Student Complaints on Requiring External Sources
I have had several students complain that my requirement to utilize external sources is unnecessary if they understand and can relate to the material via their previous experiences. I try to explain that the goal in the education is to learn and build upon their experiences and this is a worthwhile effort.
Sarah,
I do like your suggestion to tie your explanation to real world examples. Helping students understand the reality and relevance of the learning process will help them build the necessary 21st century skills they need to be successful.
Herbert Brown III
In addition to explaining that in taking the class students are expected to build on what they already know I've found it helpful to tell them that if they were presenting a topic in a meeting or writing a report on something at work they would be expected to consult with experts and materials of some kind to back up what they said - information from an accounting department or research in their field - and that a supervisor wouldn't always accept personal experience alone.
It is a struggle sometimes to convince students that this is worth their time and effort.
-Sarah
One of the things that I make sure to explain to the students early on in the course and reinforce weekly is that the main purpose of taking a class is to learn new information rather than resubmitting information that has already been acquired previously.I have found that reinforcing this concept throughout the course has helped to overcome some student objections.
Frank Nolan
I always tell them that by using exactly the same materials that they have submitted for credits in the past, they will not learn any new knowledge. Alternative, I ask them to use previous paper as a springboard for acquiring a new knowledge. They previous work will give them idea about the topic. Another reason that learners should use materials that have been previously submitted for credit is that requirement of the current assignment might differ from the assignment on which the previous paper was based.
The goal is to get students to find and use sources outside of themselves. Their opinion alone, without supporting documentation, is insufficient at the collegiate level.
Rob, I agree with your comments. Often students do not understand the importance of using sources that fall into the realm of acceptable sources. They tend to go for easy access external sources. Learning to locate sources that are quality and to do so in an efficient manner is important. At the same time, working to increase understanding and use of Library sources is vital as well.
Stephanie, interesting issue; we sometimes have the opposite problem (using ONLY external sources!), but this one is very valid. I try to convey that knowing is important, but being able locate information from outside sources in an efficient manner is absolutely vital.
Stephanie,
Exactly right. Keep up the good work.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
