Whose fault is that?

I am going to try to avoid making this a rant.

I was talking to one of my colleagues, who also teaches at a public comprehensive university program, as so often happens we were discussing organic chemistry students. The experts in medical education are calling for us to move away from rote memorization and toward demonstration of competency. We were lamenting the problems that students have when required to go beyond memorization and show that they can think their way around or through a problem.

To underscore his point that memorization rules the land, my colleague indicated that one of his fellow organicers publicly stated that their B grade organic students were generally better scientists than their A grade students. This is because, lacking memorization skills, the B students must think their way though the course, but the A students just memorize.

Thus, the title of this epistle. If we value the ability to go beyond memorization the course grades should reflect this!

Whew! I better stop before the ranting escapes and my head explodes. What's that I hear? Tis the siren call of the Dalwhinnie.

T.S. Hall

P.S. The distillers of Dalwhinnie Single Malt Scotch in no way supported a plug for their product. (Although if a couple of bottles of 15 year double maturation found their way to my door I would provide them a good home.)