By
Lisa Bauer, on October 12, 2010, at 7:03 am
About a month and a half ago The Quixotic Man posted an article criticizing the use of the GRE in admissions decisions to graduate degree programs. I left a comment there, but recent conversations with fellow faculty members at an institution where I teach, as well as one with a NYCS board member at the Graham Priest lecture on Saturday September 11th, have spurred me to develop the comments I posted on TQM’s piece more comprehensively into my own post.
I want to start by first disclosing the following: 1) I took the GRE [the general test twice, and the psychology subject test once], 2) I have been both denied admission to graduate programs (master’s level and doctoral level) and admitted to graduate programs (master’s and doctoral level), all from roughly the same ‘caliber’ of institutions, 3) I am a graduate student of quantitative methods in education and psychology, and 4) I have taught courses in measurement and assessment in these areas (u-grad/intro level). I say all of this not to add or subtract credibility from my views, but to express that, while this article is my opinion, it is an opinion based on personal, professional and academic experience. … continue reading this entry.
By
Lisa Bauer, on September 3, 2010, at 7:03 am
Lisa earning multiple "educations"
A few weeks back I posted an article in which I described observations I had made regarding the attitudes of undergraduate students towards their education. Page later posted a follow up in response to some of the comments the article had received. I too noted an apparent misunderstanding of what I was proposing in the comment content, and offer the following; The Oz Fallacy Fallacy; the perception that my article on the Oz Fallacy was a suggestion that an education is a valueless or futile exercise.
My original intent was to express my concern that people were confusing the aim of higher education to be the acquisition of a degree. Yes, many probably do hope to earn a degree. I myself have collected a few thus far, and I am nowhere near ‘done’. But the aim of higher education is the acquisition of an education; a degree merely symbolically represents that some standard level of an education has been achieved. … continue reading this entry.
By
Page, on August 13, 2010, at 7:03 am
On Tuesday, Lisa Bauer introduced us to the “Oz Fallacy,” the belief that the simple possession of a symbol of a skill or talent equates with the possession of that skill or talent. Using the petitioners of the Great and Powerful Oz to illustrate this point, Lisa pointed out that the tokens bestowed on the story’s heroes by the Wizard merely symbolized their gifts, not unlike how a diploma is a symbol of formal education. She went on to make the point that possession of a diploma, of any sort, is not a guarantee that the holder also possesses intelligence.
It is an illustrative analogy and an absolutely valid point. However, I was left feeling somewhat uncomfortable by the tone of the comments that the post produced on the Gotham Skeptic and on the Facebook site for NYCS. And thought it was worth developing my response in a post rather than as an additional comment (‘cause I can).
Many of the comments reduced Lisa’s argument to something along the lines of:
[Diplomas]… are supposed to be “proof I know what I am talking about”. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. To often, this just means, “I was well off enough to get myself into a good school.” … continue reading this entry.
By
Lisa Bauer, on August 10, 2010, at 7:03 am
The Scarecrow, Doctor of Thinkology
In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy, the scarecrow, the lion and the tin man all seek something of particular value and importance from the wizard. Dorothy wishes to go home, the tin man wishes for a heart, the lion wants to be courageous and the scarecrow would like to have a brain. In the end, [and for those who haven't seen this iconic film, spoiler alert] the wizard “grants” these requests. However, in a rather dissatisfying fashion, he bestows upon everyone but Dorothy mere symbols of the virtues they desire. … continue reading this entry.