As a novice in teaching a course independently, I was supposed to teach European Banking Law for master students starting from this semester. Unfortunately, two days prior to the first session, I was informed that the number of the students who signed up for the course was not sufficient for the class to convene. I was also informed that this was the first time that the number of students has not reached the required level for this course.
I was wondering what caused this. Given that none of the students knew me, and that I am new to the University, I ruled out the possibility of the fewer sign-ups based on the quality of teaching or my personality. (Such a shameless self-serving argument!)
Today, while browsing the course description sections of other courses in the University’s website, I found out that most introductory remarks were confined to a few sentences regarding the objectives of the courses being offered. On the contrary, on my course’s webpage, there was a detailed syllabus outlining the reading materials, rules on class meetings, attendance, assignments, topics for presentations and papers, final examination, grading, how students should prepare themselves for a Socratic method, and all carrots and sticks for students to pass the course.
The result?
Students found the course too demanding and were panicked when they compared the course and its workload with similar courses, especially those courses having more academic unit assigned to them than mine, and simply walked away.
Any solution?
1. Preparing the syllabus and modules for any course, it is better to constantly remind oneself of the Wall Street Rule.
2. The best strategy would be revealing very limited amount of information prior to the add/drop deadline, and leaving the full disclose of your expectations from students to the post add/drop deadline period. Since after the deadline for add/drop, the relationship becomes asset specific (namely, students who have signed up for the course will recognize that they cannot redeploy their time for another course), students will be locked in the relationship and have to be happy with what they have got.
The lesson:
Greater transparency, especially when it is untimely, can be more of a curse than blessing.
