Group assignment / project - What for?

I am not sure whether any of my students has ever wondered why they are required to do so many types of "assignment", they have individual assignment, then group assignment, then don't know what project etc. Why bother calling them by different names, aren't they all the same in essence, i.e. WORK!

Well, at least i did, as a lecturer.

Why so many forms of assessment activities? Is there a reason behind them? Or is it just there for varieties sake, to render our course "exciting"??

My conclusion is, it all depends on how one approaches the task.

Do you approach it as a mere cut-and-paste work, where each member of a group will go their separate way, source for information that is required for their part of the question, write it up, to be "combined" with the work of the rest of the group members by the deadline? This, in essence, amount to mere "cut-and-paste of individual assignments, with a new name given to it (i.e. group assignment)".

Or do you approach it as an opportunity to learn how to work with people who are different from you, to prick each other's brain over the issue at hand, discuss it, challenge and pull each other's hair out over the issues, before a final conclusion and consensus is made?

Often times, based on the way groups were formed, the content, language and flow of the final written submission, as well as the ignorance exhibited by the students, during the "group presentation" session, of their fellow members' area of work, it does seem to suggest more of the former.

It is indeed a sad observation.

What about the lesson of working as a group? Working with people whom you don't like? WOrking with people who seem more or less "proficient" than you? Working with people who are faster / slower than you? Providing / seeking assistance to / from others? Looking out for one another not just for the sake of the assignment, but for the well being of each other?

Well, sad to say, that is not part of the final assessment / marking scheme.

I have seen how students frowned when they are asked to "take in" students who were, somehow, "left out" in the entire grouping process. I have seen how students were so proud of their group when they made statement such as: Ours is a "strong group" (yes, those are the exact words some used).

Don't get me wrong. I do understand how frustrating it is to have members who just don't do anything, while expecting to share the fruits of others' labour. I really do.

This is what i have to say to ALL:

Please be responsible and accountable to others. DO YOUR PART.
Please look out for one another. THe whole objective is not just to pass up a final written submission and score. It is about learning how to reach out to others, help each other out, provide platform for others to learn and improve.
Everyone is equal. WHether you think you are weak or strong, everyone has his / her own strengths and weaknesses, and hence, can and should learn from one another. To think that someone could not contribute, is an act of pride.

To be honest, i am quite confident that all my students will "score" in their group assignment. My desire is that such score will be a meaningful one, beyond marks and grades, impacting one's character and values. That is what i believe to be the main objective of group assignment.

We had a surgery 手术

Being the "best teacher", teaching the "most exciting" subject in town, is not easy.... i got to think of the best and the most exciting ways in maintaining my self-professed position as the "best teacher", and my subject the "most exciting" subject.....you know what i mean????

Well, i did something "brilliant" this morning. I gave my students an impromptu quiz, focusing mainly on the application of the various accounting concepts which they have (i hope) learnt and professed to have understood.

As i was walking around the classroom feeling very pleased with myself, i saw a student scratching his head. "Why? Any problem?" i asked.

"No la. Just don't know how to explain for this question....i know the answer, but don't know how to explain only."

Hmmm....very interesting remark. That is a bit of a problem there, isn't it?

At the end of the quiz and after going through the answers with my students, i asked:" How many of you have the problem of knowing something, yet finding it difficult in saying it out / expressing it?"
Quite a number of hands were raised.
"How many of you, after i have gone through and explained the answers, have this in mind: Ya lor ya lor, that is exactly what i have in mind, miss Tham you said it all!?"
Quite a number of hands were raised, accompanied with agreeing nods.
"How many of you, after i have gone through and explained the answers, have this in mind: Huh? Oh, is that why? I actually thought it was something else....."
A few hands raised again.
"How many of you, who initially thought that you understood, discovered that you actually don't after i have explained and gone through the answers with you?"
A number of hands raised again.

It is indeed an intersting observation.

Why do i asked ?

I told my students, when they find themselves having difficulty in expressing what they know, or discover at one point or another that what they thought they know, turned out not to be the case......., that is a GOOD sign.

