Class Review: Get Out of Auto Mode

I have such mixed feelings about this class.  On one hand, I learned a ton about my camera and how to use the various creative settings (all the little icon settings, as well as program mode, aperture priority and shutter priority mode). It allowed me to take the portrait of Henry above (which I love) and understand how the various settings (shot in aperture priority mode with f5.6, WB auto, etc.) worked and how I might improve it (set WB to full sun to warm his skin tones; switch lenses so that I can use a lower f stop and blur the background even more; position him just a little to the right to get rid of the triangle of sun on his right cheek).  I could not have done that before class, so I clearly learned a lot.  On the other hand, it wasn't a really fun or pleasant class, and there were a few changes that could have made it a much better experience (although I'm not sure I would have learned a lot more).  Overall, I would give it a B+. And I am not rushing to sign up for the next in the series (Move Into Manual).
There were many positives.  The instructor Elisha Snow is very knowledgeable and writes very clearly about photography.  I think that's harder to do than many people realize.  She covered all the basic elements promised in the class.  She answered all questions posted in the forum in a thorough, clear and informative way.  She added a couple of wonderful tutorials in the class blog.  She gave a helpful, detailed critique at the end of class on one photo submitted by each student.  Also, BPS was very responsive to student feedback and  complaints about how the galleries were initially organized.
So, what didn't I like?  First, the weekly downloaded lessons were waaaay too basic.  The material contained in these was very thin.  I didn't do a word count, but I bet that some were just a few hundred words.  Each week, there was a "bonus" hand out, which generally contained useful information. The class could be vastly improved by taking the useful information from the supplemental handouts and putting them into the regular handout.  The best way to get information in this class was to post a question in the "Ask the Teacher" forum. As I mentioned, the answers to these were very good.  I took to posting a couple general, follow-up questions each week, and the responses were incredibly helpful.  This is the type of information that should have been in the weekly lessons, in my opinion.
Second, the instructor had a policy of not commenting on photos which students posted in the weekly gallery.  I asked about it, and here is her response:

The class gallery was set up specifically for you and other students to post their photos for me and the other students to see and enjoy. There are literally hundreds of photos in the gallery, and while I'd love to be able to comment on every single one of them, it's virtually impossible. That is why it was decided from the beginning that it would be most beneficial for the students in this class to take everything they've learned at the end of class, apply it to one photo, and post it in the gallery for me to critique. When I do critique your photo at the end of class, I take a lot of time to carefully look at each photo and leave both positive feedback and any constructive criticism I may have. If you have specific questions about a photo you've taken, please direct me to it in the gallery and I'd be more than happy to help you one-on-one there. 

Sorry, this response just didn't do it for me.  In every other course I've taken, the instructor has at least poppped by and left a few comments.  Even something basic like, "oooh, cute kid" or "nice background blur" would have made the class feel more warm and inviting and would not have taken much time.  Let me add that at the time she posted this response, there were seven photos in that week's gallery.  Seven. Did this affect how much I learned in the class? Probably not, but it left me with a cold and negative feeling.  Perhaps I should have actively asked in the "Ask the Teacher" forum about specific photos each week.  But I don't think that responsibility should be on students.

 Finally, there was a lack of community in the class.  I met a couple of nice people, but no real community developed.  I think the reason for this was because the initial gallery set-up was very difficult to navigate.  BPS switched things in response to complaints, but, by then, it may have been too late to generate that nice class community feel. BPS sent out a class review form after the class, and I filled it out to give this feedback.

So, what do you think?  Am I being too harsh? Am I expecting too much to want the main content offered up front, rather than in response to questions?  Is it unfair to expect a fun, enjoyable class experience in addition to good content?  The class was $60, more than I usually pay for an online art class, but pretty reasonable for online photography classes.  This was the second time the class was offered, so the instructor did not need to create the content from scratch. Any input from others who also took the class?  Alternative opinions definitely welcomed!