rigid schedule week after week is required and
  • required classes frequently have few available scheduling options
  • long, fixed terms mean students must plan in advance and be scheduled for months

possible implementation characteristics

  • no more fixed semesters or similar fixed periods
  • students attend lectures, office hours, etc. whenever they want
    • each lecture, etc is offered at one of many pre-scheduled times
      • students can pick and choose which time they want to go
      • times and frequency chosen based on previous demand
  • student must attend a certain set of lectures, plus perhaps some from an optional collection
  • can take as long as they want to complete a course
  • take tests/evaluations/projects when they feel they are ready
    • tests given in a testing center where they can be taken any time
      • monitored, students from many classes take tests at once
      • much harder than current tests to give flexibility in determining competency
        • getting 50% of the questions right probably good target normal grade
    • one on one type evaluations scheduled with prof for most convenient time
      • at least as important as tests
      • profs spend time with student determining their capabilities
    • projects are like homework, but larger and with a more defined purpose
      • projects last a certain duration, must be finished by a due date
        • some longer and bigger, some short and small
      • groups projects will require students signing up, running once a quota is reached
  • competencies rather than grades
    • not fixed
      • students can keep going until they achieve desired/required level of competency
    • profs decide competency based on tests, projects, evaluations, time spent with in class and office-hours
    • many profs involved, whole department perhaps
  • no homework per se normally
    • in class, supervised work only most of the time
    • perhaps some courses will have some continuity between some lectures with coursework given between
      • required to be taken in a certain order
      • should be rare
    • projects will be the majority of work done outside of class
  • Office-hours/tutoring
    • Some students obtain and undertand information in certain classes very easily while other students need a lot of help.
    • Part of profs time will be spent in an office hours / tutoring like teaching methodology where students are encouraged to seek assistance from the profs
      • in a larger capacity setting than an office.
        • An entire class should be able to show up and be handled in this setting.
    • Possible student activities would be private study with occasional questions to prof or longer discussions with prof about certain points.

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