Megan, Ben and Josh discuss the Warner Brothers sale, the search for a liberal concept of "the good," and the rise of implausible disabilities at elite universities.
On the topic of timed tests: During my many years as a student, I almost never needed more time to take a test than was allowed. Most of the time I knew the material well enough that I could get through the test quickly; a few times such as organic chemistry, I did so poorly that extra time would not have helped. On the rare occasions when I did need more time, it used to infuriate me.
Organic chemistry is a good example. A more helpful way to support students with various attentional and processing challenges (not implying this was you) is to offer lecture materials in different formats, such as providing notes of the slides, access to recorded lectures for review, study guides, and tools (like
Those wooden building kits for organic chem) to help students prepare more effectively for graded work. My understanding is that these options have only increased since 2019, and adding 1.5x or more time on tests doesn’t help a student who doesn’t understand the material or understands it but isn’t prepared for how a particular class will assess their mastery of the material.
Great episode. The misuse of accommodations for genuine cognitive, emotional, and physical disabilities to inflate grades is deeply troubling. It misuses a system designed to level the playing field for those with legitimate impairments by allowing them to perform in appropriate environments. Instead, families of means exploit this privilege by obtaining neuropsychological tests or similar documentation to justify accommodations like extra time on tests.
As Ben mentioned, extra time alone is often not even a helpful accommodation for ADHD; kids need test-taking strategies to address areas of weakness.
The examples of someone blind being a pilot, etc., don't convince me because you can't be a pilot or a surgeon if you're blind, though you could become an attorney. My friend, a visually impaired attorney, completed law school and passed the bar exams using braille and other assistive technologies through sheer determination.
Now, professors I know are burdened with it becoming their problem when the test center capacities for accommodations are overfilled and then forced to find time in their schedules to give exams at different times to accommodate students. The university administration is to blame for this out-of-control problem.
Then, it is understood that entitled undergrad students, with or without accommodations, email to complain and negotiate for grade inflation, sometimes cc'ing higher-ups. This problem has gotten worse since 2019.
Thanks for bringing more attention to this issue. It affects the next generation of workers and leaders, who are not learning how to work hard or lead.
This is such a great show. Everyone pulls their weight and the chemistry is wonderful
Josh and Megan backing their way into an argument for religion.
I'm not sure Megan is backing her way in
Josh is such a gloriously gay man New Yorker, >150 friends but he doesn't know which side of the road we drive on.
The actual reason to drive on the right is so motorcyclists can wave to each other with the non-throttle hand.
On the topic of timed tests: During my many years as a student, I almost never needed more time to take a test than was allowed. Most of the time I knew the material well enough that I could get through the test quickly; a few times such as organic chemistry, I did so poorly that extra time would not have helped. On the rare occasions when I did need more time, it used to infuriate me.
Organic chemistry is a good example. A more helpful way to support students with various attentional and processing challenges (not implying this was you) is to offer lecture materials in different formats, such as providing notes of the slides, access to recorded lectures for review, study guides, and tools (like
Those wooden building kits for organic chem) to help students prepare more effectively for graded work. My understanding is that these options have only increased since 2019, and adding 1.5x or more time on tests doesn’t help a student who doesn’t understand the material or understands it but isn’t prepared for how a particular class will assess their mastery of the material.
I am stunned that neither Herzog nor Singal have been on yet.
As someone who is also a big fan of the rug power washing videos, I highly recommend checking out the vintage poster restoration videos.
Great episode. The misuse of accommodations for genuine cognitive, emotional, and physical disabilities to inflate grades is deeply troubling. It misuses a system designed to level the playing field for those with legitimate impairments by allowing them to perform in appropriate environments. Instead, families of means exploit this privilege by obtaining neuropsychological tests or similar documentation to justify accommodations like extra time on tests.
As Ben mentioned, extra time alone is often not even a helpful accommodation for ADHD; kids need test-taking strategies to address areas of weakness.
The examples of someone blind being a pilot, etc., don't convince me because you can't be a pilot or a surgeon if you're blind, though you could become an attorney. My friend, a visually impaired attorney, completed law school and passed the bar exams using braille and other assistive technologies through sheer determination.
Now, professors I know are burdened with it becoming their problem when the test center capacities for accommodations are overfilled and then forced to find time in their schedules to give exams at different times to accommodate students. The university administration is to blame for this out-of-control problem.
Then, it is understood that entitled undergrad students, with or without accommodations, email to complain and negotiate for grade inflation, sometimes cc'ing higher-ups. This problem has gotten worse since 2019.
Thanks for bringing more attention to this issue. It affects the next generation of workers and leaders, who are not learning how to work hard or lead.