tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post9008272288286280245..comments2023-10-15T04:23:50.187-04:00Comments on College Misery: This Week's Big Thirsty: What Gives With Summer Courses?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-45092223785093350992013-05-10T08:18:33.063-04:002013-05-10T08:18:33.063-04:00I ask to teach a four-week course almost every sum...I ask to teach a four-week course almost every summer, but rarely get one (they're supposed to pay for themselves, and the dept can usually find somebody "cheaper" to teach what we offer in the summer.) The money came in handy a few years ago when I was paying alimony, and I could still use it to cut down my credit card debt.<br /><br />My experience teaching upper-div courses in Peter Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00754472537710161295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-88693620197851613532013-05-09T13:43:40.756-04:002013-05-09T13:43:40.756-04:00I'm with Hiram.
Seven weeks to get through m...I'm with Hiram. <br /><br />Seven weeks to get through material that takes 15. Even if it's the only course they're taking, that means doubled reading assignments, and much less time for drafts and revision before the final draft is due (I teach writing too).<br /><br />There's no way it's the same class. We don't have the time. But we must give them options, mustn't BurntChromehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06055976331443607569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-29901384697050121732013-05-09T12:32:37.002-04:002013-05-09T12:32:37.002-04:00Of course, the second term that summer a student–t...Of course, the second term that summer a student–the kind you hope for: bright, motivated, responsible–came to me the first week and asked about getting a change of time for the final because she was <i>also</i> taking Organic Rodentology and the scheduling people had apparently assumed this would never happen (because it's a bleeding stupid idea, that's why!).<br /><br />I tried to warn Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-36396192805824932902013-05-09T12:11:41.125-04:002013-05-09T12:11:41.125-04:00I have successfully taught 3 Summer course: two u...I have successfully taught 3 Summer course: two upper-level were 6 weeks, and one lower-level was 3 weeks.<br /><br />I accelerated everything. Two midterms and a final translated into an exam every week in the three week course, and an exam every other week in the 6 week courses. I had a quiz every day in all of these courses.<br /><br />The three week one was 3.5 hours a day and 5 days a mathesianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12439534799094303457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-87417796228305058892013-05-09T12:11:15.643-04:002013-05-09T12:11:15.643-04:00I just decided that my students in a five week sum...I just decided that my students in a five week summer version of Introductory Quantitative Hamsterology would have to spend nearly every waking moment not dedicated to basic life maintenance working on the course: ten hours of lecture and two three-hour labs per week times fourish equals sixty to seventy hours a week.<br /><br />No worse than grad school, really. Maybe a little better. <br /><br Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-30712550489096871752013-05-09T11:57:57.279-04:002013-05-09T11:57:57.279-04:00I'll second this point. I have taught condens...I'll second this point. I have taught condensed summer classes for years, and I think that everyone else has covered some good strategies to follow, so I won't repeat what's already been said. <br /><br />I just want to emphasize that it's okay to scare the hell out of the class at the beginning. I tell my summer students that they will have a substantial writing assignment dueDr. Nicholas Nothaughtyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02870376432530010196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-33919617005998156092013-05-09T11:36:21.599-04:002013-05-09T11:36:21.599-04:00You're supposed to do exactly the same course,...You're supposed to do exactly the same course, but of course you can't. The scheduling of summer classes provides yet more evidence that administrators don't really believe that much of the work of college, for both students *and* professors, is done outside the classroom. So, start with what Bubba said: the chair's said it; you've acknowledged it; you both know it just can&#Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-83187580817234934062013-05-09T11:08:23.401-04:002013-05-09T11:08:23.401-04:00My summer course meets for the same amount of time...My summer course meets for the same amount of time, except we meet 3 times a week for 2 hours. Like Middle-Aged and Morose, I use more case studies and a break to keep all of us fresh. I sure don't want to talk for 2 hours, so I need to make them do some talking! My students are taking an intro course and while the smaller class size is a major bonus, the speed of things is quite shocking Frennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17126693773120200776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-15489047729136676212013-05-09T11:04:58.357-04:002013-05-09T11:04:58.357-04:00When I teach summer classes (and that's every ...When I teach summer classes (and that's every year, thanks very much Stupid State Government's inability to divide by 12), it's essentially a turbo-speed version of the regular class. We still meet twice weekly, class sessions take 2:45 instead of 1:15, the reading assignments are identical, and the assignment timeframes are compressed (read: brutal). The one significant difference isDr. Mindbenderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16916271564719224677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-12798422408312686652013-05-09T10:48:34.463-04:002013-05-09T10:48:34.463-04:00From my undergrad days- I took "Shakespeare&q...From my undergrad days- I took "Shakespeare" in the summer. Here's the breakdown:<br />Five week session, two-and-a-half hour class, four days a week. Tests on Thursdays.