Words like Locomotive-dishtowel. He divided the students into two groups, asking the first group to try to remember the words by repeating them over and over and the second to associate them with pictures in their minds. Then he tested them. He flashed slide after slide of drawings by schizophrenics onto a large screen in the center of the stage, commenting on each as an art history professor might. Far from being stupid, idiotic or retarded, these people are extremely bright,'' he told the class, suggesting they not easily dismiss such people.
Some professors try to squeeze as many facts as possible into their lectures.
For Dr. Maas, the goal is to convey three or four concepts and entice students to seek more through the textbook and computer programs that accompany the course. For students who have questions, he uses a corps of more than 20 teaching assistants, available 12 hours a day. It is not unusual to find introductory psychology among the largest classes on a campus. It is a juicy topic for students seeking to understand themselves and the world. Even the best universities run large classes, some by star lecturers, although large usually means a few hundred students, not 1,600.