My fellow professors and I have been bemoaning the fact that our students don't pay attention to what's going on in the world around them, don't read assignments, don't do homework -- and thus are not able to participate in any meaningful way in class discussions -- and don't seem to learn from their mistakes and the feedback they are given.
Why, then, should we spend 2 to 10 (or more) hours preparing a lecture/class exercise, plus another 30 to 60 minutes per assignment when grading papers? It would certainly be a lot easier on us to lower our expectations of you by not assigning any readings or projects. We could just talk in class, and then you could take a midterm and final exam. Voila! You've passed the course!
But I'm not willing -- yet -- to go there. I still expect you to be as competitive and knowledgeable as any student graduating from other PR programs across the country.
If student papers were well-written to begin with, then faculty grading time would be cut at least in half and sometimes to one-tenth of what it currently takes us. I carefully review for grammar, spelling, punctuation, AP style and content. And yet, I keep seeing the same mistakes over and over and over on your blog posts.
We just completed the "Use of Social Media" survey, and some of the findings had to do with how much time SJGC PR students spend -- each day -- using social media. Of the 47 respondents who answered these questions, 39 said they spend 3 or more hours per day on the Internet, 35 said they watch TV 3 or more hours per day, and 35 said they spend 3 or more hours per day on their cell phones.
We also found out that 40 said they were likely or very likely to go online while watching TV, 40 (of 48) were likely or very likely to talk on the phone while watching TV, 37 (of 48) were likely or very likely to have the TV on while doing homework, and 45 (of 48) were likely or very likely to check their social networking sites while doing homework. So it's likely some of these "3 or more hours" overlap -- which may be the problem.
Multi-(media)-tasking is one of the hallmarks of the Net Generation. I (a member of the Baby Boom generation) often multi-(media)-task as well. But I find that whenever I do more than one thing at a time, my attention is split and my concentration suffers. So, too, does my output. For example, it takes me MUCH longer to grade papers if I have the news on TV at the same time.
You've heard the guideline that you should spend at least three hours studying outside of class for each credit hour of a course. This means, on average, that you should be spending at least nine hours each week on this course.
Here's what your weekly workload might be:
-- Reading assigned chapter(s) and taking notes: 1 1/2 hours
-- Researching and writing blog entry: 1 1/2 hours
-- Reading and responding to two classmates' blog entries and to my blog: 30 minutes
If so, this leaves you with 5 1/2 hours per week to work on team projects, such as doing your survey analysis, making sure your team blog is consistent, or preparing for your final presentation. You also have time to review graded papers and identify your mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation, AP style and content.
Does this sound about right?
I suspect part of the problem is time management. You need to keep a datebook and schedule time to study and complete homework assignments, just as you plan to spend time with friends, work at a job, work at an internship, participate in extra-curricular activities and so on. Some of you have very full schedules. Don't let your coursework become your lowest priority.
I also suspect that part of the problem is that you haven't been taught how to study, so you don't use your time wisely. You wait until the last minute to work on projects. And then when problems arise (such as printers not working, Web sites being down or articles not being available at the SJGC Resource Center), you can't complete assignments on time and then complain that the problem isn't your fault. Rather than spending 5 1/2 hours a week on "other" assignments for this course (such as your team project), you find yourself having to spend 20 hours one week just to catch up.
And I also suspect that you just don't appreciate how hard some of your competition (that is, other students looking for the same jobs you want) are willing to work to master the skills that will get them hired.
When I wrote the entry on being a keeper of the language, you all responded that grammar, indeed, is important to your success. And yet, if you look closely at your comments to my entry -- and at your own blog entries since that time -- you'll find them laden with grammatical mistakes. Why is that? Are my written comments on your blog entries not clear? Do you even bother to read my comments -- and to learn from them? How much time do you spend mastering the basics of your craft of communication?
I just recorded how many of you have responded to the class blog and to one another's blogs. There were too many zeros. And I also recorded your grades for the quiz on the Friedman reading about "The World is Flat." Come on, folks. Those are "gimmee" assignments. On the quiz, I asked you to tell me "anything you learned from the reading." How easy is that? Of course, it's incredibly difficult if you didn't do the reading.