<br />The first hour was Elizabethan time period, Shakespeare biographical info, and, later in the term, sonnets.<br />The second hour and a half was going over the plot points and major scenes of the Play of the Sawyer in Student Serviceshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16463333151790071057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-72585104935585691412013-05-09T10:28:05.183-04:002013-05-09T10:28:05.183-04:00Summer school students, in my own experience, are ...Summer school students, in my own experience, are not ready for the heavier workload and quicker turnaround time that a shortened course usually requires. Drop city after week 2.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-13236514118242064402013-05-09T09:12:22.487-04:002013-05-09T09:12:22.487-04:00I have no idea, but sorry about the divorce. Sound...I have no idea, but sorry about the divorce. Sounds like a good idea to keep busy.Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16403289509523215570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-60557613028494800922013-05-09T08:24:56.743-04:002013-05-09T08:24:56.743-04:00I've done that with a survey course. The hour...I've done that with a survey course. The hours came out the same so my issue was keeping them interested for 3+ hours at a time in summer. I added exercises, short videos, small class projects, etc and spent no more than 1/2 hour at a time one one thing. And I stuck in lots of 5-7 minute breaks and started class back on the dot so students knew they had to be back on time. So class would Middle-Aged and Morosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046076243513948921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-36201586309743291322013-05-09T08:21:44.025-04:002013-05-09T08:21:44.025-04:00In a writing class, I have to limit either the num...In a writing class, I have to limit either the number of assignments or the length. Students simply don't have enough hours to do the "regular" course. I say it all the time and the Dean or the chair just nods dumbly and says, "Well as long as it's the same course." And of course it isn't!<br /><br />We even have a 6 week version of the course. It's ridiculous.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-20409024393353499142013-05-09T07:29:23.838-04:002013-05-09T07:29:23.838-04:00We have divided the summer up into two sessions, s...We have divided the summer up into two sessions, so they end up being even shorter and more compact. Apparently, this is better for students and faculty who can then schedule something in the other half. <br /><br />I petitioned hard for my class to move out of one of the halves into the whole summer block. I thought the frequency of significant events was too fast. In the full summer sessionAlan From Apexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01366176105581248496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-37610928592690839992013-05-09T05:03:34.638-04:002013-05-09T05:03:34.638-04:00I keep the same content, almost entirely, but sinc...I keep the same content, almost entirely, but since my courses usually involve papers, I require shorter papers. In my 4 week courses, I require a three-to-four page paper the first and third Fridays and give a test the second and fourth. Test scores actually tend to be better for summer courses, in my experience, either because summer school students are (self-selected) slightly better students Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-89014147816125788022013-05-09T04:10:25.389-04:002013-05-09T04:10:25.389-04:00The class should have all the contact hours of a f...The class should have all the contact hours of a full semester course. Just double everything up. You don't have to drop anything--but if you have a paper due at the end of the semester it would be good to get them started early. StellafromSparksburghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17584701718285662953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-60780651263837865992013-05-09T02:46:17.130-04:002013-05-09T02:46:17.130-04:00If you're close to tenure, then you know how t...If you're close to tenure, then you know how to teach a class. Fuck the chair. S/he just needs to be able to tell the dean that s/he reminded you about the content and rigor. Southern Bubba, Ph.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12050992903794385204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-47039635709239280262013-05-09T02:35:34.503-04:002013-05-09T02:35:34.503-04:00I taught a shortened online class a few years ago....I taught a shortened online class a few years ago. I kept most of the material, increased the number of discussions, and cut the number of assignments in half. This was an upper level required course though so the students were already used to college level work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com