Lack of comms from lecturer!

Impet_Limpet

Do any other student find chasing lectures for feedback a bit draining?

I am currenty doing a "student initiated module" at university for my part time degree. It is worth half a module at year 1 level (there has been a !!!!-up in my modules so i had to get an extra half one).

The general gist of this is you chose a supervisor/lecturer who helps you to agree a title for a 2,000 word essay on a scientific subject of your choice. you have half a semester to complete this. You are expected to have regular meetings with your supervisor who will guide you and give feedback.

i chose my particular lecturer as he lectures on the topic i was interested in. however since then its been a farce! here is my timetable......
M= me, S = Supervisor, CL = course leader ML = module leader
M - 11/01/07 - email S to request meeting to agree a title NO REPLY
M - 18/01/07 - email S to inform him I shall find him at 11am on 19/01/07, ask for him to get in touch either way NO REPLY
M - 19/01/07 find lecturer and agree title and agree to submit proposal by 29/01/07
M - 26/01/07 - send proposal to lecturer, ask for feedback
S - 26/01/07 - receive feedback with some minor alterations
M - 26/01/07 - thank lecturer, ask him if I drop paperwork for module regstration to him would he pass it to module leader (ML) NO REPLY
M - 26/01/07 - Ask ML for new fprms for registration
ML - 31/01/07 - ML emails relevant forms
M - Havin not been able to track down S I hand paperwork to dept office
M - 12/02/07 - Module registration complete
M - 13/02/07 - email essay plan, ask for feedback by 15/02/07 NO REPLY
M - 02/03/07 - re email essay plan (incase it got missed) ask for feedback by 07/03/07 - provide 2 email addresses NO REPLY
M - 14/03/07 - email work done so far ask for feedback by 23/03/07,
M - 14/03/07 - realise I didn't attach the work ask for feedback by 23/03/07 NO REPLY
M - 23/03/07 - raise issue of lack of comms at student liasion meeting course leader (CL) asks to be copied into future emails
M - 28/03/07 - 3/4 done essay emailed to S, CL and ML, ask for feedback by 03/04/07
CL - 28/03/07 CL emailed S asking for him to get in touch with me ASAP as I am anxious after not hearing anything for so long.
M - 03/04/07 STILL NO REPLY from S
M - 04/04/07 - send nearly finished essay to S and CL asking for feedback as I want to post the essay in on 07/04/07 so I can concentrate on revision and other coursework.
CL - 04/04/07 I am informed by CL that S will be on A/L from 06/04/07 until 16/04/07. (So if I don't hear anything by end of tomorrow I want really have any time at all to alter anything.)

The essay is due in on 04/05/07, but really wanted to hand it in sooner. I could hand it in and risk getting a low mark as it isn't what the S was looking for, or holding onto it for longer and then having to use revision time to amend my essay in line with his feedback (assuming I get some).

How annoying this is! I'm thinking of making a proper complaint this is the only work that counts to the mark for this module and I want a good mark.

chezza262

I can understand your frustration - I'm in year two and sometimes I have to fight to get anything more than two lines as feedback! Is there anyone else you can turn too? I have one lecturer who is excellent and really friendly. I've emailed him many times with various questions and he always tries to help even if its nothing to do with him!

We have a SAB meeting at uni where year reps meet with official course quality peeps- I would def get someone to raise this if you have a similar thing. I wouldnt let this lie because it may not only be you who is having this trouble and at the end of the day if you're making the effort I think you should get something back! :mad:

the_devil_made_me_do_it

This wouldn't happen to be occuring at Leeds Met by any chance??

My partner is in his last yr of a degree there, and he's suffering the same problems.

Impet_Limpet

We had our meeting on 23/03/07 all the course leader suggested was copying him into emails too.

As the title is agreed with the S, he is the one marking it, therefore he is the only one who can really give feedback as he knows what hes is looking for. I have asked the CL for feedback from a lay person point of view however HE is now on A/L til the 16/4. I've asked other part time biomeds (2 of them) to give a lay person point of view too so should have a reply by the weekend, but as the essay is electrocardiograms who knows what they will think. Its been 2 and a half months since i have heard a peep out of my lecturer!! I only attend on day realise and I'm in lectures from 9 - 6pm with an hour for lunch (which coincides with the supervisor lecturing!) so I can't even corner him!!

