I'm thinking today about my upcoming summer semester. Once again I'll return to the joy and misery of student life in pursuit of ever higher education. As I ponder, I remember just how BAD the experience has been so far. Somehow, the subject that I have such great personal passion for has had all the life sucked out of it by genuinely bad instructional practices. So, today I offer some suggestions to my future professors:
1. Actually TEACH the class (or at least pretend to). Yes, I know the idea is to create the course and then go drink your latte while doing research to collect a larger paycheck and earn more kudos for the University. Sorry, but I'd like to be able to get something for my $1800 other than "go read the book and write a report". I'd settle for a paragraph or two of information that can only be related by someone that's lived the life. Anything to give me more than just a textbook.
2. Update your content. Hey, if you're going to drink your latte and do research then at least have a graduate student review the material. Trust me, despite what your syllabus may say, RealVideo is NOT the most popular video delivery media on the Internet anymore.
3. Return my emails. Yes, I really do work at 3am, that's why I'm a distance learning student. I don't expect you to read it at 3:05am, but at least in the next day or two would be fabulous!
4. Answer my question, not the question you think I should have asked... If I'm asking the wrong questions, then tell me that first!
5. Get to know me, at least a little. I don't want to have dinner with you, but at least understand the way I think enough to honestly grade my papers if you're going to ask questions that are subject to personal interpretation.
6. This one goes to the school: Provide the subject you're selling! In my case the program is grossly out of date, and in almost every case has failed to even follow by the practices it actually teaches (do as I say, not as I do!). Luckily, since it's been pretty much just reading the textbooks, I can at least learn the right things on my own!
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Colleague:
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow grad student, I completely agree! Crossing the communication bridge in distance learning can be a pain sometimes. That being said, the professors at my university have been pretty rapid to respond, though, not always with helpful feedback.
I wish content delivery was something more than a DVD and textbooks in the mail. Cettainly, there are other ways to engage me from a distance. Then there are the posts...these are helpful, but if my opinions aren't needed, then why ask for them? I thought I was supposed to think about my answers sometimes. Of course, I ramble and this is not my space to ramble....oh well, off for another latte...wait, its late...maybe more espresso. :)
Actually, this is a place to ramble... that's what I'm doing after all!!!!
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