Covering the business of education and training

An intro to Chemistry teacher admitted in a San Jose Mercury Newspaper to NOT KNOWING 90% of his students.

It could be because he has 500 students each in three lectures that he offers daily.

Or, it could be, that he has too many students.

And that's the quality education that UC Berkeley offers? 

The students he does meet he says, are the ones who take the iniative to come meet him. Gee, how nice.

I can't imagine giving a a grade to a name who's face I don't recoginize. It just doesn't make sense to me.

I understand that logistically this prof cannot know the names of 1500 students that change every 3 months. It is not the prof's problem. It's the school's problem.

The online education community takes a beating because it is too impersonal, students need to have face time with professors and spend time in physical buildings.

Uh, why? In the case of this Intro to Chem class...what's the difference, except that students have to go to class and listen/interact online instead of doing it from their dorm room or a coffee house.

I know all of my online students. Now, I will contradict myself - I don't know their faces...but I do know their personalities, their family situation (more than I care to sometimes) and the challenges they face daily.

The UC schools are beginning to offer classes year-round (what a novel idea!) and offer bonuses to faculty who will take on classes in the summer. Students at UC Davis are offered a credit for future classes.

What the UC schools and others like them need to do is to attend class at the foot of some of the fopros to find out how to better meet the needs of and prepare for their students.

What do you think?