Not happening at Leeds Met, but I bet this goes on to some extent at many unis!!

Oldernotwiser

I can see that you needed to speak to your lecturer to agree a topic/title but why are you looking for feedback whilst writing the work? Why do you expect this level of spoonfeeding; study at this level is supposed to be about independent thought, not to keep asking the tutor what he's looking for. It's not GCSE you know!

melancholly

i'd skip a lecture and speak to him - you can make up a lecture but you want to get this sorted. or head in on another day to catch him (does he offer office hours?).

i know a lot of academics are a bit bad at replying to emails but this sounds just ridiculous! i think you should check with you CL if anyone else can mark the essay (someone else might not be as much of an expert but they should be able to do it) - or at least check that it will be double marked.

melancholly

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I can see that you needed to speak to your lecturer to agree a topic/title but why are you looking for feedback whilst writing the work? Why do you expect this level of spoonfeeding; study at this level is supposed to be about independent thought, not to keep asking the tutor what he's looking for. It's not GCSE you know!

in many cases, students are allowed to get things read through once and get feedback - if that's what the course allows then it's unfair if all students don't get it as the feedback will undoubtably help improve the essay. lazy students who don't bother handing in a version for feedback should lose out, not those who make the effort.

kr15snw

I am also currently having a problem with one of our lectureres. The project we completed last term is very similar to the one we are doing for him this year so youd think feedback would come in handy.

The college rules state that feedback and marks must be returned to the student 3 weeks after the hand in date (if possible, obviously not if a holiday in the way).

We handed the work in on the 8th December and still nothing! He hasnt even turned up to half the lectures this year so our visiting lecturer (a local graphic designer has been coming in to give us his opinion on our work as he actually works in the industry) has had to run our lectures!

People say to turn to our course leader but unfortunately the lecturer in question is the course leader! Were stuck on what to do

floyd

melancholly wrote: »

i
i know a lot of academics are a bit bad at replying to emails but this sounds just ridiculous!

This is quite true, particularly if there are grant application deadlines, abstract deadlines, manuscript submissions and post-docs and lab staff to deal with they tend to take priority over everything else.

I am quite surprised about the need for feedback during the writing of an essay of 2000 words, is this standard practice? In days gone by when I had to write them for my BSc (and routinely during my PhD, my supervisor thought it was good for me to do them) it was just trial and error whether the lecturer liked your style, as long as it was a well planned, justified argument/critique of the literature or evidence then that was accounted for in the marking.

For something that is equivalent to half a module in year one, I really wouldn't get this stressed as the amount it would skew your final average if you get a 55 or a 60 is pretty minimal. Doing a biochemistry degree my first year results were OK, second were crap but I still managed to get a first by working consistently in my final year.

Skipping a single lecture as melancholly advised is probably your best plan, that way, you can find out exactly what he is looking for and whether there was any specific requirement for constant assessment of your progress. Try to get agreement from him of times that he will be available for students to see him as I found that going to see my supervisor was much better than email.

Are you in lectures 9-6 every day? Is there anyway you could set aside a day to effectively 'stalk' your lecturer? :rotfl: I know that sounds bad but its the way most students successfully get to see someone urgently

floyd

kr15snw wrote: »

People say to turn to our course leader but unfortunately the lecturer in question is the course leader! Were stuck on what to do

What about a student liason officer or failing that, head of department?

chezza262

I'm not sure if this is a brilliant idea but it has been suggested to me to get the union rep involved as they are meant to help with this sort of thing too...might be worth a quiet word for their opinion?

With regard to the assignment handed in December I thought if they didnt give feedback within the time limit this is grounds for formal action? One of my lecturers was saying something about this the other day but it was late afternoon in a dingy, stuffy room and i'd sort of lost track
Trouble is with these sort of problems you dont really want to rock the boat?

I do think Floyd is right tho as its first year its probably worth seeing what you can do with minimal help and just trying your best! :T