Hypothesizing Exercise 9: back to basics
©2003 Edward G. Rozycki
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edited 9/25/04
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HYPOTHESIZING
EXERCISES
With Pennsburg State U faced with mounting maintenance costs, newly appointed trustee Roger Williams, a retired manufacturer, calls the Board's attention to research that shows that in schools whose graduates have the best GRE scores, lecture, often to very large classes, is the most common mode of teaching. He therefore recommends doing away with special labs and small group instruction at Pennsburg.
Student Directions
A. Formulate several hypotheses about Williams' broader purposes in making his proposal. Is his argument sound?
B. Can you combine two or more hypotheses within a more powerful hypothesis?
C. For each hypothesis determine what information you would need to disconfirm its competitors.
D. You will be given additional information. Use it to rule out some of the hypothetical alternatives.
Additional Information (to be supplied by Instructor)
A. Mr. Williams is a substantial donor to Pennsburg State. His own son attends Harvard.
B. The State Legislature is debating reducing funding to State universities.
C. Recently retired President Smith of Pennsburg State, who opposed an earlier nomination of Williams to the board, had changed admissions policies to be substantially less selective.
D. Several of the oldest buildings on campus, more ornamental than utilitarian, will require substantial restoration in the near future. Some suggest tearing them down.
E. Williams is a Pennsburg State graduate.
Additional Questions (to be answered after all information is in)
1. What is likely to be faculty attitude to Williams?
2. What kind of student is Williams' son?
3. Unlike other universities in the state, the faculty at Pennsburg has not unionized. Is the likelihood of unionization increasing, or not?
4. What alumni support can Williams' count on?
5. Will Pennsburg State's President support Williams' proposal?