And how easy is it to respond to one another's blogs? Or to mine? For the most part, I enjoy reading your blogs. But it frustrates me when I notice that you clearly did no research to back up your statements and that your blogs are filled with grammatical or factual errors.
Remember when we spoke in class about branding and how your reputation is the most-important asset you have?
If I were your boss and you approached work assignments with the same level of attentiveness that you approach your coursework, I'd fire you.
You need to take your college coursework more seriously. This is a career you're preparing for. And so are your competitors.
Dr. D
My Final Blog
15 years ago
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI know that I am guilty of multi/media tasking. I don't believe that this necessarily affects the quality of my work. However I do believe that students sometimes drop the ball we all have off weeks and days. This is not an excuse but an explanation. Another issue for me, is the comprehension of assignments. At times I find myself confused about what is expected. Even after explanations sometimes I still find that some assignments are not totally clear. A subject that I constantly struggle with is grammar. I am trying to improve on my grammar but it is a slow process. I understand how it feels to work hard for someone and to feel like they are not working for you. This blog has inspired me, perhaps it will inspire some of my fellow classmates to worker harder not only in your class but in all of our subjects
ReplyDelete-Nicole Jackson
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI agree that a lot of students including myself wait until the last minute to complete assignments. That is a student’s choice and they have to understand they will receive the grade they have earned. If that’s not enough for a student to change their habits, then I can understand how that can become frustrating. I’m one of those students who will look at my mistakes, try and see how I can fix them and hope that I remember in the future to do it correctly. But what gets me extremely frustrated is when teachers feel as if I’m only taking their class during that semester. You’re probably thinking that that is never the case but it really is. I get loaded with class work for just one class. I have about four projects that are due by the end of the semester but teachers continue to assign busy work for no reason. I saw how you broke up the studying time but I personally can’t agree with that. School work to me is not something that can be on a cycle all of the time. One week may be harder than the next or I might have something to do one day where I can’t spend my time studying for a class. I understand that this is our time to get prepared for the “real world” but I feel a lot of our teachers aren’t very understanding and they take their frustrations out on us instead of trying to help us. I don’t want my teachers to just give me tests, pass me and voila! Honestly who learns from that? But I do wish teachers would slow down and actually try and teach instead of trying to stick to their syllabus they handed out in the beginning of the semester. I had no idea that it took so long to prepare lectures but do you really think that it is possible that if it takes 2-10 hours trying to come up with the lecture, you can teach it in just one hour? Students and teachers really need to work together because honestly we’re frustrated too.
ReplyDeleteKiah
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI personally feel a little offended by this blog. Not necessarily because it's true, although sometimes I know that it is, but because I feel that this blog is making good use of generalities. I in no way mean any disrespect, but I have gone my entire educational career without dropping below a 3.9 GPA. I am not lazy, I do not lack organizational or time management skills and I resent any remarks that indicate anything to the contrary. If I am unprepared, I generally have a very good reason for being so. I am a very hard working individual. I have worked my way through college with at least two jobs every semester just to survive. Add to that the seven or more classes that I regularly take each semester in order to retain my scholarship and the fact that I take care of my siblings when my father goes out of town (which is at least three times a month), my plate is always full. I am always busy and not with extra-curricular activities. The things that I am busy with are rarely ever a choice, in fact when I do want to do something that would be fun, or extra-curricular, or even beneficial (like an internship) I never have the time, money, or the energy. That is why this blog really bothered me and I believe that I am entitled to my feelings.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with your math. If we were to spend at least three hours studying outside of class for each credit hour of a course, on average we should be spending at least nine hours each week on this course. This is very true and it would be achievable if I only took one or two classes a semester. As I stated before, I take far more than one or two classes every semester to I can remain in school. So, seeing that I am currently enrolled in seven classes (with 15 credit hours in total) and according to your calculations I should be spending at least 45 hours each week studying (or doing coursework) and there are only 168 hours in a week, I would have to study for six and a half hours per day to meet this criteria. I am also in class for 23 hours per week and that leaves me with roughly nine available hours of “free time”. Out of that “free time” I would have to, again, spend six and a half hours studying and that would leave me with roughly two and a half hours for bathroom breaks, to work, drive, eat, go grocery shopping, pay bills, and run errands (the necessities in life). Somewhere in there I would also have to sleep. This is not even taking into account the fact that I would like to spend time with family, friends, or participate in extra-curricular activities. Between the amount of time that I spend in class and the amount of time that I am supposed to be studying, it is almost the equivalent to having two full-time jobs. So, as you see, in my case especially, it is just not possible to spend one hour per credit hour studying. I want to be clear again, that I am in no way being disrespectful; I just want to have an open dialogue about this subject, because every semester it comes up. I appreciate the opportunity to really discuss this issue, because it is a serious issue. I understand that professors are frustrated, but I would hope that they understand that we are frustrated as well. School is not something that all of us take lightly, and therefore it is all the more difficult, when professors treat each student based on preconceived notions of mediocrity. I am competitive and I will remain competitive, but it is hard to do so, when we don’t even have the time to take care of ourselves.
