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What metrics would you use to determine quality of education? (I assume, like me, this is what you were hoping this article would be about.)

keiferski 14y ago
Hmm, well off the top of my head: - Affordability. Not necessarily low prices, but reasonable prices. - Quality of education, in terms of teaching skill, breadth of courses offered, and the like - Strength of student community (clubs, etc.) - Location of the school (rural schools bore me) - Background of students (I like schools with students from the world over) - Location of students post graduation. I dislike schools where most of the graduates never leave the area.
- kintamanimatt 14y ago
  That wasn't quite what I was meaning! :-) What I was really meaning is, what metrics would you use to determine the quality of teaching not necessarily just the overall quality of experience?
  - keiferski 14y ago
    Hmm that's a tougher question. The big thing in my mind is having a sincere interest in the subject and the charismatic ability to get students interested in it. Most professors don't really give a shit whether their students like the subject. Also, the willingness to go beyond bureacratic systems in the name of intellectual interest. In other words, talking about X because your students are fascinated by it, not sticking to the curriculum 100% of the time and talking about Y. Sorry for bad sentence form, on my phone.
    - kintamanimatt 14y ago
      Perhaps I should further qualify the question, and this is how I possibly should have phrased it in the beginning: how do you determine quality of teaching before enrolling?
      - keiferski 14y ago
        Well I suppose you could ask the people already there and see what they have to say. Along with visiting and the usual stuff. Otherwise, what can you do?
        kintamanimatt 14y ago
        I think it's an interesting question in many respects. Those that are there already might not have the necessary experience and knowledge to correctly determine the quality of education being offered. I assume education's like headphones: if you've never had headphones before it's hard to know whether the ones you have suck, unless you've had the opportunity to experience many others kinds.

keiferski 14y ago

Hmm, well off the top of my head: - Affordability. Not necessarily low prices, but reasonable prices. - Quality of education, in terms of teaching skill, breadth of courses offered, and the like - Strength of student community (clubs, etc.) - Location of the school (rural schools bore me) - Background of students (I like schools with students from the world over) - Location of students post graduation. I dislike schools where most of the graduates never leave the area.

kintamanimatt 14y ago
That wasn't quite what I was meaning! :-) What I was really meaning is, what metrics would you use to determine the quality of teaching not necessarily just the overall quality of experience?
- keiferski 14y ago
  Hmm that's a tougher question. The big thing in my mind is having a sincere interest in the subject and the charismatic ability to get students interested in it. Most professors don't really give a shit whether their students like the subject. Also, the willingness to go beyond bureacratic systems in the name of intellectual interest. In other words, talking about X because your students are fascinated by it, not sticking to the curriculum 100% of the time and talking about Y. Sorry for bad sentence form, on my phone.
  - kintamanimatt 14y ago
    Perhaps I should further qualify the question, and this is how I possibly should have phrased it in the beginning: how do you determine quality of teaching before enrolling?
    - keiferski 14y ago
      Well I suppose you could ask the people already there and see what they have to say. Along with visiting and the usual stuff. Otherwise, what can you do?
      - kintamanimatt 14y ago
        I think it's an interesting question in many respects. Those that are there already might not have the necessary experience and knowledge to correctly determine the quality of education being offered. I assume education's like headphones: if you've never had headphones before it's hard to know whether the ones you have suck, unless you've had the opportunity to experience many others kinds.