Final Post
I was not sure what to expect coming into this class as this was the first Econ 490 that I have taken. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the course had a more relaxed feel that focused on obtaining useful information for the future. It so often happens that I wonder how the content of the courses I am taking will fit into my life or career after graduation. However, I found the content in Professor Arvan’s class to very applicable to future jobs and everyday life. The extra attention to the synthesis of ideas was especially interesting.
When it comes to the attendance policies in this class, I am on the fence. On the one hand, it is nice to have a few classes a semester in which attendance is not required, so in the case of an emergency or unexpected illness there is not extra stress of losing points. However, if attendance is not required I find myself making excuses to skip class. Whether the excuses are legitimate or not, it is likely that whatever I end up doing is not as productive as just attending class. I think the classes that work the best for me are the ones that allow for one or two missed classes for true emergencies before deducting points.
Whether I attend a class or not is really based on multiple factors. I aim to attend every class, but when my motivation is laking I look for reasons why missing a class would not be that bad and might even be beneficial. I am less likely to go to class if it is in the morning. I am not really a morning person and find that I am just generally more motivated in the afternoon. I also consider whether attendance is required and if so how much do those points affect my grade. The course itself is also a determinant of whether I attend or not. If I enjoy the content of the course, the professor, or the other students in the class I will be more likely to attend.
When there was a survey that offered bonus points for attendance, I was definitely more inclined to attend. Because the class was at 11 AM, I was often be tempted to skip, however knowing that there were bonus points to be earned often gave me the little motivation I needed to get there. I wish I could say it was more often. I also wish I could say that the idea of learning new things or just the acknowledgment of all the investments made to my education drove me to attend every class, but those feelings are hard to hold on to day to day. I am working on it.
Another policy in class was that when we were in discussion mode, electronic devices were to be put away. This did not affect me directly because I prefer to take hand written notes in class if I am taking notes at all. However, I know that there have been studies in which classes with strict electronic policies are more engaged and less distracted. Devices can distract the people sitting around them, and when on a device, it is so easy to get distracted by notifications or another open tab. The class is probably better off without them, especially in a small class like this one.
Overall, I found this class enjoyable. The content of the course and discussions in class were helpful, and the policies, whether helpful to me personally or not, were obviously well thought out and ultimately pretty convenient.
When it comes to the attendance policies in this class, I am on the fence. On the one hand, it is nice to have a few classes a semester in which attendance is not required, so in the case of an emergency or unexpected illness there is not extra stress of losing points. However, if attendance is not required I find myself making excuses to skip class. Whether the excuses are legitimate or not, it is likely that whatever I end up doing is not as productive as just attending class. I think the classes that work the best for me are the ones that allow for one or two missed classes for true emergencies before deducting points.
Whether I attend a class or not is really based on multiple factors. I aim to attend every class, but when my motivation is laking I look for reasons why missing a class would not be that bad and might even be beneficial. I am less likely to go to class if it is in the morning. I am not really a morning person and find that I am just generally more motivated in the afternoon. I also consider whether attendance is required and if so how much do those points affect my grade. The course itself is also a determinant of whether I attend or not. If I enjoy the content of the course, the professor, or the other students in the class I will be more likely to attend.
When there was a survey that offered bonus points for attendance, I was definitely more inclined to attend. Because the class was at 11 AM, I was often be tempted to skip, however knowing that there were bonus points to be earned often gave me the little motivation I needed to get there. I wish I could say it was more often. I also wish I could say that the idea of learning new things or just the acknowledgment of all the investments made to my education drove me to attend every class, but those feelings are hard to hold on to day to day. I am working on it.
Another policy in class was that when we were in discussion mode, electronic devices were to be put away. This did not affect me directly because I prefer to take hand written notes in class if I am taking notes at all. However, I know that there have been studies in which classes with strict electronic policies are more engaged and less distracted. Devices can distract the people sitting around them, and when on a device, it is so easy to get distracted by notifications or another open tab. The class is probably better off without them, especially in a small class like this one.
Overall, I found this class enjoyable. The content of the course and discussions in class were helpful, and the policies, whether helpful to me personally or not, were obviously well thought out and ultimately pretty convenient.
You are the second student to say they weren't a morning person. Will that change if you get a decent job that is 9 to 5? If so, what accommodations will you make to adjust to that life? There is a related issue about getting enough sleep of the sort that is restorative. If you are sleep deprived, the rest makes sense. If not, this is harder for me to understand.
ReplyDeleteSo a different question for you is whether there are other activities than classes which motivate you more - you participate in them vigorously and attend quite regularly. If there are such activities, it would be good to identify what it is about them that encourage this outcome.
I do think for my class, in particular, there are some lessons that the student who came regularly may have learned that other students won't have gotten and here I'm talking more about a feeling regarding the class than about any specific content we covered. I think that feeling is a lesson in its own right. I will discuss that in class today in our closing session.
I enjoyed reading your blog this week and getting to view things from a new perspective. We are quite different students in terms of our learning styles, motivation, and the incentives that are effective for us. That said, it was interesting to learn that you disagreed with the attendance policy when you were a student who seemed to benefit quite a lot from the freedom it offered.
ReplyDeleteMy view on the attendance policy is that it enabled us to act as adults. In the "real world," we are free to make our own decisions regarding where we invest our time. Those decisions, as any do, come with consequences. In a course which offers no point value for attending class, the cost is lost learning. In the real world the cost of skipping work too frequently might be loss of a job, and therefore loss of income.
Obviously the stakes in our careers are higher than they are in college but I view this time as good practice and character building.