A somewhat bitter reader am i, heres my opinion on something.
Why is it that lecturers feel they know the best way to engage with course material. Heres a hint: You Dont.
When you have an 11 week semester with 1 study break, there is no amount of assessment that is going to make a student even want to remember what you taught during the semester.
When you give your class 11 weeks worth of teaching, a 2 hour lecture each week and a tutorial jam packed with previous reading required, you are not going to get a student to critically engage with the information, because we have no time to do so. The thought of even thinking about what they hell your learning gets shoved out of the way with the stress of knowing you have 3 essays due just for that one measily unit, which for the majority of your students is an elective.
In terms of assessment dear lecturer you have made sure in those 11 weeks, you've given us 3 essays, one which is 1000 words, one which is 3000 and then a 1500 word essay as a choice between either doing that or sitting an over rated exam. On top of that you have 2 short answer exams, one during week 6 and one in week 12.
But wait, you say that isnt to bad? Timing is everything dear lecturer. The 3000 word essay is due in week 9 on a Monday why is it because you dont want people handing it in on a friday and actually allowing people a bit more time, or because you want your weekend? Your unit has no bearing on the world, id rather right about US Hegemony due the same week than worry about an event or theme that happened in Asia and what it represented in Australian Values. We certainly dont get our weekends and especially not from your unit. Furthermore, you have a short exam test in week 11? But we have a final exam 2 weeks after that! Whats the point? is it just to make sure that we study early?
You whinge and moan during the tutorials that none of us talk and engage and even rock up, well theres a probable reason for that. Could it maybe be because people are to busy trying to get assessment in? No wonder the quality of discussion has taken a dive on the weeks when assessment is due.
And what is it with the movies? Lets just slap on media and i can get paid for the hour while i sit on my backside and then ask your opinion. Funny weve never heard what you think. And throwing people out of tutorials isnt the best way to go about it either. Is there an element of xenophobia in you that you aim to teach out of everyone else?
And finally, when i do come up and talk to you about it, giving you feedback for the future, not for my own benefit, dont tell me im having a whinge. I gave it to you constructively, articulately and backed up every point i made with evidence of the shitness of your unit. Isnt that what your trying to teach us to write and think like.
Oh and one final thing, when i do come along and have a "whinge" dont have a go at me in class by stating that you have had other students come along and you have no idea why they feel like the unit is overassessed and long. And dont do it by snickering in my direction. Its bad form my dear lecturer.
I gaurantee you Ms lecturer, i'll be one of those "stupid" people that write 4 pages worth of comments on your student assessment forms. Bare in mind i have never bothered to write one before. Thanks alot for the semester, a unit that no one will ever remember because you tried to force them too