Don't get me wrong, that's not because i derive great pleasure in "exposing" other's ignorance.

I told my students, it is a good sign because you actually discover something important about yourself! Otherwise, you would be living under that deception forever....such discovery serves as a wake-up call, an area which you must do something about.

If your problem is the difficulty in expressing what you know (which, by the way, is a SERIOUS one. What is the point of understanding something when you can't tell people about it, right? Can you imagine going to your lecturer and say: Miss, you must give me a high distinction, because i actually know all the answers one, i just don't know how to say it on the answer script only?), you got to do something to overcome that. Is it a language problem? Or is it a problem of getting the right word, and saying it the right way?

Your choice of word and the manner in which you express yourself is extremely important, and at times, may have a life-and-death kind of implication on yourself/others (if you don't get what i mean, try imagine a situation where your boss makes a wrong decision based on what you have written in the report, costing the company it's entire wealth!).

If your problem is self-deception (i.e. thinking that you know when you actually don't), you got to find out on what basis did you get that impression or belief. Is it based on your ability in regurgitating the definition of the subject matter? Or your ability in answering the exam questions which are so similar to the revision questions that you have been diligently practising? Or because everybody says you are smart?..... You get what i mean?

Why do i give them the surprise quiz? Is it for the marks?

No....in fact, i have never intended to include their marks as part of their assessment. It is intended as a "surgery", to expose the true condition of one's state of being.

So, to all my dear students, let's remove all the deadly tumours which your surgery has exposed, and go on the path of recovery! It is a matter of life and death!

A matter of decision

I spent the whole of last week discussing examination questions and answers with my students. After a whole tiring session of explaining and exploring the "whys" to the errors made by students, i threw a surprise question to my students:"What do you think of accounting? Is it interesting? Boring? Relevant or going to be relevant to the life out there? Is it merely a study of techniques and formats ?....."

I received different types of response, but there is this response that i particularly appreciate and find it meaningful: Miss, it is boring and tiring, and i have no interest or whatsoever!
"What do you mean?" was my immediate response.
"Don't know la, just that whenever i am in the class, i feel tired."

Hmm....this is the best response i have ever received....don't get me wrong, i am not saying that i derive great pleasure in seeing my students suffer in agony, not at all. It's just that, such is the "reality" that is prevalent among so many of us, whether it is our study, work, family or any other areas of our life.

Honestly, i am absolutely clueless as to what i can say in response to that student of mine. But surprisingly, something actually came out of my mouth, not in defense of myself, but in great sincerity and conviction. This was what i told that student of mine:

"I appreciate your comment. It is honest and truthful. But such is life. In life we will face all sorts of situations which we may not be particularly comfortable in, or made to do things which we are not particularly "passionate" in or good at. The issue not about how we can avoid or get out of that, but more of how we must learn to handle such situation. Often times, situations surrounding us would never change to the way we would like it to be, but we must learn to handle it positively, and not let our "emotion" or "feeling" dictate our reaction or response. It boils down to your DECISION. Yes, it is a matter of decision, a decision made to face the situations, and to benefit from it.

In this case, what should you do? Whine and cry over the fact that you are tired and bored and not interested in the subject? Instead of letting your "feeling" control you and your "perception" of what accounting is kill your every bit of interest, why don't you take a step back, and begin to consider the things that you can learn out of this entire experience? It's not just "accounting" that we are learning here, but your thinking, analytical, communication and social skills that you can get out of this. It's a matter of decision of wanting to see this work, not about your feeling or emotion, but a conscious decision on your part."

Decision, decision, decision. That is what living your life requires, isn't it? A decision to love someone (yes, love is a decision, not just a feeling) knowing very well that there could be time when your sweetheart may momentarily act like a beast, a decision to climb the highest mountain knowing very well that there could be moments when you would wish that you are in the comfort of your bed, a decision to quit smoking knowing very well that there would be days when you may cringe and roll on the floor in pain, decision to respect someone knowing very well that he / she may get on your nerve soon....it is your decision that will enable you to pull through hard times when every bit of your "feeling and emotion" is screaming out in protest and agony. It is your decision that will bring you to the light at the end of the tunnel, not your feeling or emotion or ego or dreams or the lack of it.

