802 TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION L. 



engaged in exercises in which they feel no responsibility whatever. In my 

 opinion this indicates that for them the spirit of true University education has 

 never been awakened. It is, after all, very largely a question of attitude of 

 mind. Any subject of study, whether it be a scientific experiment or an his- 

 torical event, or the significance of a text, is a matter of interpretation, and to 

 approach it in the University spirit is to approach it with the question, ' Is this 

 the right interpretation ? ' Upon that question can be hung a whole philosophy 

 of the subject, and from it can proceed a whole series of investigations : it em- 

 bodies the true spirit of research and it opens the door to true learning. 



In discussing University education I have not, of course, forgotten that many 

 persons have taught themselves up to a University standard entirely without the 

 aid of professors ; indeed, the University of London long ago provided an avenue 

 to a University degree which has been successfully followed by many such persons 

 with the best possible results. But I have endeavoured to remind you that at 

 the University as at school for most students the personal influence of the teacher 

 is the important thing ; that at the University as at school success in teaching 

 depends mainly on the extent to which the interest of the student is aroused ; 

 and that at the University this is only to be done by providing him with a 

 purpose and a responsibility in his work in order that he may understand to 

 what conclusions it is leading him. Until this is done we shall still have Univer- 

 sity students complaining that they do not see the object of what they are learning 

 or understand what it all means. This complaint, which I have often heard 

 from past and present students of different Universities, suggested to me that I 

 should on the present occasion deal with this defect in our customary methods. 



In the hope that the attention of University teachers may be turned more 

 fully to this aspect of their work I have ventured to make it the subject of my 

 address. 



FBI DAY, SEPTEMBEIi 2. 



Joint Discussion with Section H on Research in Education. 



1. Report on Mental and Physical Factors involved in Education. 

 See Eeports, p. 302. 



2. A Research in the Teaching of Algebra. 

 By Dr. T. P. Nunn. 



3. Individual Variations of Memory. By C. Spearman. 



This paper dealt with the problem of the individual variations of memory. Lay, 

 medical, and psychological views were cited. The present research, its experi- 

 mental and statistical methods were described. As regards results the powers 

 of memory for different kinds of material wts always found to show some 

 tendency to correspond, but in very varying degrees. The common view of 

 psychologists that quick and retentive memories are wholly different powers 

 was only partially corroborated and was traced to differences in the method 

 employed for recall. Memory tests were found to correlate highly with teachers' 

 estimates of ' general intelligence,' but the latter appeared to be based on obscure, 

 variable, and not very reliable data. 



