Dysart E. Holcomb, El Paso Natural Gas Company
Many treatises have been written on the subject of knowledge absorption although not under this specific title. Many of these treatises cover narrow as well as broad areas related to methods of teaching specific subject matter as evidenced by numerous articles which have appeared in the Journal of the American Society for Engineering Education as well as in other publications. Most of these publications have dealt with methods of presenting subject matter and have neglected to some extent the final result of the efforts of the instructor, that is the amount of knowledge imparted by the instructor and absorbed by the audience. Generally speaking, it is axiomatic that excellent teaching should lead to a high rate of knowledge absorption. However, there is one factor often beyond the control of the instructor; namely, the desire on the part of the individual to acquire knowledge which will be beneficial to him in furthering his professional accomplishments.