Porsche
I totally agree with Porshe. Yes, sometimes as students, we do slack up on our work. But let's be clear, the professors aren't always in the right. Professors must understand that students aren't machines, and we can't read your minds either. Professors can't throw assignments, which happen to be a trial and error process, and expect students to do well. Especially, when it's obvious that the professor may not know what he or she is doing.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much required of us without taking into account that some of us have to work, some of us don't have the resources we need at home, some of us can't get to campus some days to use those resources because we have to work, etc.
Now this blog basically blames the student, but a lot of the blame goes on the professor for trying new things without fully understanding the assignment that they’re giving. Then to grade us as hard is just cruel. We do last minute work because there is too much work given in the first place. We have other classes, duh. Maybe the professors should tell the students, "If you want to do PR, then you shouldn't work, and you shouldn't have a life," because that's what this blog is saying. Trust me, we try to keep up, but we may not be keeping up with the same topics you’re keeping up with. Everyone has different interest. But I guess that’s not a concern either.
As far as the readings, let's be clear, this is not our only class and we have to split our time between all of our class, which requires a lot of work. It's not like we're taking PR Research & Strategies along with golf, dance, and an art class. Come on, be real about the situation. All the assignments and readings aren't necessarily helping either. It's busy work, and one thing students HATE is busy work. Often times we feel that the professor is unorganized. Let's state the facts. One can teach effectively without giving so many assignments. Honestly, I think the blog responses have to be done too many times a week. It’s almost ridiculous. Everyone isn’t on the computer all the time. I know I’m not. I can’t be with classes, work, and not to mention doing extra-curricular activities that you all encourage us to do to make ourselves better prepared.
And to have a couple of copies of the readings in the Journalism Resource Center is not giving us the resources we need. Maybe instead of expecting us to pick up that copy for reading, maybe the professor should compile all of the readings in one book, and distribute it to the students. It makes it a lot easier for the students to retrieve the readings and actually read them. I know this works because one of my professors did that just this semester. Also, the time that we have to get to the resource center only allows us to read brief readings, not 50 pages worth of repeated hoopla. By the way, all of us are on different schedules. So, if the reading isn’t there, because someone has it checked out, when we have the time to read, you know what we do? We leave. You can talk about time management as much as you want to, but there is not enough time in a day of an ordinary person’s life to do all of this.
Now I’m not trying in any way to be disrespectful, but this is malarkey. Nor am I asking for you to lower the standards, but there really is just too much work for one class. We are not machines: point, blank, period. You might think giving a lot of unclear assignments is helping the students, but in actuality it’s only making it harder for the student to keep up. Obviously, you’re burnt out with all of the work that you doing just as the professor. What makes you think we aren’t burnt out as well?
I see that this blog has caused my fellow classmates to release some steam.
ReplyDeleteEducation can be very difficult at times for both the student and the teacher. Many of us (students) try to do our very best when doing schoolwork. When I make mistakes on my assignments, I try not to make that same mistake again. I take heed to the remarks that my professors give to me about how I can improve.
