The Scientific Study of the College Student

Author(s): Charles Whiting Williams

Source: Science , Jul. 25, 1913, New Series, Vol. 38, No. 969 (Jul. 25, 1913), pp. 114-120
Published by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1639936

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114 SCIENCE [N. S. VOL. XXXVIII. No. 969

privileges gained by wealth. It remains day

day isis fast
fast approaching
approachingwhenwhenthe
thecolleges
colleges
for the American people to establish, by and
and universities
universitieswill
willbe
beusing
usingfacts
facts
andand
the
the
means of their ideals and temples to Lib- scientific method as much in the direction
erty, the nobility of character as expressed of their educative processes, as a whole, as
by service to the welfare of all, through the they already are using them in their lab-
realization of the brotherhood of man. oratories and classrooms.
"I ask not wealth, but power to take Secretary Furst, of the Carnegie Foun-
And use the things I have aright, dation, has said that there should be little
Not years, but wisdom, that shall make talk of efficiency in college work until
My life a profit and delight.
something has been done to make use of the
"I ask not that for me the plan
enormous collection of data already pos-
Of good and ill be set aside,
sessed by the colleges of the country in the
But that the common lot of man
records of the hundreds of thousands of
Be nobly borne and glorified."
students who have passed through the four
H. K. BUSH-BROWN
years of the campus and into the work of
THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF THE COLLEGE the world. Certainly there does exist a
STUDENT1 large body of facts worthy of study in con-
nection with the administration of the
IT is worthy of note that, while the crit-
ics of the college have been able to adduce present-day college. It seems to me rather
facts as the basis of their unfriendly opin-doubtful, however, whether these facts are
ions, the colleges have, for the most part,as likely to be given the attention they de-
serve as those collected according to some
been unable to point to any considerable
collection of accurate data regarding their new method and with closer reference to

own present effectiveness. It is, of course, the various problems to be solved in con-
quite true that the deductions drawn from nection with the present and the future
their facts by these unfavorable critics are generations of students.
oftentimes manifestly more imposing than If this question is to be answered in the
affirmative, it raises another. Shall the in-
the factual structure can properly stand.
It is also true that along certain detached formation for measuring the effectiveness
and scattering lines this college or that has of the college work with the present genera-
been able to point with pride to a small tion be attacked piece-meal-one problem
amount of accurate material more or less one year, another the next, one phase in one
scientifically collected. Speaking broadly, college, another phase in another-or shall
however, the statement first made is true. each college endeavor to conduct a study
It is perhaps to be acknowledged that the that shall be for it at once fundamental,
introduction of the larger use of facts intobroad, permanent and, in addition, as
the measurement and development of col- nearly scientific as the twentieth century
lege values will make education somewhat permits ?
less interesting, for it will reduce the rangeA study possessing these dimensions has
of philosophical discussion and the applica-already been proposed by one of the great-
tion of personal opinion. Still, if the signs educators America has ever known. In
est
of the times are at all to be believed, the 1899, President Harper, of Chicago Uni-
versity, recommended what he called the
1 Address before the Section of Education at the
"scientific study of the student." Said
Cleveland meeting of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science. that educational path-finder:

