We should support instructors based on how much value they deliver, not number of classes

If people don’t want to be there, they won’t be there.

It’s 1 question.

No. Have you ever taught somewhere where your evaluates by a survey and it’s really easy for people to stop showing up?

What makes you think that?

The point of this proposal is to increase the value provides to students. If the limit and dollars per student hour are correct, it will encourage more value to be delivered. Part of that will be more classes taught.

Lecturing 30 people probably delivers more value. But if a student doesn’t get the attention they need, they probably won’t fill out the survey.

Can be solved by effective wording in the survey.

You and I will have to agree that we disagree. It’s not more value if none of them receive enough to be able to actually do anything with it. If all they do is remember or even understand it … that’s a far cry from being able to create with it.

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Then they will answer the survey accordingly.

Or they won’t answer at all[quote=“John_Marlow, post:20, topic:63934”]
and the proposed payment scheme would discourage that.
[/quote]

I can just as easily say that it will encourage high quality classes. But in addition to claiming that, I’m going to state why I think that, because stating why seems to me to be a more effective way to discuss pros and cons of a solution when compared to simply stating what my position is.

It will encourage high quality classes because there is a feedback mechanism that affects how much money gets paid. People will either not fill out the survey for low quality classes or they will answer according to how much they learned. They will learn more when there are fewer of them because it’s a more one-on-one experience. That will get reflected in the percentage of students in the class who fill out the survey and who give the class a high rating.

Also, let’s not forget that there is a mechanism for rewarding excellent classes by giving a 6 or 7.

Yes, I have. I also consistently received 5 star ratings, and had people request me as a teacher. These people could’ve chosen to attend competitors’ classes if they wanted to do that.

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I feel surveys are flawed. Kinda like reviews. The only time they get filled out is if people are not happy at all or are full out ecstatic about it.

I personally don’t take the time to fill them out. I can’t tell you why. Perhaps most of the time they feel like a waste of time.

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I’m wonder why you would reach out to me only on this issue. Looking back at history, you might note that I did training in the old system and continued training in the more recent $25 system. I plan to continue under the new system and others that might be coming. I have kept my head down and continued to contribute without grumbling while leadership made changes they thought was appropriate.

But since you put me on the spot, I think this idea is unworkable and see no reason to look at tweaking it.

On the other hand, I did a fair amount of training in my career. Students were typically employees of large corporations, DOD, NOAA as well as internal. Later, during a time of unemployment, I taught a number of CISSP boot camps to security professionals. The one universal commonality of all classes was an evaluation form to be filled out by every student at the end of the class. The theory seems to be that if anyone is investing time and/or money in training, students should be asked to evaluate the instructor and class.

I totally support evaluations though I have not used printed forms at DMS in the past. Seeing @Dale_Wheat use of printed forms has convinced me to develop forms and use them in my future classes. Good teachers should not be afraid of being evaluated. Beginning teachers should recognize that the evaluations will help them to improve rapidly. DMS students are the best in the world.

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I’m referring to the formula for paying the teachers. Instead of calling it an accounting headache, it’s more accurate to call it an administrative headache.

Someone has to count the number of students in classes. Someone has to count the surveys. Someone has to input the data. Someone has to code this (or manually add to excel or something) in relation to cutting a check

Again, I think surveys for feedback purposes are a good idea. I think it can help strengthen our offerings.

Our main problem we’re trying to solve for as an organization is not that our classes are bad. Our problem is not enough classes.

Teachers don’t want convoluted compensation models. Keep it simple - pay the honorarium, and if someone gets consistent 1 and 2 survey scores, pull them from the teaching pool, offer them training, and if they improve, let them back in.

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I think you’re saying people won’t give a rating if the instructor does an acceptable job.

I think they will give a rating if you let them know it’s a way of thanking you as an instructor. People thank instructors all the time.

Our problem is not enough student hours.

Pretty sure we already have the attendance data.

I disagree. Our problem is people who want to take classes can’t get into them before they fill up, meaning we don’t have enough classes.

I watch the calendar for glassworks and screen printing and wood carving and bowl turning on the lathe, and they are ALWAYS full before I can sign up.

You don’t have to take my word for it. I invite you to do a poll and get opinions from more people who can’t register for classes, and opinions from teachers who have stopped teaching classes (or haven’t started).

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Teachers don’t want to put a lot of effort into stuff that isn’t teaching. I understand that. Seems like a reasonable assumption.

This is not a convoluted model. There’s a rate per student hour and there’s a limit.

In those situations, did the students pay once for the whole course or did they pay for each session?