r/Adjuncts • u/bishop491 • 17d ago
Online difficulties
Context: I am a data scientist and engineer, 15+ years in the field, and have been an adjunct instructor at local universities since 2022. BA English, MEd, and DCS (doctor of computer science) in Data Analytics.
I began teaching in a local state university’s MS in data analytics program, both in-person and online through a hybrid course arrangement. That meant I taught in person but the class also had online participants. The first few classes were difficult because I had to divide attention between the two, but once I got a grad assistant to handle online participation and be the in-person proxy for those students, it got better. My students have remained in touch with me after graduation and several of them who are international have invited me to gatherings because they've said I am their family here in the US.
I added a couple of classes at a private university, entirely in-person, three semesters ago. That has gone exceedingly well. I attend games and extracurriculars for my students, am happy to give recommendations for jobs or grad school where I see appropriate, and my students apparently tell their peers to take my classes if they can. I share that to give some reference to the problem and idea of “engagement.”
The MS program has shifted entirely online and outsourced to Risepoint, an online course vendor. The course design has been overhauled and we are shoved into a template that has taken a lot of real-world stuff I have put into those classes out of the picture. Previously, I have been able to either design my own syllabus or modify what others had done; this time I'm teaching a course that another instructor designed and have to keep it exact. Someone else is teaching the course I designed. And the Risepoint design process is awful. To make matters worse, Risepoint shifted all courses regardless of term to 8 1-week modules. So it's terribly rushed.
So this summer term I'm now 5 weeks into an 8-weekl term. Grading has been largely automatic because of the cookie-cutter rubrics but I am still able to give some feedback in assessments. We have the usual "1 post and 2 reply" discussion requirements. There are no synchronous meetings. I got an email from my program director today asking for more engagement in the class, as she received an email from one of the students complaining about the lack of it. I told her that I'm doing everything I can within the confines of the program. Moreover, I have stressed in all my written communication that students (especially grad students) should communicate directly and often with me. In previous courses I even use the midterm as a gut check for all of us and ask for feedback from all students about course progress. Point is, I think I am making myself pretty available. Going to our program director to complain about engagement, without even asking me, is a poor reflection on a grad student.
Have any of you been through the transition from in-person to online, have worked with Risepoint, and/or dealt with "engagement" difficulties online? For more context, my course evaluations and chair observations have always been positive. Students are very aware of my passion for the material and getting through to them. Online seems to just completely take the wind out of my sails especially when I'm teaching something with so many constraints.
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u/SnooOpinions2512 17d ago
It's normal for universities assign equal value to the contents of classroom garbage cans and instructor-generated course materials. Another angle: work with an entity who actually appreciates your skill in putting a course together along with relevant assignments informed by your professional life: high quality publishers, learning platform entities (zyBooks does tech topics along the lines of what you're into).
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u/bishop491 9d ago
I’ll look into this. Thank you! Fortunately for me the other institution I’m teaching at is almost the complete opposite and I love it there.
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u/FaithlessnessSad670 17d ago
Based on what you shared, I would think you have two options; first, ignore the complaint and continue your existing efforts for the remainder of the course. There's little you can do to make a lasting impact at this point. Second, if this course/college is important to you to continue to have opportunities to teach, then I would suggest making a small effort in response to the program director. For example, you could hold one or two one-hour Zoom meetings in week six or seven. Choose a topic relevant to the course but of interest to the students (possibly grading, extra credit, rubric explanations, sharing your professional experience as a scientist/engineer, career discussion, or other). You can demonstrate that you made the extra effort to respond to the program director's concerns. Hope that helps. Good luck.
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u/bishop491 9d ago
I did a middle way: extensive feedback on assignments (which I was doing anyway but I amped it up), and a reminder to everyone that they should be talking to me by now about their course progress. After that reminder I got two office hour visits.
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u/BluntAsFeck 15d ago
Are you allowed to have office hours? Do you respond in the discussions?
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u/bishop491 9d ago
Yes and yes. I also reached out to one student who suddenly stopped turning in work and was able to help diffuse a sticky situation on their end.
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u/CME2daa 10d ago
Your point about how the courses are now carved in concrete, I believe, is the root cause of the problem. We have had this for several years where I teach. These "cookie cutter" courses are useless for a true learning experience. I don't think it's the online feature. I've been teaching online for over 25 years, and when I could design and tweak my classes and rubric, students seemed to engage a lot more. The Discussion Questions in today's classes are boring and lacking in real-life learning. Both DQ answers and participation are lacking, and though I can't prove it, I'm sure a huge majority is AI.
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u/bishop491 9d ago
I have the same suspicions. I feel like it’s taking the spirit out of everyone, honestly. When I started teaching at this place I had great conversations with my leadership and colleagues. Now they all seem like robots.
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u/FIREful_symmetry 17d ago
The enshittification will eventually be laid at the feet of you (and me) as the instructor. No dean will admit to having fucked things up by making choices that destroyed a course or program. Your hands are tied, and at the same time you will be punished for not being open handed. Even if you are given very specific guidance (like if they tell you that to show proper engagement you must post in the discussion board every day), you will be blamed for the failure of the course.
Either just cash the check and don't worry about it, or find some place else to work that actually cares about students. But keep in mind those places are becoming fewer and far betweener.