Real Work, Not Busy Work

The Place Paper

Abstract

We know the complaints well: This reading is boring, the assignment doesn't make sense, and those random facts must be memorized. Students receive homework and must force themselves to complete it. They agonize for hours in front of the computer writing a paper, yet they eagerly spend even longer creating and updating their web pages. Why?

Other complaints are even more familiar because we teachers often make them: so much grading to do, so many superficial essays to read, so many maps to scrutinize. We see grading as the worst part of our job and, if possible, we dump the task on teaching assistants. For hours we wade through blue books piled high on our desks, yet we relish spending even more time with our seminar students. Why?