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Thursday, October 09, 2008

I need to vent

...and this seems as good a place as any.

I am studying a degree through distance learning. That means limited or no contact with lecturers. They are also impossible to get hold of on the phone or via email as they hardly ever respond. So one of the things I have come to rely on to check whether I am on track with my learning is the feedback we receive on assignments.

There is a module that I am doing which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I think it has been badly taught/written and (here's my vent) they have categorically told us THERE IS NO FEEDBACK ON ASSIGNMENTS. The first assignment was multiple choice. I got 2 questions wrong out of 25 - but I have no idea which ones. OK - not the end of the world, I can possibly work that one out. That still doesn't help me with why I was wrong. The other assignment was written answers. It was unmarked as it was not a compulsory assignment, and THERE IS NO FEEDBACK.

Here's the crunch: It provides the basis for half of the exam. I have absolutely no way of knowing how I have done on this assignment. If I use my answers to revise for the exam I could be completely off track. That means I could fail my exam! I feel like I am being blindfolded, led down the garden path and then, with blindfold intact, asked to describe what I can see.

I feel that the people who designed this module are lazy and incompetent and need to be replaced with people who understand the need for FEEDBACK.

Right, if I am venting for no reason and this is a normal state of affairs in a learning process, please let me know. I will feel better. It will probably improve my mindset. If I am vindicated in my frustration, help! I need to change my mindset or this exam is going to cripple me. I will be well into revision by the end of tomorrow so please watch this space! I will endeavour to acquire some positivity between now and then!

4 comments:

Clare said...

That is absolutely rubbish - I think that you need to complain to the university. It is absolutely essential to receive some sort of feedback (even a one line comment can give you some idea of whether or not you are doing a good enough job of answering the question, and doesn't take the marker long to add) - and certainly you should be told which questions you have got wrong!!!!! The examination officers who moderate your degree course will be very interested to hear about the lack of feedback!

Good luck with the exam - I hope that they are at least going to mark that!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mom de Plume said...

Thanks Clare, I think I will get in touch with them. And get others to as well! Yes let's hope they mark the exam eh? Grrr

Sparx said...

No way. I took a distance course in school and the only thing you HAVE is the feedback! Definitely get in touch, how can they consider it teaching otherwise?

Mom/Mum said...

You sooo have to complain to the university as this seems like a ridiculous system
Good luck