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JULY 25, 1913] SCIENCE 115

-This study2 will be made (1) with special refer- The object of this paper is to recommend
ence to the student's character-to find out
in detail the plan thus proposed. It is
whether he is responsible, or careless, or shiftless,
urged not as possessing the virtue of a dy-
or perhaps vicious; (2) with special reference
likewise to his intellectual capacity-to discover namic in itself, but simply as a testing of
whether he is unusually able, or bright, or average, the personal dynamics of the college to ef-
or slow, or dull; (3) with reference to his special fect the purposes for which it was estab-
intellectual characteristics-to learn whether he is
lished in the hope of making practicable a
independent and original, or one who works largely
wiser direction of those personal dynamics.
along routine lines; whether his logical sense is
keen, or average, or dull; whether his ideas are First of all, the college will need, in order
flexible, or easily diverted, or rigid; whetherto hedetermine its effectiveness, will it not?
has control of his mind, or is given to mind-wan- to discover the position of the student at
dering, and to what extent he has power to over- the moment of the beginning of his course.
come difficulties; (4) with reference to his special
In order to accomplish this, it will wish to
capacities and tastes-to determine whether these
send out to the student's teachers in the
are evenly balanced, or whether there exists a
marked preference for some special subject; secondary schools a blank asking for much
whether he prefers those aspects of study which other inform aton than that at present de-
are of the book type, or those of a mechanical or sired. This other information would cover,
constructive type, or those of a laboratory type;
as far as found practicable, the mental,
whether his special gift lies along lines of an
esthetic character, or those of a literary or scien- moral and temperamental characteristics
tific or philosophical character; whether his special of the student, though in a less detailed
manner than that suggested in the blank
aptitude, supposing it to be in the literary field,
lies in criticism, or interpretation, or creative to be exhibited. Inquiry could also wisely
work; whether his preference in scientific lines is
be made regarding the educational and
for the observational or the experimental side of
work, or for general principles; and, finally (5)
moral advantages of the student's parents
with reference to the social side of his nature-to and family, as well as the family's social,
judge whether he is fond of companionship; and perhaps also its economic, status.
whether he is a leader or a follower among his At the same time a blank of a more inti-
fellows; whether he is a man of affairs, or devotes
mate sort could be submitted to the parents,
himself exclusively to his studies; the character of
his recreation; the way in which he spends his and also, in the case of a small town, to the
leisure hours; whether he is compelled to work for local minister or the librarian, asking in-
self-support, or for the support of others. formation regarding the personal char-
These details, among others, will be secured in acteristics of the student in question-
various ways; in part from preparatory teachers,
whether, for instance, he is ambitious, ener-
in part from parents, in part from the student
himself, in part also from careful observation of getic, serious-minded, truthful, of a plod-
his work in the first months of his college life. ding or intuitive mind, possessing marked
It will be no easy task; but the difficulties will self-control, etc. In the cities the obtain-
not be greater than its importance.
ing of such information might conceivably
Such a diagnosis would serve as the basis for
the selection of studies; it will be of paramount be difficult; in the small towns, however,
value in determining the character of the in- there is a wealth of personal interest in the
structor under whom he should study; it will also chosen few who go to college which will be
determine the character of all advice given the
happy. to make itself useful the moment
student and of any punishment administered; like-
colleges become organized to take advan-
wise, it will determine in large measure the career
of the student-will help him to find himself and tage of it.8 The smaller towns and cities,
decide upon his life-work. 8 At the University of California facts of the
2"The Trend in Higher Education," pp. 321- kind suggested are obtained in order to facilitate
325. the assignment of the proper advisory officer.

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116 SCIENCE [N. S. VOL. XXXVIII. No. 969

also, will admit of study as to their educa-

well as more active. Toward this end, also,
tional and moral characteristics by the offi-
there can be used a body of persons whose
cers charged with the recruiting of judgment
stu- should be better trained for the
dents-a study which will be found of work than those consulted in connection
financial as well as educational value. with the other preliminary measurements
To a student's rating as thus obtained suggested. It can surely not be too much
from his friends would be added that ob- to ask that every teacher should be asked
tained from the student himself at the time by the administration to fill in for each
of entrance regarding such matters as pur- student a blank submitted to him in some
pose in attending college and strongest in- such form as the accompanying card. I
fluence thereto, aim in life, favorite books,have had the courage to outline such a card
chief historical admirations, etc., as well as
simply for the reason that at this point the
by a series of tests. Doubtless some adap- whole question of the feasibility of the pro-
tation of the Binet and other tests such as posed scientific study of the college seems
those of Professor Thorndike could be ar- to me to hinge less upon the matter of psy-
ranged by the department of psychology chology than of mechanism. In the minds
which would give in more or less approxi- of many authorities who have been con-
mate form the student's mental status and sulted, that is, the practicability of the
characteristics. To this there could very plan depends not so much upon its worthi-
wisely be added by the same department ness as upon its ability to secure the coop-
the testing of the student's range of in- eration of the teacher, in competition with'
formation by means of Professor Whipple'sthe other interests seeking his attention.
list of key words. With very little modi- Perhaps this will be accomplished all the
fication and extension, also, the present better, accordingly, if the description of
physiological examination could be made to the student as called for by the card is not
include certain simple tests for the time made of such a nature as to appeal only to
and form of reaction to tactile and other the psychologist. At any rate, the plan is,
sensations and perceptions-e. g., color, apparently, likely to prove of practical
form, sound, etc. value in proportion as it avoids the neces-
These tests, when assembled, would servesity for extra mechanical work at the hands
as an indication of the starting point for of the teacher, who is very properly ex-
the agencies of the higher educative proc-pected to be more interested in other things
esses. Reference to this starting place than the writing of needless words upon a
would at least make more definite and ex- card. You will notice, therefore, that our
act the controversy with the unfriendly proposed blank is supposed to go to the
critics of higher education who assert that teacher with the student's name, classifica-
nothing definite can be claimed by the tion col- and other details above the double line
lege, simply for the reason that its human already written upon it before it leaves the
material is so selected that a large propor- administrative office.4 You will notice,
tion of the effectiveness of its graduates further,
is that the card submitted-as also
due to that selection rather than to its in- the other questionnaires recommended-is
stitutional efficiency. supposed to be filled out almost entirely
4It should be true of every one of the blanks
With the starting point thus determined,
used that persons asked to fill them should not be
the measurement of the effectiveness of the
required to write a single word which the admin-
college's activities becomes more serious as istrative office is in a position to write itself.