Teachers cannot always blame their students for not knowing how to do their assignments correctly. Not everyone learns at the same pace.
Students should understand that teachers are there to help them. If we do not understand something, we should ask for help.
My study habits could be better. I am still working on being the best student that I can be.
-Armegan
Personally, I try to take school as serious as possible. I know this is my future and career and I need to take it very seriously in order
ReplyDeleteto succeed. The busy work that Marlon was talking about IS annoying, BUT at the same time I understand that it's not JUST busy work. The assignments are given to us to educate us and make us better PR practitioners and just an informed individual in general. I am a little guilty of not reading all of the comments that you have made on my blog entries ONLY because there is sooo much on the paper and its like we never get a chance to review and make ourselves better because there's always ANOTHER assignment that we need to do (whether it's in your
class or another class that I'm taking). I am taking 18 credit hours so dedicating 8 or 9 hours a week per class plus all my other
responsibilities is NOT likely to happen. I'm just being honest. I think we as students could become a lot more efficient if we had more
time to focus on big projects (like the survey or big group presentation) instead of spreading ourselves thinly over like 15 different assignments. I do agree though, that I need to step it up in school and we could all improve and do better, even if it's just a LITTLE improvement. I think I'm pulling my weight, but I could do more. I honestly think everyone in our class gets the job done and does what needs to be done. I don't think any of us are slackers and I think we are all seniors and know how serious school is. We're all not freshman, we've been doing this for four years and we're DEFINATELY trying to graduate! I know that if I slack, my gpa will drop and I may not graduate...that's why I try my best to be a good student. I am guilty of multi-tasking...actually Iim doing it RIGHT NOW as I type (lol). Sorry. I will try to work on that. But I do think we as your students deserve a LITTLE more credit! But I agree that there is ALWAYS room for improvement.
-- Samantha Savory
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDr. D, I can see why you would be upset with some of us, or shall I say with me. You are right, I have not spent as much time as I should on my blogs and my work, and I definitely do not dedicate that amount of study time to this class. The thing is, I should, but I don't, and like Porshe said before me, I have a lot of other things to do. At this level, more is demanded of you in school, but the older you are, the more that is demanded of you out of life as well. I do understand that my competition possibly on top of things more than I am, and I need to work harder to out perform them. My blogs are definately a grammatical disaster, but I beleived that it was just you writing what you wanted, how you wanted, an obvious mistake that I realize.
ReplyDeleteAlso, with these blogs, the problem is not the actual work, its the fact that most of us where not sure how to do this and have figured it out as we went. In the beginning, this was frustrating, as things on computers often are when you don't understand them, and that deterred me from completing my assignments as I do now.
Mandla Deskins
I'll be honest, school is not at the top of my priority list. It's number two, but not number one. My job is number one because it keeps me fed, and it's blossoming into a career. I'm all about smart investing, and I feel that I've made a fairly poor investment in college. No fault to FAMU, I'm proud of my school, but college really isn't for everyone. Especially when you have to pay $8,000 per semester for nonsensical classes like "American History" (and I still can't even get the real deal on the history of this country) and Art Appreciation. Those liberal arts classes are a bulk of one's college career, and we only get about five PR courses, which is the reason I'm here. I can become a well rounded indiviual on my own time, and I think perhaps that is where the real problem lies with my attitude toward school.
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind that I've made honor roll or dean's list every semester to date, but I didn't have to study 9 hours a week per class. That's just not time that I'm willing to invest on a gamble of graduating and making $20,000 a year. Perhaps that's where my second problem arises. Maybe I choose the wrong major. I came to FAMU with every intention of becoming a marketing major. However, I saw SBI programming wall street drones, and lost interest. I'm no good at chemistry and mathematical sciences, so that knocks out Pharmacy and Engineering, and at $8,000 a semester I couldn't afford to keep changing my mind. So I chose PR. Journalism has definitely made me a better communicator, which is essential in any profession. That's the reason I stuck with this major. I can apply the skills I'm learning in whatever I choose to do.
Case in point, I see dollar signs at the end of my hard work and dedication at my job. I just don't see those same dollar signs at the end of this journalism degree. That's why school is not my number one priority.