A learning tip

I bumped into a former USC student of mine this weekend.  I had taught a lecture class with a hundred students called “Foundations of Comedy.”  It was a mixture of lectures and screenings.  I taught this course once a year for two years.  This student was in the second class.

For the first class I allowed the students to use their laptops.  In theory, they were taking notes.  I gave a final I thought was ridiculously easy, but what the hell?  It’s supposed to be a fun class, and I didn’t care if everyone got A’s.  Much to my surprise, a good portion of the class did horrible on the final.  B’s and C’s.  If you were awake in class you should have aced it.  

The next year I did not allow computers.  There was a lot of grumbling.  This former student said, “Yes, the class was pretty pissed off at you.”  But what I said to them was “People got C’s last year.  And you have to be a fucking moron to get a C in the Foundations of Comedy.”   This former student said people were unaccustomed to taking notes longhand. This apparently was a major hardship. 

I gave the exact same final.  Practically everybody got an A.   

What a difference it makes when you’re not texting, playing video games, watching TikTok, surfing the web, competing in on-line poker.

So if you’re currently a student, you might give this some thought — especially if you’re currently reading this while in a Calculus class supposedly taking notes. 


from By Ken Levine