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-JULY 25, 1913] SCIENCE 117

by the use of checks (L), these checks cent toand present method of parcelling out
be supplemented by one or two general a limited number of students to a number
phrases under the caption "Remarks." of teachers in the vain hope that an occa-
A very little study by the administrative sional quarter-hour or half-hour of con-
officer will detect plenty of ways by which versation will serve to put the teacher in
they can save for the teachers enough time the position of an expert for the direction
to offset the demand made by these cards. of the student's present activities and fu-
In order, at the same time, to facilitate ture career.
its own operations, the administrative office Is it going too far to take seriously Presi-
will plan to prepare, at one writing, with dent Harper's belief that "such a diag-
the help of a manifolding machine, the nosis would serve as a basis for the selec-
blanks required by all the different teachers tion of studies"? Is it not conceivable
during one year for each student, inserting that, at least to some extent, in the recom-
separately only the study-classification, mendation of studies, the advisers could
e. g., "Soc. 17." On receiving them back have in mind the correction of the defects
from the teachers they can be assembled in shown on the collated report? If, for in-
folders and their material collated upon stance, all reports indicate that a certain
sheets-prepared also at one writing-for student possesses an able mind but refuses
the use of the departmental dean, the dis- to use it carefully, is what might be called
ciplinary dean and the other advisory offi- a disorderly thinker simply from pure
cers. On this sheet there should also be mental laziness, could the adviser not
room for indicating the reports of the wisely
vari- emphasize the Value of mathematics
or certain other of the exact sciences?
ous entrance tests, in addition to the grades
reported by the registrar or the secretary, Similarly, for the student who is a plodder,
and in addition, further, to the student's taking each step conscientiously at a time,
record in various student activities as re- but lacking the imagination with which to
ported by the officer charged with that takere- a half or a whole flight of mental
sponsibility. Every dean and advisory stairs at a leap, could not a good teacher
officer of any kind would, accordingly, have of history, economics or other study calling
in his possession a complete showing of the for broad grasp and ability to generalize
student's whole life in college as well as the be recommended very strongly, if not with
rating of a more general sort given him by compelling power?
his secondary teacher and his home friends, In that event each teacher could legiti-
together with the more scientific rating re- mately be expected to have in mind these
sulting from the test on entrance. As his uses of his teaching of a subject in addition
course advanced, more and more of this to its usual informational or disciplinary
material should be shown on the upper values. Or, if that seem unfeasible, the
parts of the blanks submitted to the teacher. teacher might be asked to bear in mind in
The advice and the whole range of atten- connection with each member of his classes
tion given the student, therefore, at any the particular mental aspect shown by the
time would be based upon this survey of cards received from the administration
his whole personality. Undoubtedly the office to be of greatest interest or of great-
attention given him by the various ad- est need\on the part of that student.
visory officers would be immensely more Whether such a use in the selection of
valuable than is conceivable under the re- studies is possible or not, there can be no

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118 SCIENCE [N. S. VOL. XXXVIII. No. 969

