Sometimes I despair that anyone else in the universe cares about doing things right the first time.
I'm actually doing homework before it's due (doing my Pneumatology reading over the weekend so I can save my weeknights for midterm cramming--both Hebrew and Pneumatology). Normally this activity is at least interesting, if not intriguing. Today, however, it is frustrating because there is something wrong with the syllabus.
I knew there was something wrong with the syllabus during the second week of school, as I was writing my assignments into my day planner. I asked my TA about it (different TA than below). He basically said that even though the weeks didn't line up with the reading topics (and they don't), to just keep reading and it would all be fine. [Side note: The reason why this matters at all is that we have to turn in an index card each week, listing what we read. Hello, is this grade school or grad school? But I digress.] And there have been a few places where the page numbers listed have been 1 or 2 off from what they really are in the books. As an editor, I find that annoying, but as long as I can figure out what to read, I go on.
But today I came across an assignment where I was supposed to begin 1 page into a chapter and go about midway through the next chapter (where there was no good stopping point). And both of these chapters are assigned later in their entirety. And some chapters are randomly never assigned!!!
Maybe it's too many years working in curriculum development, but I find laziness and inaccuracy in syllabus preparation to be almost unforgivable. How hard is it to just do it right?!? How hard is it to make sure (a) it is clear what week you want your students to read something and (b) that your assignments are correct???
4 comments:
That's just scary. Makes you wonder where else they're cutting corners.
The thing is, my prof is amazing. His research on the subject is thorough and methodical (unlike the syllabus), and I enjoy his class very much. And my TA is great, too. I just get so frustrated by the lack of attention to detail that so many people demonstrate.
My history prof admitted before class even began that his prerecorded lectures had several incorrect dates in them. How sad is the educational system when our professors can't or won't take the time to do something right, no matter how much effort it might take? How difficult can it be to re-record a lecture when you've already recorded 50? I don't understand. I read an article that discusses this subject in regards to students. It makes me so sad to think of what students aren't learning because they've seen too many examples of their educators taking the "easy road" instead of truly applying themselves to detail.
Wow, great article.
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