The Five Minute University

Comment

Comment by Patrick Malone on August 31, 2009 at 9:45am

Paul,

I think the message for the education and training business is unless your subject matter has an immediate and consistent use in the learner's work environment, the knowledge or skill will dissipate rapidly over a short period of time. Comedy like this is funny because it has a basis in reality that is then exaggerated to the point of humor.

Comment by Paul Terlemezian on August 30, 2009 at 2:49pm

While earning my MS in math I had the honor of teaching Differential Equations to Freshman Chemical Engineering students. At one point a student asked me when they would use any of this on job. I thought that was a great question so later in the day I called a friend of mine who had earned a degree as a Chemical Engineer about 18 months prior and asked him the same question. There was a long silence...and then he admitted that he had done an integration once but that he had never done a differential equation on the job! I wonder if he has yet?

Comment by Mac M. Martirossian on August 30, 2009 at 9:04am

I don't know if I agree with the Father's POV.....recall is a life long issue and unless everyone masters Evelyn Wood's Memory Dynamics, we will struggle with any training we receive in a lifetime.

Comment by Patty Smitherman on August 29, 2009 at 8:51pm

Gosh! Is he right? Well, yes and no. As to the Spanish, people can remember a lot if put in the right context but without using what you've learned in any discipline, it becomes hard to have instant recall. I like this video!