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March 11, 2019
The article “Creativity in the Classroom” by Ernest L. Boyer is exciting and informative,
and the audience would appreciate his findings. The report presents the hypothesis and conclusions
that are in line with what most students go through and can relate to when in school. I find the
article accurate and a true representation of school life. The report provides information on the
issues that both lecturers and student go through to transmit and gain knowledge respectively. The
report highlights two primary ideas that are remarkable and worth considering. Firstly, the author
states that learning is an active process and not passive. Secondly, students value high grades and
conform to any approach that guarantees success as opposed to the actual learning process.
However, if some lecturers understand the need for active learning while the students are after high
grades, it is possible to combine active learning with students’ goals as a formula for upper grades.
The author states that genuine learning occurs when there is active participation in the
classroom as opposed to passive learning. Active learning is the process by which professors
engage the minds of the student as opposed to memory in the educative process (Boyer, p. 86).
Such a method allows the students to learn as the primary agents of discovery and not the teacher.
According to Boyer, the lecturers should promote a participative classroom for all students by not
only focusing on the most verbal or aggressive. When all students participate, the learning process
is enjoyable, and it leaves little or no room for “spectator” students. The author goes ahead to
highlight that in some classroom environments, one gender dominates over the other. Men
overshadow women because they participate more in class, and therefore, they gain the most
recognition. In contrast, women remain silent and only approach the teacher after the class
although they submit exceptional written work. Thus, lecturers must consider active learning as
the most effective teaching mechanism, and the teacher must engage both genders.
The author’s research is in line with the experiences I have had all my life. In most
institutions, one can tell the most talkative students in a class early in the term. Ordinarily, male
students always raise their hands in class, and they engage the teachers during the lessons either
by asking questions, offering an opinion or even answering a question. While the lecturers enjoy
the interaction with the learners, a few understand that it is only a selected number of students who
engage the teacher regularly. A tutor ends up asking a single student more than one question in a
specific lesson. Therefore, lecturers should connect with more students.
When asked which of the two learning approaches I prefer, I would choose active over
passive learning. Passive learning leaves little work for the student and makes the teacher the
“discovery agent.” Being a “discovery agent” means that a tutor or student is the source of
information and knowledge. I enjoy discovering new things, and that is why I prefer active
learning. Furthermore, passive learning is annoying, and I prefer an interactive classroom. Thus,
the author’s observations are similar to my experiences.
The author of the article begins by explaining the students’ preference for high grades in
gaining knowledge through a case study. In the case study, a psychology lecture had many
students, and over three hundred learners were still locating seats when the lesson began. Some
students paid attention, but the majority of the students undertook other activities such as reading
the newspaper and novels. Some minutes into the lecture, the lecturer stated that a specific term
would appear on the exam. All the students paid attention and took notes for the rest of the lesson.
According to the case study, the author makes a solid argument on the students’ motive of going
to class. Most students go for modules not to gain knowledge but to try and pass exams.
The author presents another observation that lecturers consider a 66 percent attendance rate
a success. Moreover, those that attend these classes have a short attention span, and within a few
minutes, some students lose concentration and focus. The author quotes a pre-med student, who
said that passing the Medical College Admission Test was the primary objective as opposed to
listening to the professor’s dissertation (Boyer, p. 83). Boyer gives another example of an honors
student whose aim, in school, was to gain a good GPA.
The writer makes bold statements about the students’ preference. I agree that some, if not
most, students are in school to attain high grades and pursue good jobs. In many school terms, I
have subjects with a significant number of students. Due to the number of students, there are
limitations on how much a student and the tutor can interact. As a result, the only intention is to
pass the examination and move on to the next course. Amusingly, some of these subjects are among
the most engaging and enjoyable. Nonetheless, the inaccessibility of the teacher makes it
impossible to study.
The article also emphasizes how important it is to consider the class size to make teaching
and learning processes consistent and efficient. The author mentions that classes in most research
universities might reach one hundred students or more (Boyer, p. 85). The research also discovered
that most freshmen classes are overloaded. It is critical to mention that most students do not mind
studying in such large groups. However, some students say that they would prefer studying in
Small classes suggest valuable advantages for teachers and students. For teachers, it is
easier to check the understanding of the material in a small group. Also, a teacher obtains more
opportunities to interact with the students in such a case. Many students also appreciate small
groups because they wish to participate in discussions which contribute to their understanding of
the subject and provide them with more possibilities to participate actively in a learning process.
Therefore, relatively small classes appear essential for the active learning approach.
Active learning is an approach that most instructors must use to promote academic
performance. With active learning, students can gain more knowledge and maintain their interest
in the lectures since they enjoy being part of the lessons and interacting with the teachers. The
strategy results in high grades and high classroom attendance for the students. Thus, it is possible
to establish active learning as a mechanism for better performance and to gather knowledge as
Boyer, Ernest. “Creativity in the Classroom.”
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