[Uw-ruby] UW Ext Rails Course: Opinion on group projects

[Richard Leickly]

Philip was nice enough to send out his syllabus for the Rails class this
winter.  It is unlikely that I would enroll in it based on what I can
tell about the format.  The reason is that I am very pessimistic about
group projects.  I think a lot can be gained from working together, so
I'm not opposed to sharing ideas. But if the groups that Philip has in
mind will need to meet outside of class, then I'm not going to be able
to do it.  And if there is going to be a division of labor within the
groups, then we are faced with the obvious problem of attrition.  What
will the group do if someone drops the class?  I've been taking UW
Extension courses for 3 years, and there is always attrition.  My other
qualms are based on my personal experiences in college. The only good
group academic experience I ever had was when I was teamed up with a guy
who was extremely motivated (as was I).  All other experiences involved
colleagues not showing up, not doing anything, preferring to talk about
other things, ...well... you know how it goes. I don't know how
generalizable my experiences are.

I may be jumping the gun a bit here because of the lack of details about
what Philip has in mind. (I have not rec'd replies to my emails to him
yet.)  But if many of you feel the same way as me then it would be good
now to get these ideas out in the open. And if you don't feel that way ,
then I could use some encouraging words about why I should worry. Philip
may very well have considered these issues and come up with a workable
structure.  

Regards,
Richard Leickly
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