I just put back a big chunk of one of the texts that we’re using for the class, and I have to say, it’s plain awful. There are uncountable problems from consistently (and, worse still, inconsistently) misspelled names to repetitions, to vague and/or unhelpful images to flat out inaccuracies.
One of the most glaring problems is that this edition of the text is supposed to be updated to include more on ‘Issue X,’ of which the author seems generally dismissive. Maybe he was forced to include because it’s a la mode now. In any case, he doesn’t give the issue its due. His treatment of Issue X is limited to a single paragraph tacked on at the end of each section, sometimes repeating what was already stated with marginally better clarity in the body of the section. Were I grading this, I might pass it with revisions, but with some very nasty comments.
Here’s the kicker. It’s still the best text out there. Gah!
The prof said that the big problem is that no one earns tenure brownie points by publishing a survey-course text, and of course, no one makes any money on it either. So we get stuck with this dross? We get to spend time in class fighting against the seeming rough draft written a night after a tequila and licorice stick bender? Yes, yes, we do.
At least we get to turn it into a lesson in critical reading.
Grading makes Overread cranky.
Another essay gem:
I realize it is football season, but things can ‘happen over time.’ If you are playing sports, they can “happen in overtime.” They don’t ‘happen overtime.’ I’ve been running into this one quite a bit. Is this a new problem?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Oh, don't get me started on textbooks! (Oops, too late.) In addition to the problems you point out, there's also the issue of high school textbook adoption - which affects college texts because they're often used for high school AP courses, and this is a big enough market that publishers will work pretty hard to make them happy. This report out of the Fordham Institute, "The Mad, Mad World of Textbook Adoption," ought to be required reading for anyone cranky about textbooks. (It'll just make you more cranky, but at least it will give you something more specific to complain about.)
Post a Comment