I use random recitation in my commercial law courses (as if the topics themselves didn’t remove me from serious consideration for any teaching prizes). I give students two “free passes” each semester, which must be tendered before class starts.
Last Friday, I invited the 90+ students in my two Payment Systems courses to forecast Oscar winners in the “best picture” and acting categories. A student who correctly forecast all five winners would earn an extra “free pass.”
I received 45 timely responses and added my own. The results?
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger – 46/46 (100%). Phenomenal!
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire – 44/46 (96%). Incredible!
Best Actress: Kate Winslet – 37/46 (80%). Amazing!
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz – 27/46 (59%). Impressive!
Best Actor: Sean Penn – 11/46 (24%). Clearly an aberration. (Mickey Rourke, shall we say, was my "red herring" (28/46 – 61%)).
These numbers don’t lie. Even without the benefit of any formal training in statistical analysis or empirical research, I can draw the obvious conclusion. Just six weeks with the UCC may significantly improve your psychotic psychic powers! (Bring it on, you profs who teach con law, crim pro, and other less important sexy subjects.) Memo to self: persuade registrar to use this data as a marketing tool during open enrollment.
Mindful that actions speak louder than raw data, I fired all of my portfolio managers on Monday and have turned to my students for investment advice. In a future posting I’ll let you know whether they tell me to buy, sell, or hold Citigroup stock.
P.S. Four students scored a perfect 100% (actually five, if I count the ballot of the student who confused Salma Hayek with Penelope Cruz).