tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post264529684399638496..comments2024-03-10T05:26:42.148-04:00Comments on My Biased Coin: Simultaneous EnrollmentMichael Mitzenmacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738274256402616703noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-61357189666776129832014-09-16T14:21:04.992-04:002014-09-16T14:21:04.992-04:00Anon #1: There's nothing to suggest it was th...Anon #1: There's nothing to suggest it was the "business" side of Harvard that made this decision, for what that's worth. <br /><br />Anon #2: There are tons of "sections" (and office hours, oh so many office hours) for students for CS50. The "800" is that there is a single lecture. It's not clear why you think having 4 lectures of 200 is better than a recording of the lecture. Yes, it's better for students to be at lecture, but the work/interaction with others is outside the lecture.<br /><br />WC: This is obviously a larger discussion. I think professors offer a lot; I think the experience of being in lecture is, generally, much better than from a recording. However, despite that, there may be cases where a recording is the best outcome. (e.g., better than taking another class.)Michael Mitzenmacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02161161032642563814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-6381310075814923352014-09-16T11:19:47.293-04:002014-09-16T11:19:47.293-04:00A very young Val Kilmer was in a movie some years ...A very young Val Kilmer was in a movie some years ago set at an elite technical university. The first-year student dutifully comes to class, but notices one day that a classmate has skipped class, leaving a tape recorder instead.<br /><br />Later, more and more students are replaced by tape recorders.<br /><br />Finally, the student shows up one day to find that the professor, too, has been replaced, and except for our hero we have nothing but one tape recorder playing a lecture to a room of other tape recorders.<br /><br />A thought experiment: What happens in our classes that keeps us from being replaced by (tape) recordings of ourselves, or students with "listening" recorders?<br /><br />In my classes, quite a lot, I think. But maybe that's exceptional???Wesley Calverthttp://www.math.siu.edu/calvertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-46168663352860093102014-09-15T10:43:32.612-04:002014-09-15T10:43:32.612-04:00It seems that having just one section of a class w...It seems that having just one section of a class with 800 people makes it much more likely students will have time conflicts. Why not have 4 sections of 200 people each that are at different times?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-36900743846975147442014-09-15T05:00:17.013-04:002014-09-15T05:00:17.013-04:00Harvard is a business. They have to protect the i...Harvard is a business. They have to protect the idea that going to Harvard and sitting in classes is extremely valuable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com