Is It Fair to Change Course Difficulty Mid-Year?

In summary, the conversation discusses the common practice of universities rotating faculty for courses, resulting in some students having more difficult professors. This can lead to academic inflation, where degrees become less valuable over time. However, one person's understanding of the material may be better with a more difficult professor. Some believe that varying the degrees in the middle of an academic year is unfair, but it is a part of life.
  • #1
PhysDrew
64
0
My question relates to a subject I took last semester, which since then I have found out that a lot of students failed and complained that it was too hard and the lecturer wasn't satisfactory. The university has since removed that lecturer and simpified the content and the assessment pieces. Is this common practice in universities? I ended up getting a distinction in the subject, but people who have done the subject since it was revised may get the same or better mark. This seems unfair if GPA, positions, and bursaries are on the line. What do you think?
 
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  • #2
It's common for faculty to rotate what courses they teach, it's just part of life. I ran into the situation many times and usually had the "more difficult" professor. The grades might have suffered a little bit, but I found that I understood the material a lot better than my classmates who took the "easier" class.
 
  • #3
This is the reason academic inflation exists, over time the degrees tend to mean less and less since it is an easy short term solution to just make things easier.
 
  • #4
Klockan3 said:
This is the reason academic inflation exists, over time the degrees tend to mean less and less since it is an easy short term solution to just make things easier.
Funny you should mention that, since I was of the opinion this beast exists up until yesterday, as well, but reading http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/gi.htm" kind of made me revise that stance a bit.
 
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  • #5
fss said:
It's common for faculty to rotate what courses they teach, it's just part of life. I ran into the situation many times and usually had the "more difficult" professor. The grades might have suffered a little bit, but I found that I understood the material a lot better than my classmates who took the "easier" class.

Yeah I find my understanding seems to be a lot better, but still varying the degrees in the middle of an academic year seems wrong. But that's life I guess. Good to hear others have had the same experience. Thanks for the replies!
 

FAQ: Is It Fair to Change Course Difficulty Mid-Year?

How can a course difficulty be changed?

Course difficulty can be changed by altering the course curriculum, adjusting the level of assignments and exams, or modifying the amount of material covered in the course.

What factors influence the difficulty of a course?

The difficulty of a course can be influenced by factors such as the complexity of the subject matter, the level of prior knowledge required, the pace of the course, and the teaching style of the instructor.

Can difficulty be subjective or objective?

The difficulty of a course can be both subjective and objective. The level of challenge may vary for each individual student based on their own strengths and weaknesses, but there are also objective measures such as the amount of work required and the complexity of the material.

How often should a course's difficulty be changed?

The decision to change the difficulty of a course should be carefully considered and based on factors such as student feedback, course evaluations, and the overall success of students in the course. It is not necessary to change the difficulty of a course every semester.

How can changes in course difficulty affect student learning?

Changes in course difficulty can have both positive and negative effects on student learning. Increasing the difficulty may challenge students to push themselves and improve their skills, but it can also lead to higher stress levels and potentially hinder learning. Decreasing the difficulty may make the course more accessible, but it may also result in students not being adequately prepared for future courses or careers.

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