Comment

University classroom is not a site of talk show

By Ruo Chen (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-10 10:18

At the end of each semester, students are asked to assess their teachers' performance. According to my observation, many students feel classroom teaching is dull and boring. They hope teachers can bring more fun and passion to the classroom. Strict teachers, no matter how well they excel in academic fields, have always received a low evaluation score.

This phenomenon is not unique to my university. China Youth Daily reported on Feb 4 that a respectful Chinese professor from a famous university in Beijing ranked bottom in students' assessment.

Reporters discovered a subtle change in teacher-student relationship in universities. To "court" their students, some teachers choose to cut teaching content and tell humorous stories in class.

Common sense tells us that knowledge cannot be acquired by a snap of finger. It requires endless effort and hard work. With students' requirements for teachers growing higher, diligent teachers with a solemn face are suffering frustration. I wonder whether Confucius had been asked by his disciples to season his teaching with humor as well.

How it has becomes like this then? Neil Postman's book Amusing Ourselves to Death may offer some answers: "One impact of electronic and digital images on the print media is that they have brought visual enjoyment to people."

Thanks to the efforts of TV and Internet, news, politics, sports, business, culture and academics have all become entertaining. I am afraid classroom teaching will have to follow the road of entertainment as well.

Neil Postman said teachers from elementary school to university in US are trying to strengthen visual stimulation, while reducing reading and writing assignments. Education officials also held that the combination of TV, print and computers could cultivate high-level competence.

While campus life could never be immune from social trends, it is still inappropriate to turn a classroom into a site of talk show. Teachers are not TV hosts.

Moderate humor and passion may be necessary for teachers to arouse the interest to learn in their students, but it is the inheritance of knowledge and culture that really matters. It is the responsibility of teachers to open the window of critical thinking for students and enlighten them.

(Excerpts of a commentary that appeared on qianlong.com on Feb 9.)