$ 52.] Student Lectures. 175 disappointing. Occasionally a good seminary student can conduct an exercise in a large course to advantage. The difficulty in carrying on a systematic course of successive lectures by students, even the ablest, is that none of them has in mind the dimensions and relations of the whole subject; the lectures are apt to take the form of a lyceum course - each interesting, but none necessary to the understanding of any other. That student lectures may be effective in certain limited fields of historical study seems established by the result of a course on the History of Political Theories, with especial reference to the origin of American Institutions, which has for some years been conducted on these lines in connection with the Graduate School of Harvard University. It will be conceded that the circumstances under which this course has been given are peculiarly fortunate. It has been possible to admit to it mature men only, who, for the most part, were well acquainted with the course of American history, possessed some knowledge of English history, and had studied general history. Furthermore, it has frequently happened that one or more of the members of the course had already studied the general topic with a former instructor in some other institution. The instructor has usually delivered from twenty to thirty lectures at the beginning of the year on the origin of American institutions, - setting forth in detail the various theories on the subject, and tracing the history of several most important institutions or ideas; and on the underlying causes of the American Revolution, — elucidating the theories underlying the American system of government and calling attention to the historical origin of those theories first put to a practical test by the founders of the American Republic. Meantime some great political writer has been assigned to each student — men like Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, Jefferson. The student is thus given ample time to study the life and career of his author, to discover the method of his training, the circumstances under which the book was written, and the previous writers who influenced him. He also makes a thorough study of the works themselves so far as they bear on the subject in hand and expounds them to the class. The students have always taken a great interest in each other's work and have entered actively into the discussion. Free scope is given to each student. It is understood that he must (1) cover his subject to the satisfaction of the instructor, as a large portion of whatever credit is given for the course is based on the impression made on the instructor by the student in his lectures on his selected theme; (2) he must be prepared to defend the successive steps in his argument, the points in his narrative, or the interpretation of his author, against the criticisms of his fellow students as well as of the instructor; and (3) he must not weary his audience. The students are obliged to take notes of all the lectures, to read the books and topics studied, and to pass an examination on the whole work of the course. With a small class of advanced mature students this scheme has worked well. The training in the elucidation of difficult subjects to the satisfaction of a critical audience, the rubbing against earnest men from many universities in all parts of the country, is of great benefit to the student. The disadvantages of the method are that it takes about as much of the instructor's time in preparation as it would if he himself lectured; the students frequently waste the time of the class in discussing irrevelant matter and do not lecture so effectively as a more experienced person could; and finally it is a method to be adopted with great caution, as it is certain to fail with a class of more than twenty students, or with a small class of persons of very different grades of intelligence or attainment. § 53. Seminaries. The term "seminary method," and perhaps the thing itself, has been much abused in the United States. In Germany it has a perfectly distinct meaning: there it is a system of instruction of the most advanced students, in which the work is entirely original research, the necessary technical preparation for such work, and the examination and comparison of results. In that sense the word is employed also in the score of advanced institutions in the United States which have the three essential elements of the system-large libraries, trained instructors, and a body of advanced students. "Original work" is not necessarily seminary work: nor is a coöperative class necessarily a seminary. The system is in § 53.1 Seminaries. 177 applicable in most colleges. What is sometimes called "the seminary method" in secondary schools is really nothing but the use of sources, under competent direction; and combination of the results on some system likely to arouse interest and aid other members of the class. The aim of the seminary student is to exhaust his subject, to examine all the literature bearing on it, to say the last word and the aim in secondary or grammar schools must be to get as much as possible out of a very limited range of material. It is the difference between the comprehensive work of Mr. Gardiner on the English Commonwealth, and a magazine article on the execution of Charles I. So far as methods of research are applicable in schools, they will be considered below (§§ 67–72). : In the true seminary there are two systems in use. The first is to assign to students topics generally unrelated; and, as each student brings his work to a point, to let him occupy the hour of class exercises. The other way is to assign a series of related topics which, with an occasional lecture from the instructor, will make up a systematic and consecutive course. Each of these methods has its advantages: the former consults individual preference, and allows greater variety of treatment; the latter accustoms students to fit their historical timber into a given space. The two systems may be illustrated by the two following lists of topics in American history pursued in the same institution, under two different instructors, in the same year. Taxation in the Colonies in 1760. — Slavery in the Colonies in 1760. Education in the Colonies in 1760. - Religion in the Colonies, 1760. Poor Law System in the Colonies, 1760. - Punishment of Crime in the Colonies. — The Colonial System. Fox and Wisconsin River Improvements. 1865-1877.- Boston Politics. The Census. Reconstruction, The Veto Power. -Workings of the Judiciary Department, 1865-1885. Greenback Labor Party. - Civil Government of the Southern Confederacy. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1860-1885. A teacher in a small college who desires to establish such a "practice course," or to use the "seminary method" under some other name, has two very practicable plans to work upon. He can - especially in the newer states - set his class to work up inter esting incidents in the history of the state in which the college is situated; or he can set them to studying the origin (so far as America is concerned) of the institutions with which he is familiar. One hundred dollars will buy Hening's Statutes at Large of Virginia, the Records of New Plymouth Colony, including those of the New England Confederation and the Laws of Plymouth; Bradford's History; Winthrop's Journal; and the Massachusetts Colony Records (§ 29). With this material at his command an instructor will find an abundance of interesting topics for his students to study: the origin of representative systems, and the various questions connected therewith, land systems and local institutions town, county, parish, etc. Of course this material will not prepare one to say a new word on any topic; but it will enable a teacher to train a class in methods of original research. VI. READING. § 54. Necessity of Reading. CLASS-ROOM Work of every kind depends upon the preparation and energy of the teacher. The reaction by the pupils is only to be had if they know something and think about it; and for history the source of knowledge is chiefly reading. Study of a text-book has its advantages (§ 18), but it is not necessarily a study of history. From the youngest classes to the most advanced graduate courses reading is essential. We are bidden to "beware of the man of one book"; reading must be not only abundant, it must also be varied. Of course much that thus goes into the mind will not be retained: the endless detail of history easily slips away. Yet every book leaves a certain impression, though the source of that impression be forgotten; and from much reading results a residuum of fact and conclusion which lasts a long time, and perhaps a lifetime. Sufficiently mature students may safely be turned loose in a well-chosen library, and told to browse: for they are sure to get something good. For young pupils there must be some selection indicated, but there ought always to be alternatives, so that no one need feel shut in to one writer, who is supposed to speak the final word; and where large classes use one reference library some suggestions must be made so as to relieve the pressure on the books, and lists of selected readings are useful. For detailed courses of lectures students will find advantageous sets of more elaborate references, arranged by topics in the order of the lectures. These three systems — consecutive reading according to the student's judgment, general readings of selected passages on general subjects, and topical readings on special subjects will be described in the following sections. |