The problem with gating classes is that it makes life difficult for students who self-studied the lower-level material. The UC Berkeley math department does not enforce prerequisites, which made my life a lot easier, since I already knew most of the material for the lower division classes despite never having taken equivalent classes, and was able to skip directly to the classes that were at a more appropriate level. So I wouldn’t suggest having strictly gated classes, although it might make sense to put in weaker filters to weed out the students who really don’t have the necessary background (e.g. ”… or consent of instructor”)
At some universities, at least, it’s possible to test out of many class requirements. This is easiest to implement with math classes, but I think creating tests that gauge proficiency in logic shouldn’t be that hard. Probably easier than creating a meaningful test for familiarity with the works of various philosophers.
I was going to say that the problem from the instructor’s point of view is deciding whether the student really has the necessary background, but Desrtopa is probably right that some sort of testing system could be set up.
In one sense, I agree that there shouldn’t be any gating. It is overly-paternalistic. Students should be allowed to risk taking advanced classes as long as they don’t gripe about their failures later. But on the other hand, the actual result that I see in my classes is that many—and here I mean maybe as many as half—of the students in upper-division courses are not prepared to do philosophy at that level. They don’t know how to engage in discussion appropriately or productively; they don’t know how to write clearly or criticize arguments effectively; etc. If they only affected themselves, I could put up with it. But they don’t affect only themselves, they affect the other students as well.
If you’re going to back off on the gating, you need to provide sufficient guidance to the students on what they will practically need to know that they can make an informed choice. I took a course in baroque music that went very badly. If I had known how much music theory I would have to have, and how much facility I would have to have with it, I would not have taken the course.
The problem with gating classes is that it makes life difficult for students who self-studied the lower-level material. The UC Berkeley math department does not enforce prerequisites, which made my life a lot easier, since I already knew most of the material for the lower division classes despite never having taken equivalent classes, and was able to skip directly to the classes that were at a more appropriate level. So I wouldn’t suggest having strictly gated classes, although it might make sense to put in weaker filters to weed out the students who really don’t have the necessary background (e.g. ”… or consent of instructor”)
At some universities, at least, it’s possible to test out of many class requirements. This is easiest to implement with math classes, but I think creating tests that gauge proficiency in logic shouldn’t be that hard. Probably easier than creating a meaningful test for familiarity with the works of various philosophers.
I was going to say that the problem from the instructor’s point of view is deciding whether the student really has the necessary background, but Desrtopa is probably right that some sort of testing system could be set up.
In one sense, I agree that there shouldn’t be any gating. It is overly-paternalistic. Students should be allowed to risk taking advanced classes as long as they don’t gripe about their failures later. But on the other hand, the actual result that I see in my classes is that many—and here I mean maybe as many as half—of the students in upper-division courses are not prepared to do philosophy at that level. They don’t know how to engage in discussion appropriately or productively; they don’t know how to write clearly or criticize arguments effectively; etc. If they only affected themselves, I could put up with it. But they don’t affect only themselves, they affect the other students as well.
If you’re going to back off on the gating, you need to provide sufficient guidance to the students on what they will practically need to know that they can make an informed choice. I took a course in baroque music that went very badly. If I had known how much music theory I would have to have, and how much facility I would have to have with it, I would not have taken the course.
Good point.
So, we have a few alternatives:
No filters at all.
Full gating (if you didn’t went through the prerequisite courses, you’re out).
Instructor’s approval.
Entry tests.
Big warnings about prerequisites.
I think the best way is probably a mix:
If you took (and passed) the prerequisite courses, you can enter.
Otherwise, you pass the entry test (if available).
Above some threshold, you can enter.
Below some threshold, you’re toast.
Between them, you need instructor approval.
The idea is to make prerequisite courses optional, while keeping the actual proficiency of the prerequisite material mandatory.