Feedback from College Students
A little before I finished the semester I was talking with a handful of college students about what's the most useful thing they are taking from my class, and if there's anything useful. The answers are both surprising and not surprising based on how I teach. One girl answered, "How to talk to people. Like with speaking and being confident." Another answered, "How to think. You know, like with context and everything." Another said, "Thinking deeper about these things." Good answers. The content itself is important, but the framework that it is put in is probably even more important, which is essentially the skill of teaching.
A couple of times over the semester I had discussions in the class about how the students thought the class was going and how they thought it could be better. At the beginning the students were almost unanimous in that they wanted the class to be lectures with PowerPoint presentations and multiple choice exams. I told them right from the start that we weren't going to do that. I would of course do some lecturing, but then we would have discussions at least half the time, along with writing assignments, presentations by the students, and no multiple choice exams.
The first class was interesting. The course is so broad, Introduction to Humanities, ranging from literature and art to religion and philosophy, and it's a required course, that I figured in the first class we should go over what our expectations are, the timeline of the course, what assignments are planned, and especially any objections to the usefulness of the class. Because, that's a good question. Does this class apply to anything? And, we had some good discussions on that both in Coopersville and Holland once the students realized I was sincere in being open to the discussion and debate.
After the classes had finished there was also formal feedback from the students. A few did use it. I was surprised with the one negative feedback because it appears to make no sense since they saw the class as having little discussion, when if anything I probably had it open to too much discussion. And they didn't bring it up when half way through the semester I had a feedback session on what should change to improve the classes. It's possible that it was one of the students that frequently didn't attend class, and that is my guess, or possibly one of the students that resisted interacting and having discussion, which would be ironic. Maybe I should have pressured some of those kids a bit more to participate. We did have some good adjustments at times too. One of the easiest was when a student that sat close to the classroom door asked if he could close it so that he didn't hear activity in the hall. I said, "Of course, and with anything like that don't wait for me to specifically ask for feedback, just ask and we can handle things sooner and faster." A couple of students wanted more slide presentations and lectures, I didn't go in that direction, but I can see the case for it. There are also some ringing endorsements. I know at least one student reached out to the college and asked if I could teach her next class. I've included the formal feedback below.
Jeffrey Martin, Introduction to Humanities
12/14/2024 Class Climate Evaluation
Use this space if you would like to explain any of your answers to the questions listed in Part 1 or Part 2.
All I can say is I wish my professor for this class was mine for every class. I was very grateful for him and how he made this class so interesting and interactive. He made me look and think in ways that I will carry with me for life, and I truly appreciate his take on this class. I like the way he laid this class out and made it a very knowledgeable class. I also appreciate how we were able to share our opinions on topics in a safe environment and look at others’ opinions from different thinking points. My professor was very knowledgeable and knew so much about this topic, which made it very interesting. I think what made this class so intriguing and great for me was my professor.
I found the class to be quite pointless overall. I felt that the material was not engaging, and it didn’t feel relevant or applied to real-world situations. A lot of the content seemed disconnected from the course objectives. I also think the instructor played a significant role in my dissatisfaction. His teaching style didn’t resonate with me, and I felt the approach lacked clarity and depth. There was little opportunity for meaningful discussion or interaction, which made it hard to stay interested or see the value in the lessons. I believe the course could have been much more effective with a more engaging teaching style and a clearer connection to practical applications.
Jeff was invested in his students' success and understanding the material. He gave a project with a presentation piece but was invested in helping all of his students grow as public speakers.
What are the good things about how this course is currently taught?
I like the critical thinking that goes into this class. It makes me think deeper on subjects I don't normally hit on and see things from others' perspectives. I analyze things differently and better now than before the class. I think the presentation was a great way to help people get used to presenting and talking in front of others, even when they may not be as comfortable doing that. I think the presentation really impacted and improved my ability to speak in front of others. I also really appreciate the way my professor approached this course by not giving tests or quizzes and simply allowing me to deeply think on the topics of this class. Overall, I think the way this class was laid out by my professor was done beautifully. I really enjoyed this class and will forever appreciate how it helped me grow as a person and change my way of thinking for the better.
I struggled to find many positive aspects in how the course is currently taught. The structure and delivery of the material didn’t engage me or help me understand the content effectively. While the course might cover the necessary topics, I didn’t find the way it was taught to be helpful or motivating. However, I recognize that some students might have a different perspective, so perhaps others find value in aspects that didn’t resonate with me.
I think Jeff did a good job of breaking the chapters down by weeks. I appreciated not having to read every part of every chapter as I don’t retain material that way.
What would you change to make this course better?
I think this is a lot of material to cover in a short time. To truly understand it and retain it, I think fewer topics would be helpful.
Nothing
To make the class better, I would recommend a more interactive and engaging teaching approach. This could include incorporating more discussions, real-world examples, and practical applications of the material to make it feel more relevant. Also, breaking down complex concepts into smaller, more manageable parts and encouraging student participation would help improve understanding. I think a clearer structure, with more opportunities for feedback and clarification, would also help students stay on track and feel more confident in their learning.
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