HAVE YOU HEARD THIS BEFORE?

STUDENT: “Well to me, it is up to the professor to motivate me. I mean, I want to learn the material and all, but sometimes the material is so boring and the professor goes on and on about meaningless things.”

PROFESSOR: “Our biggest problem here is that students are not motivated. They just don’t seem to care, they are not interested in learning; only in grades. I can’t teach students like this.”

WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?

We have all encountered students anxious about grades to the exclusion of a love of learning, and for whom it feel there is no life beyond grades. And, ironically, students often accuse instructors of not encouraging the same intrinsic aspects of learning which instructors, in their turn, lament that students have come to disregard!

Can intrinsic educational goals such as subject-matter appreciation coexist, let alone flourish, in the face of a performance ethic based only on grades? Indeed, can there be life beyond grades for our students?

The answer is “Yes”. Our book, Life Beyond Grades, provides a blueprint for developing college and other courses whose highest priority is to encourage the twin goals of subject-matter mastery and the will to learn over a lifetime. The approach is theoretically sound and practically-oriented. This blueprint has been developed in real-life academic settings across a range of subject-matter disciplines, including the social sciences, the physical and life sciences, and the humanities.

To purchase the book (in soft or hard cover or Kindle versions) or request an examination copy, see the Life Beyond Grades page at Cambridge University Press.

In the meantime, you may want to learn more about the book or gain access to supplementary materials not included in the book.

For example, you may wish to learn about the  steps comprising the course design blueprint for promoting a love of learning among your students.

Second, learn about the wide range of purposes and diverse audiences which can be accommodated by principles taught in this book. One or more of these possibilities may suit your needs. Learn how others are using the book, its big ideas, and suggestions to engage their students.

Third, find out about the experiences of instructors, aspiring faculty members, and staff as they apply these principles to course and curriculum design. Learn how Life Beyond Grades has benefitted their teaching and professional goals.