Logical Reasoning

PT112 · S4 · Q15 It is not good for a university

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It is not good for a university to have class sizes that are very large or very small, or to have professors with teaching loads that are very light or very heavy.

Conclusion

It is not good for a university to have class sizes that are very large or very small, or to have professors with teaching loads that are very light or very heavy.

Evidence (after all)

Crowded classes and overworked faculty cripple the institution's ability to recruit and retain both qualified students and faculty.

Evaluate

The argument presents a broad conclusion about the negative impact of both extremes: large/small class sizes and light/heavy teaching loads. However, the evidence focuses only on the negative aspects of crowded classes and overworked faculty. Therefore, there is a gap in the argument because it does not address why very small class sizes and very light teaching loads are also detrimental to the university's goals.

To bridge this gap, we need to support the conclusion with reasons that illustrate the negative effects of having very small class sizes and very light teaching loads on the university's ability to recruit and retain qualified students and faculty.

Goal

Let's find an answer that links very small class sizes or very light teaching loads to negative impacts on recruitment and retention of students and faculty.

15.

Which one of the following, if added as a premise to the argument, most helps to justify its conclusion?

  1. Professors who have very light

    Opposite (if anything)

    This attaches light teaching loads to "more time on research". Professors usually love to do research, so if anything this makes it sound like light teaching loads would help retain professors.

    6% picked this

  2. Classes that have very low

    Opposite (if anything)

    This attaches small class sizes to "lots of classroom discussion", which is usually thought of as a good thing. So if anything this makes it sound like small class sizes would help attract students.

    6% picked this

  3. Correct

    Very small class sizes or

    Why this is right

    This choice directly relates very small class sizes or very light teaching loads to incompetence in classroom instruction. If very small class sizes and very light teaching loads indicate incompetence, it would negatively affect the university's ability to attract and keep qualified students and faculty, thus supporting the conclusion.

    Skill tested: Strengthen · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

    79% picked this

  4. Very small class sizes or

    Unclear Impact

    The presence of very small class sizes or light teaching loads in both the worst and best universities doesn't help explain why these characteristics are negative for recruitment and retention. It almost makes them seem irrelevant to the quality of a university, if there common at the best and the worst schools.

    2% picked this

  5. Professors with very light teaching

    No Impact

    This doesn't say something bad about light teaching loads. It basically says something neutral. Light teaching loads are comparable to normal teaching loads, when it comes to availability of office hours.

    7% picked this

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