Calculating hours for elective credit?

[MamaSprout]

I've created a tracking sheet for some of dd's electives. I'm planning for roughly 90 hours per semester. One of her electives puts her in lots of museums/ science centers, doing a Great Course, and reading lots of biographies/ trade books, plus a textbook.

My question is how to count the museum time. I don't feel like it should be 1 hour = 1 hour towards the 90 hours per semester, since even academic museum/ science centers tend to be upper middle school in my mind. Thanks!

Edited January 23, 2019 by MamaSprout

[Ggg]

I feel the difference would be if she does something during her time spent in the museums/science centers, as to how to count the hours.

 

[almondbutterandjelly]

Personally, I would count them 1 hour = 1 hour.  I think "field trips" are huge learning experiences.  In a different way than conventional work, but still definitely important and meaningful.

[klmama]

If you are providing a course that requires her to spend time in science museums, you should count that time.  If you don't think the museums are a valuable use of her time, why are they part of her course?  

[MamaSprout]

12 minutes ago, klmama said:

If you are providing a course that requires her to spend time in science museums, you should count that time.  If you don't think the museums are a valuable use of her time, why are they part of her course?  

Honestly she would probably go whether or not I counted it. She just really does them thoroughly.

It occurred to me this is "elective" worthy when she took on a text book on her own. Maybe I'll do that and guess-timate out any shopping or eating, etc. (ETA- it would put her at about 25-30 hours of museum time)

Edited January 23, 2019 by MamaSprout

[Momto6inIN]

1 hour ago, Ggg said:

I feel the difference would be if she does something during her time spent in the museums/science centers, as to how to count the hours.

 

 

1 hour ago, perkybunch said:

Personally, I would count them 1 hour = 1 hour.  I think "field trips" are huge learning experiences.  In a different way than conventional work, but still definitely important and meaningful.

 

I agree with both of these responses. Field trips are a very important part of learning, even for high schoolers. However, it would be depend on what they were doing on those field trips. If this is somewhere she goes frequently and has already seen/read/understood all the displays but simply enjoys going, then I would be hesitant to count it. But if on the other hand she participates in a certain program where they do labs or investigations once a week or once a month or something like that led by a docent, then I would certainly count it.

[MamaSprout]

All of the museum time I'm counting would be either first visit, in a program as an audience, and/or docent led exposure. However, I think I will limit it to no more than 15% of the overall hours in the course, which she's well past for a semester year-long course. I will count "hands-on" active participation, classes or unique activities, even if based at a museum, separately.

For example, she was in the Smithsonian museum for her topic for a total of probably six hours across two days. I'm counting it as four hours towards her 15%, assuming some of it was gift shop, dining, etc. If she were to take a course or a workshop based there, I would count it, but not if she revisited just to go through it again.

Thanks for helping me think this through. ETA- I see why DH has started to protest, lol. He says we can go by ourselves from now on. "No more, please...."

Edited January 23, 2019 by MamaSprout