Is this normal for a college class?

[cheapmeister]

I am taking a class at a local college part-time. 50% of the class is spent doing practical labs. Thing is I find that the instructor doesn't teach the labs, but instead expects us students to figure out how to do the lab. What happens is that one person does the lab and then everybody else copies from them. I find it difficult to learn this way. Is this a normal method of learning now- teacher hands students assignment and we do it without any proper examples or taught instructions?
I find it hard to learn this way, it is backward and I cannot learn a thing from figuring out what is going on. If I knew what was to be done in the labs then I wouldn't be here in the first place.
I find that I have wasted my money on taking this part-time course.

What do you think?

[fuzzy_avocado]

Tell the instructor of the course exactly what you just wrote here. Maybe they think they're doing a good job of giving you independence but overlooked the fact that one group figures everything out and just lets everyone else copy. If you're serious about getting the most of your education you will just share this with him/her. If that doesn't help you can speak to the department that they work in.

[hystat]

Pray the instructor never teaches electrical wiring, heavy equipment operating, or drilling and blasting.

You should be paying no more for that course than you would for an online course if the teacher isn't at least facilitating the process and available to answer questions.

I answer somewhere in the neighbourhood off 75 to 150 student questions in a typical 3 hour lab. sometimes yes or no, but re-explaining different ways and seeing those lights coming on is why most people teach.
Pretty miserable choice of occupation for someone who doesn't enjoy that.

Nothing wrong with challenging the student to do some exploring on their own, but Instructor builds half a bridge, student builds the other half and you meet in the middle... that's education

[cheapmeister]

Pray the instructor never teaches electrical wiring, heavy equipment operating, or drilling and blasting.

You should be paying no more for that course than you would for an online course if the teacher isn't at least facilitating the process and available to answer questions.

I answer somewhere in the neighbourhood off 75 to 150 student questions in a typical 3 hour lab. sometimes yes or no, but re-explaining different ways and seeing those lights coming on is why most people teach.
Pretty miserable choice of occupation for someone who doesn't enjoy that.

Nothing wrong with challenging the student to do some exploring on their own, but Instructor builds half a bridge, student builds the other half and you meet in the middle... that's education

Dude, it is an electrical wiring class, guess I am screwed

[Jimboski]

Dude, it is an electrical wiring class, guess I am screwed

Try getting a tutor?