South Dakota university to offer 18-day intensive courses

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Updated 11:00 am, Sunday, November 19, 2017

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A university in western South Dakota is introducing an unconventional schedule for students interested in completing a college course in 18 days.

Black Hills State University-Rapid City will offer block courses for students who want to focus on and finish one subject at a time, the Rapid City Journal reported.

University officials said the offering will be the first of its kind in South Dakota.

Traditionally, college courses are held at different times based on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday or a Tuesday-Thursday schedule, and vary by semester.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/education/article/South-Dakota-university-to-offer-18-day-intensive-12369557.php

[caraher]

1. Not a totally new idea

https://www.coloradocollege.edu/basics/blockplan/

[LeftInTX]

2. We had something like this when I was in college in the 70s

The classes were held during our winter break and were 3 weeks long. They were fairly intensive. The courses were 3 credits maximum.
The downside is: If you have a class that you hate or is extremely difficult, you can't spread it out.

[caraher]

4. Lots of schools have these January or May terms

Though in many cases the courses are experimental/experiential in some way, rather than regular courses. You usually can't take much of your degree in that format.

[GatoGordo]

6. We called it a J Term. Held between Jan 2 and Jan 29. Intensive, 5 day per week course.

Nothing new

[Not Ruth]

3. I love this kind of college!

[hunter]

5. That's not going to work for any truly intensive subject matter...

... where the hours spent outside the classroom trying to understand the material exceed the classroom hours.

My college physics courses were that sort. I think a third of the class dropped out or flunked out over the course of the year; these were almost entirely students who'd had straight-A grades and near perfect SAT scores in high school who were learning for the first time that simply memorizing the material and regurgitating it later on a test wasn't adequate.

I remember plenty of science classes where I couldn't figure something out, where I'd ask the teaching assistant or professor to explain it to me during their office hours, and I still didn't quite get it until maybe a few days later I'd be running and enjoy that AH HA! moment.

Eighteen days doesn't allow for many of those moments. There just isn't enough time.

[crazycatlady]

7. It is a good way of knocking out required core classes not in your major

We had this when I was in college. They called it "Winterm"