Ok, I'm seeing record numbers of drops from my class, with the complaints largely about the workload. What stinks is that the even though the university sets the workload, all assignments (and won't let us alter them), etc, the complaint is about the quality of the instructions and the workload, and the teaching evaluations haven't changed. So instructors are being assessed on course content that they have absolutely no say or control over.
I'm seeing more and more "canned" courses like this, and I suspect that with the rise in treating education as a business, we'll be seeing more of this. It worries me.
Indeed. I'm trying to walk a fine line between impressing changes where I can and not being a "trouble-maker." I just sent a list of recommendations, which included cutting back on the workload a bit. I'm hoping that carefully couching my suggestions both in pro-student language and trying to use positives as well: i.e. I'm sure that X was done because of blah, blah, but I think that Y might work better because of Z. I'm hoping that being diplomatic, but direct will be helpful. Because these courses are a disaster.
