Tackling lack of discussion in school

I am writing in regards to the opinion piece published by the university professor team in the Korea JoongAng Daily on Sept. 14. I definitely agree with the writer’s opinion and solution. There are a few reasons why I think that lack of discussion in Korean university classes is the problem. How can we solve these problems?

There are a few problems with lack of discussion in the classroom. First, lectures do not activate a student’s brain. One professor said that during class, most students’ brains work as much as they work while watching television programs. Obviously, without speaking, students can’t focus in class for long hours. Second, it will also affect the amount of knowledge that students obtain. More interaction between professors and students offers more thinking and knowledge. They can get the chance to listen to both the professor’s opinion and also other students’ opinions.

For the solution, I considered a few aspects. First, divide discussion time in class. Most Korean universities are more accustomed to one-way lectures between students and professors, so it will be tough to change the system immediately. However, if they start to separate the discussion time, they can get used to it quickly.

Second, make an evaluation paper for the class so that students can mark how much they are satisfied with the class. It can also let them rate how well the class relates to the discussion. At the bottom of the evaluation, students can also leave comments. Therefore, it will represent not only the lack of discussion problems but also recognize previously undiscovered problems that can be solved easily.

In conclusion, the lack of discussion causes many problems. These problems make students less satisfied with class and make them less active. I believe that solutions like dividing discussion time and marking an evaluation paper of the class can help solve these problems. I hope to see Korean classes overcome these problems soon.

by Baek Ji-soo, University student in Seoul