In a perfect world, I’d be able to choose my own course texts (within reason) once given the topic of the course: a class on horror literature? Great, I’ll mix classic stuff like excerpts of Dracula and The Woman in White with modern authors writing in the style of older authors (Laura Purcell for example). The final paper would be a comparison of writing styles and the identification/use of horror tropes throughout the texts. I think giving students a bit more freedom regarding texts (even if it’s just “choose between these three books”) would allow for more interest in the subjects, because the students themselves have chosen what they are reading.
Another thing which would greatly enhance my reading experience would be content quizzes; nothing super difficult, but just a weekly check in to make sure I actually know what’s going on in the book, the important characters, etc. Even if it’s only worth 5% of my grade overall, this would make sure I set time aside to actually read the book, and I think discussing/being quizzed on small chunks of the novel is more beneficial (at least to me) compared to reading half a book over a week and then discussing it all at the same time. My brain never seems to remember things fully (case in point I can read a book and a week later be unable to tell you a single thing that happened), so breaking it down into smaller pieces would definitely help me absorb the text better, especially as it gets closer to April exam season if we’re being tested on texts from September.
Lastly, and I know this is unlikely to ever happen, I’d love for English courses to collaborate their due dates for assignments and essays, because the number of times I’ve had four courses worth of assignments due in the span of three days is frankly terrifying. I understand this is something which would be almost impossible for courses at different levels, but if everyone teaching English at the 300 level (for example) could come together and stagger their due dates for assignments, it would save a lot of students the headache of needing to plan a week of panicking. Yes, I understand the general idea is for students to begin their papers well before the due date, but I guarantee 75% of students don’t do that, and even for those who do it can be difficult if we are discussing a text for an essay up to a week before it is due. The professors I have had were always wonderful and understanding about extensions, but hopefully less people would need to take them if the due dates for assignments were a bit more scattered.
— by Petra Bauer