A student comes up after class and says "I want my topic to be on the death penalty."
"Why?" the instructor asks.
"Because I checked Google and there are tons of sources on it."
[Instructor pounds desk with fist, stifles scream.]
The idea is to actually learn something about research. If all that's done is to grab a few sources off a Google search, what was learned?
At some point in life, one may need to find some hard-to-find information. What if the research skills have not been developed? Research is learned by tackling subjects that are outside one's own comfort zone, which is why this instructor provides topic lists.
Absolute Best Reason for Topic Selection
A student stops by after class to ask questions about a topic that was chosen and which she has already started researching. The student says, "I don't know what these acronyms stand for but I'll find out." She rifles through papers, showing printouts of research. In the margins are notes. Some of the text is underlined.
The instructor offers some information on what the acronym stands for. Referring to the topic list, the student remarks that she could have chosen an easier topic, but instead she challenged herself with one that was outside her usual interests.
The instructor's heart beats with joy. Imagine! A student who is actually interested in learning instead of just getting a grade. Somebody who wants their intellect tested. Someone who is confident enough of to step outside the comfort zone and do some hiking on some rocky terrain. If the instructor were a cat, she would purr.
