LRCC ITE221 Review

 

ITE 221 PC Hardware and Operating Systems/ Dr. Leach Review

Edited December 10, 2024.

This Fall 2024, I enrolled in ITE 221 PC Hardware and Operating Systems at Laurel Ridge Community College, taught by Dr. Josephine Leach. This post reflects my personal experience with the class.

Outdated Course Material

The course relies on a textbook that, while comprehensive in its time, is now over eight years old. Originally copyrighted in the 1990s, some of its content no longer reflects current systems or trends in IT. While certain fundamentals remain relevant, a more updated resource would better prepare students for the rapidly evolving field of technology.

Course Management Issues

Several administrative issues impacted the overall experience:

• Midterm Exam Error: The midterm exam provided was intended for a different class. Correcting this mistake required multiple student emails, as the professor initially insisted there was no error.
• Final Exam Posting Delay: The final exam was not posted until late in the final week of the course, leaving students with limited time to prepare.
• Confusing Instructions: The professor described the final as “open” without clarifying whether this meant open-book. Additionally, the exam was gated behind Respondus Lockdown Browser, making it impossible to use the e-book provided with the course. Edit 12/8/24: Dr. Leach, through an email reply, has indicated that the final is open book/ open notes, but could not explain how we are to use the eBook behind the LockDown browser. She indicated the LockDown browser is to keep people from using Google to get the answers.
• No Study Guide: The absence of a study guide for the final exam was particularly frustrating. Instructors often provide such resources to help students focus their review and perform well. Without a study guide, students were left guessing which topics were most relevant to the exam. Edit 12/8/24: Dr. Leach has indicated through an email reply that the Final Exam is on the chapters only that came after the midterm exam. She also indicated that all exam questions are pooled from the quizzes from each chapter. This is certainly helpful information but, as of writing these edits, Dr. Leach has not posted this information to the class. It was only obtained in a reply to emails.

Exam Retake Policies

The course permits two attempts for both the midterm and final exams. However, while the first midterm’s answers were accessible for review, this does not appear to be the case for the final exam. 

Restricting access to first-attempt answers behind the LockDown Browser prevents students from understanding their mistakes and improving their performance—a frustrating barrier to learning. While the instructions suggest students can “view your quiz results,” it’s unclear whether this includes detailed feedback on the questions or just the overall score. If it’s the latter, the lack of transparency significantly limits the value of having a second attempt. Edit 12/9/2024: I took the exam yesterday and you could not review the questions/answers after the exam. I went back and checked on the Canvas Exam page this morning and there is now a note saying you CAN view the results 'immediately after submission', one (1) time. Day late and a dollar short for me. There were 2 essay questions at the end of the exam that I had to guess at. Overall, I did not see any value in going back and taking the exam for a 2nd 'take'. 

In the end, how the exam is given is the professor's prerogative, but some consistency and clarity would be nice instead of the last minute snafu that happened for the final. 

Pedagogical Approach

A major concern with the course is its focus on memorization over research skills in its midterm and final exams. In IT, the ability to "look it up" is essential due to the field's vast and ever-changing nature. Courses that emphasize problem-solving and resourcefulness better equip students for real-world technical challenges. Unfortunately, this class lacked that forward-thinking approach.

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Conclusion

While I appreciate the opportunity to expand my knowledge, I found both the class and its management lacking. Updating the course material and adopting a more student-centered teaching philosophy could significantly improve the experience for future students.

You may have no choice, due to your degree program, but to take this course. If so, make it a little better on yourself by trying to do it with a different professor than Dr. Josephine Leach. It's my understanding that this is Dr. Leach's first year teaching. I hope, if she were to read this, that it's taken as constructive criticism. As a first time teacher I understand it can be tough. Hopefully, with time and communication from students, she will improve. As an elective, I would look elsewhere than this course to fulfill any credit requirements.