ONLINE COURSE STRESS!

[Hegemony]

You have designed too many graded assignments. Design multiple-choice quizzes and exams that are graded automatically by the LMS.  Design short writing assignments that they don't have to do every week. Cut way down on the graded stuff, and have it cover a greater part of the course when you do.

[downer]

You have designed too many graded assignments. Design multiple-choice quizzes and exams that are graded automatically by the LMS.  Design short writing assignments that they don't have to do every week. Cut way down on the graded stuff, and have it cover a greater part of the course when you do.

Good advice. I'd add: Put most of the assignments in the first 2/3 of the semester, and keep it light at the end of the semester. It makes it easier for everyone, especially since a lot of other faculty will insist on putting major tasks up at the end of the semester.

But all that planning is for next semester. Most of us find that we make mistakes the first time we teach a course, or we teach a familiar course in a new format or to a different population.

[mahagonny]

When assigning grades, over-estimate what they deserve, based on what info you have time to look at.

Otherwise known as ripping off the students because general education is somehow not about learning things or at least demonstrating that one is proficient in the required things to move on to the next course.

I believe downer is an adjunct.

The people who tend to lash out against facts of life such as you what you pay for are the people who always pay the least possible, and even resent paying that much.

[downer]

When assigning grades, over-estimate what they deserve, based on what info you have time to look at.

Otherwise known as ripping off the students because general education is somehow not about learning things or at least demonstrating that one is proficient in the required things to move on to the next course.

I believe downer is an adjunct.

The people who tend to lash out against facts of life such as you what you pay for are the people who always pay the least possible, and even resent paying that much.

My own status isn't really relevant to my advice. I do adjunct work , yep. My advice is for faculty to cut corners if they need to and take steps to keep thing simple if they are overloaded and stressed out because they are trying to meet some standard that is unreasonable. I do think that if schools want excellent work from their faculty, they need to pay them accordingly.

[mahagonny]

When assigning grades, over-estimate what they deserve, based on what info you have time to look at.

Otherwise known as ripping off the students because general education is somehow not about learning things or at least demonstrating that one is proficient in the required things to move on to the next course.

I believe downer is an adjunct.

The people who tend to lash out against facts of life such as you what you pay for are the people who always pay the least possible, and even resent paying that much.

My own status isn't really relevant to my advice. I do adjunct work , yep. My advice is for faculty to cut corners if they need to and take steps to keep thing simple if they are overloaded and stressed out because they are trying to meet some standard that is unreasonable. I do think that if schools want excellent work from their faculty, they need to pay them accordingly.

I see why you pointed that out, though I already expected that was the case. There are administrators who consistently demand you do more with less with the same quality as before. I enjoy pointing the finger at the most guilty ones from time to time. A forum has get personal sometimes to be real. It's totally on me. You were just doing common sense.

[Cheerful]

HigherEd7, with experience, you learn.  Try to streamline things while maintaining some reasonable student learning and performance standards.  Look out for yourself, no one else will.

I do think that if schools want excellent work from their faculty, they need to pay them accordingly.

And treat faculty with respect.

There are administrators who consistently demand you do more with less with the same quality as before.

Yes, this is common.

[lilyb]

For my institution's Office of Distance Learning, I must provide elaborate documentation showing how students are doing at least nine hours of work a week. We also need a mix of students interacting with others, with me, with the material, etc.
Most of it requires grading and feedback. I'd love to streamline and cut back but then wouldn't meet the criteria for getting paid.

[kiana]

For my institution's Office of Distance Learning, I must provide elaborate documentation showing how students are doing at least nine hours of work a week. We also need a mix of students interacting with others, with me, with the material, etc.
Most of it requires grading and feedback. I'd love to streamline and cut back but then wouldn't meet the criteria for getting paid.

Golly I wish I had this to appeal to.

I am getting complaints about "the crushing workload" from people who are demonstrably putting in 6 hours a week for a 4cr course.

[downer]

For my institution's Office of Distance Learning, I must provide elaborate documentation showing how students are doing at least nine hours of work a week. We also need a mix of students interacting with others, with me, with the material, etc.
Most of it requires grading and feedback. I'd love to streamline and cut back but then wouldn't meet the criteria for getting paid.

What a nightmare. And I bet they have no evidence that requiring you to do this improves outcomes. Presumably the time you spend documenting things could otherwise be spent on teaching and real prep.

[lilyb]

For my institution's Office of Distance Learning, I must provide elaborate documentation showing how students are doing at least nine hours of work a week. We also need a mix of students interacting with others, with me, with the material, etc.
Most of it requires grading and feedback. I'd love to streamline and cut back but then wouldn't meet the criteria for getting paid.

What a nightmare. And I bet they have no evidence that requiring you to do this improves outcomes. Presumably the time you spend documenting things could otherwise be spent on teaching and real prep.

Yes, we have not been provided any evidence that this improves learning. And admins wonder why more faculty don't develop these courses. I also suspect that I'll get slammed in evaluations for assigning too much.
For the next version of the course, I need to find ways to make this less exhausting for all of us.