To think that there must be something DP can do about rubbish students in his lectures?

[ConfusedPixie]

DP is in his second year as a mature student. Technically it's his first year on the course as last year he did a foundation degree so it's most of his peer's first years too. This year he's really struggling to keep his attention on one of his lecturers because there are quite a few twats in his classes who spend the entire time chucking stuff at one another, chatting, ignoring the lecturer, chucking things at other people, etc. Essentially acting like children. The lecturer couldn't give a shit apparently and just continues on regardless, so DP is having to spend loads of extra time on this subject (Maths) which is already a subject that he was having to spend longer on anyway (though actually enjoyed it before, whereas now he's dreading going to lectures because of the other students).

DP says that he has complained to his course leader and head of department on numerous occasions because at the end of the day, whilst they are paying a significant amount to ruin their education at the moment, he is also paying and his education is suffering because of the minority and a lecturer who doesn't care.

Is there anything he can actually do about this? Or is he stuck with them until they either drop out or grow up? I dropped out of uni because of substandard lecturers so understand a little how frustrating it is, but then this is the first chance DP has had to change his life that has actually worked thanks to badly timed misfortune in the past and he's just getting more and more frustrated and I'm left with a defeated, paranoid-he's-going-to-fail grump when I actually manage to get him to put his work down!

That is excellent quote.

The lecturers are pretty hamstrung - no power to do anything about it.

LOL at PGCE students being disruptive! They won't find it so funny when they are the teacher in front of a disruptive class!

If the lecturer isn't doing anything then he needs to talk to his tutor. If even then nothing is done he should confront the "twats" and tell them to shut up. I did it a few times when I was in university. I'd just turn around and say "can you shut up, some of us are trying to listen". It embarrasses them and there will be others getting annoyed by them too, so you get a few smiles and nods from fellow students.

He has nothing to lose. Tell him to grow a pair and confront them.

This is entirely inappropriate, and if the lecturer does not have support for dealing with behavioural issues, the University needs to pull themselves together and make sure that students can learn.

I suggest he takes this up the University hierarchy in all directions, both via the Students' Union and via the Department / Faculty. As people have said, he needs to go in to meetings expecting that a strategy will be put in place to deal with this within a very clear timeline. It's not a case of complaining about the lecturer, its a case of complaining about the University procedures.

I haven't had a chance to read again, we've had a really hectic day, DP knows about the thread (and I've just read out quote's story, to which he said "Yeah, but I'm not going to do that!" ) and I'll set him on reading it in the morning :)

One thing I have noticed reoccurring is the mature student thing and (logical) assumptions that he is quite a bit older than the students, he's actually 24 but classed as a mature student so the Mum/Dad scenario won't work so well with us unfortunately Though it's given me a great mental image of going in with my best Super Nanny voice that I use on my charges to tell them all off

Thank you all for taking the time to reply, sorry I've not responded properly, I have had a tiring couple of days! I will read the thread properly tomorrow :)

MadBusLady

I'm usually quite good at explaining the "way things are ' to the autistic brain, and pre thinking how DS might misinterpret a statement, so I usually have thought out the endless possibilities of how the information might be misused, but I didn't see that one coming.

quoteunquote that was so funny i laughed till my eyes watered. he sounds wonderful!

Speaking as a lecturer ... second, third, fourth the sitting in the front row.

Thing is, they're adults and it's not school. It's NOT a "lesson". As a lecturer, I'm not there to discipline everyone else's PFBs. (It's parents who enable such bad behaviour, a lot of the time, quite frankly). No-one has to go to university, and it might be a good thing if rather fewer entitled children did not attend.

The Department & lecturer may well care a lot, but may be driven by the bods from on high who are now using the NSS (National Student Satisfaction survey) as another stick to beat lecturers with. They are talking about connecting the unthoughtful responses of entitled PFBs to determine lecturers' pay.

And these little twats that your DH has to put up with may well say that they are "humiliated" if anyone calls them on their twattish disrespectful behaviour.

My technique is to pause mid-sentence, sometimes mid-word until the talkers notice, then ask them politely if they'd like to share their observations with us al;.

But it wastes so much time.

Oh, and he MUST ask the permission of the lecturer to record ANYTHING. And unless he has a certified disability for which recording the lecture is an agreed "reasonable accommodation" the lecturer is perfectly within her rights to refuse. Intellectual property.

Email the lecturer again, cc-ed to the course co-ordinator/ DH's advisor of studies / HoD / Head of School/ Faculty, advising that his feedback will be negative if this matter is not resolved speedily before he needs to make a formal complaint. He should ask them how they intend to deal with the issue. He could also state that he will challenge grades from the course (this will need to go to the external examiner and they will want to avoid this) as course content is not being delivered in an effective manner.

Don't do this. It's seeking to blame the wrong person. As others have said, and as I know myself, lecturers hate disruptive behaviour, but we're increasingly powerless to do anything about it.

And actually, we shouldn't have to.

But threatening the lecturer on this way is not the way to resolve the matter. It amounts to a kind of bullying.

There should be a staff/student committee where the issue can be raised, and maybe a friendly approach by several students to the lecturer, asking if there's any way tey can help, would also be a good strategy.

Likes colliedogs post.... Bang on

I work part time as a lecturer whilst doing a PhD. I would never hesitate to demand a student leave, after I'd given them a warning in front of the whole lecture theatre. It's simply not fair on the other students and I would feel that the students who are actually interested in the lecture would think I didn't care if I didn't do anything. Yes, it's tough for lecturers with the National Student Survey, but I reckon getting bad reviews from 3 dafties who feel "humiliated" isn't as bad as getting them from 100 good students who think you don't give a toss.

If your DH hasn't had any luck with talking to lecturer/head of department, is there a Students' Representative Council or, possibly even better, a Mature Students' Association at the uni who could take up his case? Good luck!

I teach in a university - please don't assume the lecturer doesn't give a shit. Depending on the university's policies, they may have very limited options for dealing with disruptive behaviour.

My personal feeling about student behaviour is that while I will do what I reasonably can to make lectures a productive environment, I am not there to be crowd control. It's not school, and I am not a teacher. Lecturers are damned whatever they do - they are not trained or supported in dealing with disruptive behaviour, yet they are expected to act like teachers by students and pander to a growing consumer attitude towards higher education.

Going to the academic/pastoral tutor, head of faculty, student council etc are options that are all open to him. However I think the quickest and most effective way (and possibly most personally satisfying way) of resolving the problem is for your DH to bollock these people in lecture. Don't underestimate how much older a 24 yr old seems to 18 yr olds.

I also agree with colliedog's advice not to get threatening. It will just put people's backs up and mean that this gets sorted out less efficiently.

And don't back down and rely on tutorials/online notes to fill in the gaps - the lectures are a vital resource of the course - your DH deserves to get the most out of everything that is on offer. Does the lecturer hold regular office hours? Because if they do I would be turning up there every week, or making an appointment, to go over the material covered in the lectures.