Work of High C Men Is Criterion by Which to Judge Course Assignments

Courses should aim a little above the average student taking the course. If assignments are given which will take a man receiving a high C or low B about six hours a week, there will be no cause for complaint among the undergraduates because those men who have sufficient ability to obtain a higher grade will not think the course too easy to be worth the time taking it, and the men who are under the mark will have to work but not so much that all other activity is excluded. For other activities are important because of the contacts which will remain throughout life and for the refreshment that allows better work when studying is resumed.

Reading should be chosen from as many texts as possible, so that one may receive many viewpoints on the subject. It is usually desirable that only part of the week's work be given in the course textbook while different points of view and those parts of the subject which are better treated in other books should be assigned for the other part of the work. Confidence is inspired in the student if he can recognize the volume as the work of an authority and to that end the lecturer might tell a little about each author.

Lecturers who have written books should decide whether they will have the class read the book or whether they prefer to lecture on the subject. Few things are more boring than to hear a repetition of the reading, especially when the phrases are the same.

It is better if the assignments be judged by the time they take rather than what is to be covered by them because the latter standard is liable to recognize the lighter pieces on the subject which make interesting reading but which extend the assignment over too much time. The lighter works should be only optional to the student. Some courses seem to forget that a student is normally busy and can usually spend his spare time wisely.

In theory courses open to Freshmen it is usually desirable to assign books interpreting the works of the masters rather than assigning the originals because comprehension comes more easily under the former system. He can pursue the originals in more advanced courses if he is sufficiently interested.