I have made a decision to explore ways in teaching accounting more effectively. May God give me the strength to stand by that decision no matter what the situation is.

Forgetfulness - is that the real problem?

Last week was our mid-semester exam week. I was busy marking the answer scripts over the weekend, so that i can pass them back to my students this week, to be discussed and double checked during tutorial.
As i was heading to my first tutorial class this afternoon, with 20+ set of answer scripts with me, i bumped into two of my students who excitedly exclaimed: "Miss, no class today ah. You don't know meh? They all went to the parliament mah, so class cancelled lor. We are not Malaysian, so no need to go."

Hmm.....i vaguely remembered something about a parliament trip....i guess i must have been so overwhelmed by my "eagerness" in meeting my students this week concerning the exam answer scripts that it slipped my mind. Please note, i use the word "eagerness"....it spells "bad news"....

Anyway, i was grateful. Imagine walking into an empty class without a single clue of what is going on. That spells double portion of "bad news"......

"So miss, you must be very free lor, since got no class today."
Hmm....interesting remark.
"Well, since i am so free, would the two of you like to go through your answer scripts?" I offered.
"Ooh....yes, but so scary......"
So that was what we did.

I briefly went through their answers scripts, explaining where they have gone wrong, where they have lost their marks, and how they could have done much better....
Something intereseting came out of our discussion. One of the mistakes made one of the students was her failure in stating the date on which she "balanced-off the accounts".
I told them that such failure would render the entire entry wrong, and hence, zero mark.

"Wah...no mark....i forgot to put the date" was her remark.

Sensing that i would have done her injustice by just leaving the issue at that, i pursued further: "Do you know why i do not give you any mark although all the other workings are correct, and the only mistake you made is forgetting to put in the date?"

"Don't know." was the reply.

"That's because it's not your "forgetfulness" that i am looking at. It's beyond that. The question i have in mind is: Why do you forget? Your forgetfulness has nothing to do with the deficiencies in your brain cells nor your indiscipline in your studies. It reflects the extent of your appreciation and understanding, or the lack of it, of the importance of putting down the date. In another words, you basically do not understand and appreciate why you need to do so. To you, it is just one of the required steps in financial recording."

Hmmm.....such profound speech.....unfortunately, greeted by a confused and blank stare, as though telling me:"Huh? Understand? What is there to understand about putting down the date???"

Sensing such confusion, i added:" Do you know that when you understood something, you don't need to memorise it anymore? It will stick to you forever and it will become part of you. It's just like riding a bicycle. You must understand why you need to pedal, why you need to steer away, why you need to turn your body in certain way, and why you need to jam on the brake. Once you understood, you will be able to respond to all types of situations rightfully, without having to pull your hair out in trying to "remember" the right thing to do in a given situation. If you see a cow coming your way while riding a bicycle, i bet you will jam on your brake immedaitely, without having to "recall" what is the right thing to do in such situation, or whether your mother had actually taught you what you are supposed to do when a cow appears in front of you."

"Ha ha, i see what you mean miss.....i never look at my approach to studies that way....."

"Aren't you glad that you made such mistake in your exam? If not, we will never get to discuss about this issue isn't it? You may have obtained full marks because of your "good memory", but what is the use of that if you don't have understanding? Your academic achievement means nothing at all."

"Ummm..." agreed save for the part on being glad for making the mistakes.....

It was indeed a fruitful day. Who said there is no class today? I enjoyed mine with the two girls.

Such is the irony these days, the quest and pressure for high academic achievements (both by the students and the teachers) have often been so overwhelming that people tend to succumb or resort to all sorts of "funny" tactics and ways in obtaining it, at the expense of the pursuit of "understanding" which, to me, is one of the core fundamentals of what education is about.

All the best to my 2 girls.