doubt that the diagnosis would be found at graduation. These tests can be chosen
tremendously helpful-indeed absolutely from, and related to, those made of the
necessary-to that newest officer in the entering freshman in whatever proportion
college world-I mean the vocational ad- and extent seems desirable. Undoubtedly,
viser. If he is to make himself genuinely the application of Professor Whipple's
useful to the student he will find it essen- "information range finder" would be par-
tial to possess himself of many more factsticularly significant. If the student shows
than can be obtained in any number of a much greater familiarity with such terms
conferences with the student. It will be as "southpaw" or "snapback" than with
noticed, I venture to prophesy, that the "cytology" or "Pythagoras," it may be
vocational adviser, within six months after held to indicate that the realm of athletics
his election, will raise a cry for facts that had been more suggestive than that of sci-
will not be stilled until every part of the ence or philosophy. In any event, the
whole educational system-including the tests chosen should serve as an approxi-
secondary schools-is busy handing them mate measurement of the advance made in
in perhaps in much the way here proposed.scholarship, mentality, character, tempera-
It is, as a matter of fact, significant that ment and social qualities within the four
one of the few institutions in the country years of the college.
that have already been using a system com- Only an approximation, of course. The
parable to this, is a school where the claim real value of the years could only be shown
of the vocation is strong, the Massachusetts after the secretary in charge of alumni
Institute of Technology. There, in addi- relations had made it his business to secure
tion to the gathering of detailed facts re- in legitimate and effective ways some gen-
garding every student, at the hands of his eral measurement of the effectiveness of
instructors, a stenographer is present at the former student as a person and a citi-
every faculty meeting where names of stu-zen. It is quite likely that the next college
dents are mentioned to record any remark officer to follow the vocational adviser will
made about them. Everything ever said be such a secretary for alumni relations,
or w.ritten concerning a student is gathered charged with the very serious and states-
together for the use of the officer in chargemanlike responsibility of making the col-
of the placing of graduates. As a result lege mean as much as possible to the grad-
of this the dean of the institute has assured uate and the graduate to the college. Pos-
the writer that the officers have enjoyed a sibly the vocational adviser would himself
remarkable success in fitting their gradu- be this officer, traveling part of the year in
ates into positions making unique require- order to consult with commercial, profes-
ments. Doubtless for the same reason an sional and other leaders, with successful
approximation of the same plan has re- graduates and with unsuccessful ones-all
cently been proposed for the adoption of for determining in what ways the college
the Springfield Y. M. C. A. Training stands in need of improvement as a devel-
School by the committee charged with oper the of abilities, interests and viewpoints
responsibility of testing and increasingrequired
the for the meeting of the needs of
effectiveness of that institution. the world.
Further there will be added to the facts When the report of such an officer has
already collected the showing of the intel-
been turned in and put alongside the ma-
lectual and general status of the student terial already mentioned, then the college

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JULY 25, 1913] SCIENCE 119

will have the right to feel that it is con- Only then, also-and it is to be consid-
ducting a study sufficiently scientific, seri-ered one of the most important products,
ous and fundamental to be worthy of the if only a by-product of the whole plan-
seriousness and importance of its educa- will there be an organized way for making
tional responsibilities. Then and only then evident the distinction between the college
will it possess a body of facts from which and the university teacher. For if the
it can gain genuine light with regard to blanks coming from any one teacher are
such problems as the following: found invariably to indicate a complete
I. The relation between (a) the college lack of interest in, and just judgment of,
course and "success in life" (however de- the pupil, it will indicate that, so far as the
fined), (b) between scholarship and suc- college is concerned, that teacher has prob-
cess, (c) between particular fields of study ably not sufficient human interest to be
and success, etc. II. The extent to which worthy of his collegiate responsibility,
the college course modifies the student's though he may be entirely worthy of the
(1) character, (2) intellectual capacities work of interpreting his field within the
and characteristics, (3) social and (4) less broad and general channels of the
moral nature, (5) life plans; with (6) the university.5
general direction of such modifications. Who will attempt to estimate the value
III. The extent to which (a) it extends the of a five-year study along the line sug-
fields of interest and information brought gested as conducted by a number of insti-
to college, and (b) adds new fields. IV. tutions, to say nothing of its value if con-
The approximate comparative importance ducted simply by one institution? Since
as factors in these modifications of (a) President Harper proposed the plan, the
teachers, (b) subjects, (c) student activi- world has made an amazing advance in the
ties, (d) companions, etc. V. In compari- adoption of the scientific method. After
son with the college, the influence on schol- all, the scientific method is nothing more
arship in college and on success in life of or less than the collecting of facts and their
such elements of the home and preparatory use in the accomplishment of desired ends.
environment, as (a) social, economic and In this use the facts are proved as well as
educational status of parents (including taken advantage of. The period in which
the size of the family), (b) the geograph- we live, as the result of the spread of this
ical location, size and chief characteristics scientific method, may well be called the
of the home town or city-especially in its "pragmatic period" -owing allegiance,
general educational and moral agencies, that is, not so much to the reign of law as
also (c) the educational standards and to the reign of results. No one believes
methods of the secondary school. that the college is going to be found per-
Only then will every month and every manently unable to adapt itself not only
year and every person connected in any to life, but to development and growth in
way with the educative processes be made such a period. But this means that it is
to contribute its proper quota to the wis- 5"The college is the place for the student to
dom which the present should receive from study himself-and for the instructor to study
the past and the future demands of the eaeh student and to point out his weak and his
strong points.... The university is for men who
present, a quota of which our educational have come to know themselves . . . to study in the
generation has been cheated by an unor- line of their chosen calling." President Harper,
ganized and unscientific past. "Trend in Higher Education," p. 324.

