Flaws of the American Education System
Finally, after praising the system for such a long time for its flexibility, I'm gonna talk about a serious flaw in it. Group work. This happens in all systems but especially so as there are quite a number of group projects every semester. In a year it could total over 6 (2 for each semester).
So what is it bad about group projects? Some projects takes up lots of time, but the lecturers give little credit for it. And when it comes to group projects, there are bound to be conflicts when members refuse to do work. I'm not talking about our group now, cos although Ben and Ryan take damn long before they start on work, but when you force them, they come out with really good smoke screens to cover up their lack of participation.
At times, group projects in school could be worse than at work. Seriously, when you are at work, the team leader or the manager if a good one, would probably sack those who are not working. And if your group really sucks, you don't like it. Other than transferring of departments, there are possible routes such as changing jobs. Although its easier said than done, it's still possible. However, in school, you can't just sack your group members, can't just change your group. And most of the time, these people are your friends. So it's not easy to scold them - not inclusive of Ben and Ryan, cos they always get grumblings from KJ and I.
I just heard from a friend of how sucky their group is. I really pity the people doing the work. Because they were already limited in their knowledge in the subject, they needed the group effort to complete the project. But in the end, when members are not contributing, and you can't do the work by yourself, you suffer because of your group. So unless it is possible that they are able to vary marks based on effort, which is quite impossible, you need a very cohesive and enthusiastic team to work. Its a sad sight of a great system.
April 29th, 2007 at 2:02 am
Ahhh sorry man and to KJ also always pushing work on you guys. I’m not sure if your comment about me and ben smoke screening is positive or negative heh.
However, I am not too sure about this but I do not think that good managers would fire or throw someone off their team if the free-loading members are not pulling their weight the first time. It is more likely that they would fire the team member if that member has a consistent record of not doing anything. And sometimes you can’t fire a person because of various more complicated reasons and you have to use “soft” tactics as well.
Unless you’re the real boss of the company also (yeah yeah I know you will in the future) I don’t think you will also have much say in the group members that will be assigned to you and whether or not you can change out of your work group while you’re in the middle of your project right? So doesn’t the school system also simulate the flaws of the working system to a certain extent?
April 29th, 2007 at 10:04 am
But why just a flaw of the American Education System? The negative points you have raised apply anywhere and everywhere, just as your work analogy does.
April 29th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Ryan: Hahaha. It’s negative! Joking. Just bloody jealous I can’t smoke the lecturers. Anyway, sometimes soft tactics don’t work on some people. Leaving their team leaders to seek help from others. Not naming who. But yeah, tough luck on their team leaders.
Renhao: Ah hao ah. Read! I said because of the emphasis of group work in the system. That’s why the flaw is amplified.
April 30th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
An emphasis on group work eh. True. Even so, 1) Ryan is right you have to be high up to pull people in and throw them out as you please, and that groupwork simulates working conditions (actually it’s probably watered down already lor real work would likely be shittier) and 2) I thought they emphasized on class interaction and research papers.
Those freaky things. Brrr…
Ok la they don’t emphasize on RPs. But you say emphasize on group work… SG Unis also got 1001 group projects what. You should know we’re having it a million times easier than them liao lor.
May 1st, 2007 at 5:17 pm
no la… my sis dun have so many group work..we have more group work than them.. cos even our assignments are some times grouped… and i said u have to be the manager wat…
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:52 am
Although education doesn’t really fully simulate what you get when you’re working, it teaches you how to handle situations. Better to learn from your mistakes in school than when you’re in the workforce eh?
Hence, in a way, I think SOME people do learn how to work with others when they graduate. This happens everywhere - I know of such cases in SMU or even NTU where “their” reputation was so so so bad ( being a group member ) that when you come to the Professor and mention the person’s name, THEY KNOW WHATS WRONG ALREADY. A typical behavior of that person in SMU is to just appear at the first meeting and at the presentation!
Guess what? All of them have already graduated.
Will write again later, after the exams! :p Need to finish my lecture videos!