No. 12, June 2022.
The virtual meeting of the D-section graduates began with stories and jokes until someone remembered the incident that occurred in the marketing class, and for the next half hour nothing else was discussed. The mood of a course that was going very well suddenly dropped. Why. When the course professor asked me this question outside of class, I responded that the concepts in the second part of the course were not as clear as those in the first part.
And it was true, but it was not the whole truth. The professor had made a cold call to a student who had already had to start another class. The other 91 students were silent.
What could cause such a vivid incident that merits so much commentary among colleagues who have not met in 50 years?
These four aspects define the classroom culture. If the teacher gives the floor to students who interrupt, others will start interrupting, and an orderly discussion can turn into chaos.
In the discussion method, unlike the lecture method, the contract is reciprocal. The professor can set the rules of the game, but there are limits: the students should accept them. In the marketing class that was the cause of so much discussion among graduates, the students had already become accustomed to the ritual procedure: a different class member was called upon to start the class once and only once. When the professor broke this unwritten rule, the trust that had developed between the two parties collapsed.
The contract is not static; it evolves by tacit and reciprocal agreement between the parties. In the early sessions of a course, students will expect the teacher to guide them with specific questions; as the group matures, a less directive style may be adopted. If the teacher is aware of the existence of the contract and how it can change over time, he/she will be better able to achieve and maintain a productive balance with the students.
