Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Is Science Education Dying In America?
Parableman is wondering.
Now, if you are a student, all of whom, myself included, are a bit more interested in the Friday night beer bash than the Monday morning class -- what major are you going to chose? The one where you can say pretty much anything and pass or the one where you have to actually work and learn?
Check it out. China passed us sometime in the mid-1980's and the growth rate in number of degrees granted is much higher. The trend is similar for graduate school, and also for the natural sciences generally, not just engineering....I do think this says something about education in America, but not necessarily science education. Science is, frankly, antithetical to much of what is taught in the humanities today. In literature courses we hear about truth being relative and in the eye of the beholder -- science remains the search for the truth. Either f=ma or it doesn't. Force is not one thing to me and another to you. Either you correctly calculate the molecular weight of sulfuric acid, or you do not. Your professor will not give you a good grade for your "creative and unique insight" if you decide that molecular weight is an oppressive concept designed to constrain molecules to a predetermined set of molecular norms and mores.
...Again, I'm not too sure what to make of all this. I don't have a fundamental problem with having lots of foreign postdocs and faculty members, but I wonder if it says something about our science education. I'll be interested in comments.
Now, if you are a student, all of whom, myself included, are a bit more interested in the Friday night beer bash than the Monday morning class -- what major are you going to chose? The one where you can say pretty much anything and pass or the one where you have to actually work and learn?
