western maryland college december, 1963 - Hoover Library

system one professor using one poorly constructed examination
can make a student repeat all the courses
of the year. Not only are these things true-but in addition,
the philosophy of many professors is "Let's keep
the elite a small group, only pass a small percentage
each year. There are not professional opportunities available
for too many educated people." There is evidence
that the number of students who will be passed and
the identity of these is sometimes determined even
before the aU important examination is given. Fortunately
the students do not seem to be too aware of this
philosophy and the operation of the system.
What happens to a student under such a system of
education If the professor is not highly motivated, if
the system of education stresses rote memory, if chance
plays so important a role in success, if correlation and
understanding are not recognized objectives of education,
and if it is possible for only a few to succeed (preordination)-why
should a student exert himself too
much! And too often they do not. Some students never
go to the lectures, many of them do not attend regularly
Wide World Photo
AI thi~ school in Saigon Chinese students arc studying
the Vwtnamese language.
and they all depend too much on memorizing the words
spoken in lecture.
And what happens to an American professor under
such a system The American Professor of Biology at
the University of Hue made it quite clear to her students
in the beginning that it was important to understand all
parts of the class and laboratory work, that this could
not be accomplished during the last few weeks of the
year, that class attendance was expected, and that a
different type of test would be given periodically which
would be as important as the final examination. I helped
them to correlate and to summarize and-l did something
else unheard of-I discussed the objectives of examinations,
the grading system to be used, and their
progress in the course from time to time. T had many
talks with students and some faculty members about the
philosophy and methods of the American system of education.
These were the "ferments" and perhaps they will
be of greater importance than all the facts I attempted to
teach. Certainly students at the University of Hue are
eager to try the system which in their opinion has been
responsible to a large degree for the economic and
political position of the United States in the world of
today.
Fortunately for me the Administrative Officers at the
University of Hue are very conscious of the evils of the
local system and gave me utmost cooperation and encouragement
to set up a model of the American system
in my classes and at the end of the year they asked my
students many pertinent questions. The responses were
heartwarming to me. Perhaps some of my former students
will chuckle when they hear some of them.
"She is tough." "She works too hard." "We work
harder in her course than in any other." "We have to
study ,1\1 year around in there and not just at the end
of the year."
But they also said, "We have never learned so much in
one course before." "You have to both know the facts
and to understand them in that course." "The system of
marking is fairer."
I am sure they said many other things also! But these
are the ones that were music to my ears.
Now that I am back at Western Maryland College
after another year abroad r am even more firmly convinced
that, in spite of all its faults, our system of
education which provides equal opportunities for success
for those who have ability and apply themselves and
which emphasizes understanding and not just rote memory
is the superior one, not only for us, but also for
undeveloped countries that are struggling to attain a
stable democratic government and a higher standard
of living.
Isabell. lioljer is Jlrofessor of biology. She was oisiti'}g professor of bi'(!/ogy (II the University of flue, Vietnam, on a Smith-Mundt Act grant
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