Jane Street intern applications (episode sponsor): https://jane-st.co/internships2027-NumberphilePod

Appreciate the episode talking with an actual Professor affected by this. Imagine having to pause a calc 2 class to explain y=mx+b

Forcing more advanced students into classes with less prepared ones is not just a disservice to both, but to society as a whole. It just leads to worse outcomes overall than if everyone were taught at their level.

Completely MASTERFUL analysis and presentation of perhaps the most critical issue in education today (USA is all I can speak for)!!!  AND kudos to a "Brit" for such insightful and skillful weaving of interview questions...... truly!

appreciate the video recordings for us youtube fans

Yay finally
I love Numberphile podcast
And it's nice to see Zvezda again

just starting the vid.  it's gonna be a great one, thank you

Great video!

I didn't have too many issues with students unprepared for the class when I was in college (maybe I was the one?!). I do remember two:

An intro to electrical engineering class, very basic 101, person in the very front asking very basic questions. They ended up asking about something very fundamental to the class near the end of the semester and the professor, annoyed after months of this, told them if they didn't understand by this point, maybe they need to retake the class, and went on without answering.

I took a CAD class for a new program (to me) at the local community College when I was between jobs. Obviously, I was overqualified for a 101 class, but I could add the software to my resume. EVERY class started with a couple of people who didn't understand last week's class/homework taking up 15-20 minutes, making the rest of us wait there for to learn the lesson we came to the class for. Do that after class!

The pandemic doesn't seem like enough to explain it.

oh, I thought this will be about SATisfiability problems

Fascinating.  I did well in both the math and verbal sections.  I wasted time in math and science courses I wasn't really prepared for and didn't really want.  It happens.

After watching the full episode I have to agree with the professor.

My issue with this “debate” is that it quickly devolves into a culture war issue where people show their real bigoted faces instead of actually expressing an interest in improving education all. Just because you got a certain score on a test does not entitle you to a spot at ANY university.

Really the big question we should be asking is “how can we improve the K-12 education system for all?” A high school graduate should be able to do high school mathematics and read and write at a high school level. The fact that we are giving kids diplomas who cannot do so is concerning. This ends up affecting us as a society at large, because a poorly educated citizenry is not equipped to properly engage with politics and their community members to the fullest benefit.

a grim state of affairs

Amen to high school grade inflation! My college teaches dually enrolled students. The high school teachers who teach the same math courses on their high school campuses have twice the pass rates of those same courses taught on the college campuses. The high school grading standards are lax, to say the least.

When did universities/colleges become job placement agencies and not centres of higher learning and academia? People go to unis to "get better jobs" rather than to learn and study a subject deeply.

Wow shocking, who could have possibly predicted this would happen… 🤔I wonder about the backgrounds (and other key traits) of most of the problematic students, but I think I could make a pretty decent guess…

Do Australians pronounce "floor" and "flaw" the same way?

Honestly, I didn't realize the UCs went completely test blind and still are. Personally, I don't like the fact that "SAT prep tutoring" has become a whole industry, because I think it incentivizes some students (or their families more likely) to learn specifically how to do well on the SAT rather than the actual topic. On the other hand, I remember on my college applications that SAT/ACT/AP tests were the easiest ways to demonstrate my aptitude in certain subjects beyond high school grades. I don't know if there are any other broadly applicable ways to demonstrate higher level knowledge and skill; like, high school students can start taking some college courses or certification programs or colleges can interview students, but I don't imagine those will be equitable or easy, as pointed out in the interview.

Also, I think I might be even more concerned about the problem with college application personal essays. Is there any way for students to demonstrate any sort of personality?

I thought this was going to be about the Boolean Satisfiability Problem, like 3-SAT.

You are an exceptional teacher. Thank you for sharing your views on the current education rules.

You are an inspiration ❤