Seattle Central Com College's Profile

FROM THE INSTRUCTOR: This website does not provide a place for instructors to reply to student reviews. I have been advised by Teach Street staff to post a review myself in response. Each section begins with a statement by Meg T, followed by my own.

MEG T: “What began as a 6 session, 3 hour long course turned in to 3, 6 hour courses.”
RESPONSE: This is inaccurate. The class was originally scheduled for FIVE (not 6) sessions of 3 hours each for a total of 15 hours. Due to unavoidable circumstances, it was changed to one 3-hour evening class and TWO (not 3) 6-hour Saturday sessions for this particular quarter only. Students were advised of the change well in advance of the first class and were given ample opportunity to opt out with no penalty.

MEG T: “An hour and a half into the first lecture, we still had not even opened any Adobe program.”
RESPONSE: Students are not ready to use the software until they have some background technical knowledge, familiarity with basic terminology, and an understanding of the functions of the different programs and the differences between them. The class does not just involve learning the software but also addresses principles of good design. An hour and a half is not an unreasonable amount of time to cover this necessary background info with discussion and Q&A’s, in addition to student/teacher introductions, explanation of the computer network, helping students with login procedures and some technical adjustment of equipment (we were in a brand new computer lab and it was only the third day it had ever been used).

MEG T: "Most people in the class were hoping to learn a skill(s) that would help them in their current job, or even help to land them a new one."
RESPONSE: It is very unrealistic to expect a beginner-level 3-session course to provide enough skills to work in or to “land a job” in a highly competitive field requiring significant technical expertise. I explain very clearly on the first day, that the class is an OVERVIEW designed to give students an introduction and to get them started on the path to further learning. Meg T herself later writes, “these programs are very intense and it should not be expected that one can master all the Adobe programs in the allotted time...”

MEG T: "What started as a 25 person class rapidly dwindled to 5 remaining students in the third class."
TEACHER RESPONSE: This is blatantly untrue! According to our registration records, there were 11 students initially enrolled, not 25. One woman dropped the class the first day; she informed me that she already was familiar with much of what was to be covered and realized she needed a more advanced class. Attrition is normal in classes of this nature, especially on an uncharacteristically a sunny Saturday, as was the case on the final day of class. And, as I recall, we started out with 6 on the last day but one student left early, letting me know in advance that she had another commitment in the afternoon.

MEG T: "…the instruction and course outline is simply slower than molasses in January."
TEACHER RESPONSE: Although this is a beginning class, students come with a wide range of skills, experience, and learning styles. As usual, there were some students in this class requesting me to go slower and repeat steps. I cannot go at a pace to accommodate those who can move more quickly, while leaving behind those who require further instruction. In my 15+ years experience teaching desktop publishing software, it has been the more common occurrence for students to ask me to slow down rather than to speed up.

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Sharon is very nice but astronomically verbose. What began as a 6 session, 3 hour long course turned in to 3, 6 hour courses. An hour and a half into the first lecture, we still had not even opened any Adobe program. Most people in the class were hoping to learn a skill(s) that would help them in their current job, or even help to land them a new one. What started as a 25 person class rapidly dwindled to 5 remaining students in the third class. Though these programs are very intense and it should not be expected that one can master all the Adobe programs in the allotted time, the instruction and course outline is simply slower than molasses in January. In short, one is better off spending time and money on a do-it-yourself program; otherwise this class is an entire waste of money.

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