Why must Tertiary Education suck?
"Sample Solution for assignment 1. Note I have put this together very quickly and it doesn't have a lot of comments. It also doesn't adhere completely to the specification, I've just done the major parts. There also appears to be a separate floor plan down below the building, this is in fact a representation of the array I have used to check for limitations on movement, I drew it to check it was right and then didn't remove it."
That's the note attached to the sample solution for Assignment 1 in my OpenGL unit.
It wouldn't be so bad if assignment 2 wasn't based on assignment 1. And it probably wouldn't be so bad if the note was vaguely true.
- Instead of 'it doesn't have a lot of comments', it should read as 'it has comments, most of which are useless due to their scarcity' (we're talking one comment per function, if we're lucky)
- 'It also doesn't adhere completely to the specification', should read 'I made it roughly like what you had to do, but if you submitted anything like this, you'd get no more than 50/100'. The task involves generating two rooms. The example incorrectly generates the second room (in several ways)
In any other unit, an example like this would receive zero marks for code layout (lack of comments, although, this is the first example he's given with consistent indentation), understandability (variable names? ugh), etc.
I have other problems with this unit, specifically, the language of choice. I don't have any real objections to C++/OpenGL, but I have objections to the way its taught.
If you visited the unit description, you'll see a good knowledge of Java OR C/C++, as well as two prerequisite units that are taught using Java.
At Monash, the languages in this course have been: Java, VB.NET, PHP/Perl. Two out of three (the two you actually 'compile') are heavily Object Orientated. In this subject, we're discouraged from using OO. That's right, discouraged.
To make matters worse, no C++ is taught, just the GLUT commands. While the syntax is similar, there are some things that are very different from Java (pointers, not being able to return arrays, etc etc)
To make matters worse, this is the best taught subject I'm doing this semester.
When chickz0r's mother had a heart attack, obviously my studies were effected, so I applied for an extension. Gour Karmakar, my lecturer for Enterprise Programming did not respond. In-fact, he hasn't even acknowledged I sent it, despite how many messages I've left in the discussion boards (being off-campus, I don't have any other access to staff).
For this subject, I'm yet to receive my unit book. We're in week 11 or 12 of the semester, and I'm yet to receive the unit book or DVD containing the virtual image we're supposed to be working off.
But when I complain, oh, how quickly did he jump to email somebody else to look after it. Note, that was a week ago, still no further contact, and no materials.
Although, I dont' know if I'd like the materials anyway, all of its from Douglas Thomson (not saying Doug is bad, from memory, he was one of the few who could actually teach! I mean it more in a 'I wish Gour would make/understand/read his own materials' sort of thing), who was fired by the Uni (I believe). Its rediculous that everything has his name written on it, lecture slides, assignments, etc, its as if Gour just doesnt' care!
And with my final subject, Operating Systems, the lecturer seems pretty lazy. I don't know if this is the case, but all the lecture slides/example materials come from the text book. I don't mean rewording or derivation from the text book, I mean, word-for-word copying of Tenembaum's Modern Operating Systems. The most hilarious thing is we're forced to do a Plagiarism Declaration before we can access the assignments.
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[...] I think its about time I say "KTHXBAI" to Monash, as this certainly isn't the first thing on the list of complaints… [...]
Hey, name's Tim.
I stumbled upon your site from the whirlpool forums that I recently registered for…
I actually happen to go to Monash University too, and I tell ya, some of the lecturers I've had were hilarious. Sometimes I have no choice but to laugh, they're that bad.
I recall one lecturer, last year, for a subject called Software Component Technology. He practically had a stroke in the first lecture (he actually had to spend at least half of the lecture sitting there doing nothing - just resting). Was a fairly old guy, and overweight… but why would you be lecturing if you're that close to the brink?
Anyways… just figured I'd say something because trust me, I KNOW YOUR PAIN. I've got to just pass this semester and take whatever they hit me with next semester. Then I'm done and gone. All things considered though, next semester could be VERY interesting… lol!
Cheers,
Tim