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120 SCIENCE [N. S. VOL. XXXVIII. No. 969

only
only aa question
questionofoftime
time
until
until
thethe
college caring
caring for
college for the
theinjured
injuredhave
havedeveloped.
developed.The
The
discovers
discoversits
itsdelinquency
delinquency in in
having
having
failed men
men who
failed who gathered
gathereda ayear
yearago
agototoform
form
this
this
association felt there was great need for
to
to observe
observethat,
that,while
while
it,it,
more
morethan
than
almost
almost
greater uniformity in the work of the rescue
any
any other
otherinstitution
institutionknown,
known,is charged
is charged
and first-aid crews and at that time some very
with
with the
thedevelopment
development ofof
broad
broadliuman
liuman
important recommendations were made.
values,
values, ititisisdoing
doingless
less
toto
study
study
these
these
values
values
This second meeting, which has been called
and
and the
the means
meansofoftheir
theirdevelopment
development
in ain
bya Mr. I. M. Wilson, of the Bureau of Mines,
broad,
broad, yet
yetscientific,
scientific,manner
mannerthan
than
are are
many
many
chairman of the executive committee of the
commercial
commercialinstitutions
institutionsnot
not
supposed
supposed to be
toassociation,
be promises to take up and discuss a
at all concerned with human factors. number of the problems that have arisen in
Can we not here to-day among ourselves both the rescue and first-aid work. The mem-
"highly resolve" that President Harperbers of the association declare that greater
shall not have lived and shall not have progress can be made in saving life and in
spoken in vain when he said regarding reducing
the the seriousness of injuries by the
plan thus described to you, "This feature adoption of the proposed standard methods.
The program will include a mine-rescue and
of twentieth-century college education will
first-aid contest at Arsenal Park on September
come to be regarded as of greatest impor-
22; in the evening a reception to the members
tance, and fifty years hence"-shall we not
and motion-picture lecture on the mining
make it fifteen?-" will prevail as widely
industry. On the second day the opening ses-
as it is now lacking. It is the next step sion of the association will be held in the
in the evolution of the principle of indi-morning and a report of the executive com-
vidualism, and its application will, in due
mittee will be made on the proposed constitution
time, introduce order and system into ourof the society. In the afternoon there will be
educational work where now only chaos is an explosion in the experimental mine of the
to be found." Bureau of Mines at Bruceton, Pa., to which
CHARLES WHITING WILLIAMS all the members will be invited to be present.
OBERLIN COLLEGE On September 24, the third day, there will be
a business session at the hotel and a selection
THE AMERICAN MINE SAFETY of officers. In the afternoon members will visit
ASSOCIATION the experiment station of the Bureau of Mines
THE annual meeting of the American Mine
at 40th and Butler Sts., Pittsburgh, Pa.
Safety Association composed of leading coal
and metal mine operators, mining engineers, THE CROCKER LAND EXPEDITION
mine-safety engineers, and mine surgeons THE Crocker
will Land Expedition (George
be held in Pittsburgh, Pa., September Borup Memorial) sailed from the Brooklyn
22-24.
This association, which held its first Navymeeting
Yard, New York, in the Newfoundland
steam sealer
a year ago, has for its purpose a reduction ofDiana, on July 2, with the major
the number of accidents in the mines and portion of its equipment aboard. The ship
quarries (3,602 in the year 1911) and thecalled
alle-at Boston for 13,000 pounds of pemmican
viation of the more than 60,000 men who and are
other stores and sailed for Sydney, N. S.,
injured each year. on July 6. Sydney was reached in the morn-
Following the recommendations of the ing of the 9th, and there 40,000 pounds of dog
Bureau of Mines in the last three or four yearsbiscuit, 13,000 feet of lumber, 40 pairs of snow
many mining companies have organized rescue shoes and 335 tons of coal were taken aboard.
corps and first-aid teams, and as a result a The Diana left Sydney on the 13th loaded to
number of different methods of procedure the rails, but she had yet to call at Battle
following mine explosions and fires and in the Harbor, Labrador, to take up the 30-foot power

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