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> 'cling to a dying lecture/exam model that hasn't evolved for centuries' It dawned on me this week that Y Combinator itself is structured more like this 'dyin
by pjmorris 12y ago
> 'cling to a dying lecture/exam model that hasn't evolved for centuries'
It dawned on me this week that Y Combinator itself is structured more like this 'dying lecture/exam model', set in a physical place where 'students' and 'instructors' can interact directly rather than being intermediated by some app, screen or paper. If there is any group in any place who would be more likely to disrupt education by the application of high tech, I'd be surprised. That they adopt a model you say is dying suggests that there may be more life in it that might be expected.
- ihnorton 12y agoIndeed. Proximity facilitates our communication and judgement faculties in a way that is hard to replicate online (although it is a very interesting problem to contemplate). Is it possible to replicate the experience of following a professor out of a classroom and getting a summer research position from the ensuing conversation? The subtle cues and trust-building of both direct and group conversation? Video chat helps, but it's not the same. One small aspect: it seems easier to "turn off" a digital interaction.
- XorNot 12y agoLectures till aren't helpful most of the time though compared to practically any other form of instruction. I'd also wager that Y combinator has much smaller class sizes and is more like a tutorial then lectures.