Is this a good idea? We should be thinking about what it is students should take away from a required course in the humanities and in the sciences. We might call it trivia training, but maybe the best thing for them and for us is testing students–by both scantron and oral examinations–to see if they got the basic facts. There will be those who want to go farther and deeper. These can be directed to upper level courses. And in these much smaller environs, essay writing and sustained analysis have the blessing of smaller classes. Professors and instructors can then spend more productive time in offering feedback. I would still recommend oral exams there as well. In an age where more and more is being done via video chat and messaging, it is important to know how to speak well.
College papers: Students hate writing them. Professors hate grading them. Let’s stop assigning them..