“Coverage” is not merely unfortunate, then. It exacerbates the forgetfulness,
inertia, and misunderstandings we work to overcome. The danger of
textbook-based syllabi is that single simplistic representation goes unchallenged.
Important ideas do not get revisited or looked at from different points
of view. The student “learns” through the coverage approach that there is only
one official viewpoint to be taken in for later recall—with no need for proactive
questioning or any “doing” of the subject:
One of the most common questions students ask as they embark on a history
paper is “Am I on the right track?” or “Is this what you want?” They feel compelled
to find the one right answer, and the teacher’s urging that they think
about the difference between an answer and an argument is met with confusion.