I am studying a Honours level Reading Unit. A Reading Unit is quiet unlike the traditional be lectured to type units. It is based on the principle that everyone in the unit has mastered how to do research, and that teaching is the best way to learn. Over the unit there are a number of areas to be examined. For the first half of the unit the class is broken up into groups one group for each area, and ask to research and present on the topic. (The second half is a project, and ensuring you know all the areas covered for the exam)
The unit has 5 hours of content lectures, in which it described the basics of all the topics, so that everyone has some context to start there research in.
In one particular topic area, the free lecturer admitted that he was less informed about it, than the other areas covered by the unit. Which is fair enough -- he was asked to teach this class with short notice after the normal lecturer went away.
I am well informed on this particular topic -- at least to the extent it will be covered in this unit. It forms basic knowledge that underlies my honours thesis, and I have studied a unit though a online university purely about it. I have made the lecturer is aware of this.
During the lecture on the basics of this area, I felt that there were some improvements that could be made to what/how it was covered:
A few times the lecturer hedged his statements. Saying things like "I think that...", "It is my understanding that", "I don't believe anyone does ...". Indicating his own uncertainty. I could confirm that he was right, or clarify this.
A few times he used a term that no one with in the field would use to describe the technique; because that term is used in-field to describe a different technique. It was a very apt way to describe it, but if anyone tries to research the term, they will get this other technique. As well, if anyone every tried to discuss it with a researcher in the field, that researcher would probably say: "no it isn't
X
, it isY
". (InfactY
uses lowercasex
)A statement in one of the slides was slightly misleading.
I resisted the urge to clarify him during the lecture, because I felt that would be disrespectful and would interrupt the flow of the class -- which was already on a tight scheduled.
Now I am considering what I should do. Options I see are:
- Do nothing, hope that the students covering this section in more detail will make it clear for everyone.
- Pass this information on the students covering the area, possibly also with some other useful recommended reading.
- Post my clarifications on the the units online discussion forum.
- Email the lecturer saying: "I feel I can clarify a few things", shall I post to the discussion forum? But not include full details in my email to him.
- Email the lecturer saying: "Here are some clarifications of the area for your edification."
What is the correct way to go about making something more clear, that was not wrong, but might be missing or misleading from lecture content?