American Values and Beliefs
Ideas for Alternatives in the U.S. Classroom
| "Americans seem to have a preoccupation with grades." -ITA China |
Grades effect admissions decisions, job opportunities, societal opinions of that student. That is why some Americans focus on the grade and not necessarily on the learning aspects of the classes.
| "Americans are always so busy." -ITA India |
Be aware of student demographics, and know that students live busy lives. The demographics of American college students are quite different from those of other countries. Nearly half of all American college students are over age 25 and a majority (56%) are women. Nearly two-thirds of all U.S. high school students go on to attend college for at least some time, but only one student in six is the "traditional student," attending full-time, 18 to 22 years old, and living on campus. Most students have jobs. AT UT, 75% of our students work, and half of those jobs are full-time. This means that higher education is a part of students' lives, but it is probably not the most important part: work and family often overshadow education.
-Bernard W. Bopp, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning
