Responses to Student Self-Evaluation
Spring 2000 Print Section

Question #1: “The most important thing I learned this semester was:”

Gaining the understanding of a concept rather than “specifics” of a concept that I don’t understand.  This class exposed the roots to much of what I have learned in other classes.  Now the generalities and specifics are one.  I now have an interest in East European history, something I never considered.

More information on the Holocaust.  About the camps and how some soldiers refused to follow their orders.

The most important thing I learned would probably have to be that you learn more when you have to think.  In other history classes, you may have to sit in class and not really get into the class.  I know that I learn a lot more when I have to interact.

Not attending class everyday of the week can jeopardize your grade.

The most important thing I learned for me was more information regarding the Holocaust.  I loved it when the survivor came and spoke.  I truly feel that is one of the most beneficial things I have done and learned while begin at Tech.

I learned how to debate and defend my arguements thoroughly.  You really had to know or at least read everything, in order to know what to defend and what to attack your opponent.  I also learned how to defend something that I don’t personally believe in (i.e. Darwin), which was probably the hardest thing to do.

Honestly – to think like a historian or objectively.  I only had one teacher my freshman year at TCU that taught from this viewpoint.  Since then, my history class have mainly been regurgitating facts or military and political events and not so much on the avg person or citizen.

Trying to write a paper from a historian’s view.  This was a bit of a struggle for me.  It’s different from writing a paper for an English class.  You have to incorporate the material read, but also try NOT to summarize the material, but put it into my words and thoughts.  Hopefully I have become a better writer in that aspect.

How to write a better paper, for not only this class but in all my classes.  Being a Sr. History major, I spent many hours writing papers.  This class helped me in writing those papers.  Also, the topics we covered and the papers we wrote came in handy in other classes.

The importance of reading and comprehending Source documents as a method of interpreting the past.  Rather than learning another persons interpretation of what happened and why, Dr Kelley taught us how to analyze the past through the bare facts and arrive at our own conclusions.

That its not good enough to just know about events.  Its important to know and understand why things happen.  Taking a historians look at things from a different angle.

Due to the courses focus on writing I learned a lot about critical thinking and constructing logical evidenced arguments.  The large amount of writing also allowed me to see many of my strengths and weakness as a writer.

I feel that more than anything I learned to write.  I know it’s till my weak point, but I feel a little better about what I write.

Was the effect that early philosophers had on political issues.

The progression of human society.  I learned how society changed over time with regard to politics, economics, and governments.

How to write clear and decisive reports about how we as a society got to where we are.  I learned how to put my thoughts from my brain to the paper in a way that totally expressed all of my opinions and facts.

I’m not sure what the most important thing was.  I know the most interesting section, in my opinion, was WWII/holocaust section.  I have learned quite a number of things but I don’t think I can name a most important.

The human nature question.  The way that people think came into view for me.  I now understand why some people feel.  After knowing their background their struggles and their passions.  Being in my own little corner of the world doesn’t let you see the big picture.  This course has helped me tremendously.

The most important thing I learned this semester was how to read!!  I mainly learned how to look deeper into what I was reading.  The class taught me to do research.  I learn more information of what was going on in the Western Europe.  History has always been taught on the United States, change of regions was exciting.

Time management.  I had 16 papers to write this semester.  Remembering what each teacher looked for.

Learning to think and write as a historian does.  This skill will help us in other classes and in our careers after college.

How to analysis Historical documents, and how to really read into the meanings of the documents and the way of life at that certain time period.

The advancement of society towards some perfect state.  Each topic we discussed was related back to this general theme.  It was interesting to see how events centuries apart related to each other is this very basic way.

Question #2: “Please evaluate how much you learned this semester as compared to other history classes you may have taken:”

  Although I was never drilled or tested in an orthadox sense, I think that I came out of this class with more background and general understanding.  I couldn’t quote a timeline for this class but I know quite a bit from general eras.  Expressing free thought is what opened this class up.  We always hear the teaches perspective, but in this class, that perspective was incorporated with the class perspective.  I’m taking 4 Hist courses this semester and of all of them, this was the most informative.  This class helped bring together my British History Class, World History and Anthropology class.

Just about as equal as any other history course.  It’s just when you don’t have quizes or exams, you aren’t forced to read like I had to in other courses.  But I still learned alot in this class.

I believe I learned a bit more this semester.  I know that by having discussions and talking out in class, I could really get into the class.  In other history courses I would probably cover more information, but by learning the way I did this semester I really understood and got a chance to see why things happened.

I learned more in this class compared to other history courses because it was much more personalized.  When the teacher interacts w/ the students it makes the class much more interesting than just reading verbatim what’s on the screen.

Surprisingly, I have learned a great deal more than I anticipated.  I figured with just writing papers and not taking tests, I would be limited.    However, with all the lectures and the research I had to do for each paper, the information did not go in one ear and out the other.  I feel the information I have obtained here will benefit me for years to come.

In other history classes I learned a lot of facts, dates, etc. about major events in history.  In this class it made it easier to understand why those events occured and you got a better understanding of the people at that time.

It is not that I learned more or less, but that I learned about events from different aspects (the effects of changes in thinking over time, and especially the struggles and effects of women.  Most of my past history classes have not focused on those areas.  It was very educational.

Compared to other classes, I have learned much more.  I believe that my learning reflects the style of instruction that was used.  The students were involved more, allowing us to voice opinions, thoughts and to ask questions.  Discussions allowed us to hear what other student’s thought and helped me to see certain things I may have missed.  The reading packets were great because it gave us a chance to see the actual material and read the actual documents, not just read about it in a history book.

I learned much more about previous political powers and their backgrounds.  This course was very helpful in understanding the reasons certain countries are set up the way they are and why tension exists in Eastern Europe.

Much more, whereas in most classes it takes a long time to cover a few areas, Dr. Kelly was able to provide us with source documents to read and cover the subject matter in a thorough and understandable way while forming identifiable connections between events and eras.

I thought that I learned more from this class than other classes.  I enjoyed reading outside primary sources, along with the text.  Also getting in groups to discuss the issues were important.  It really imbeded the facts in my head.  I just didn’t memorize the things I know why they happened and things that could have been avoided.

I did not learn as much factual information as I have learned in other history classes, but I did get to learn a great deal about how facts are placed together and where they come from in constructing a person’s viewpoint on history.

Through writing our papers I feel I learned more about Individuals such as Milanda Horakova (?) and how wome were treated early in History.

In comparison to my previous history courses at the Jr. college level, this class proved to appeal more to my interest.  In other history courses, we focused more on the events and where they fell in time, and I like analyzing the event, and figuring out the when, where, why, and how of the event.  I think I have a better understanding of the event after doing so.

I’ve learned a great deal more in this class than any other history class I have taken.  Using the primary sources instead of reading out of the textbook, let me learn first hand about the topics we covered.  The primary sources made reading more interesting which allowed me to learn more.

I know that I have definitely learned much more due to the fact that I had to look at the evidence from the past.  I had to decide on whether or not the papers that I was reading were facts or whether they were just people’s opinions.  Because of this I learned instead of regurgitating facts on a test.  I had to know what was important.

I doesn’t seem like I learned as much (quantity of information) as other history classes here, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth while information. The first hand documents were effective and kept it interesting, but in other courses, just going through the text seems to cover a lot more information.

In the beginning of the semester, I was leary about a course with no test and just writing assignments.  Now after going through this course I am happy to say I have learned more in this class that I have learned before.  I am about to be a Senior and I don’t claim I haven’t learn in other classes but I go home and talk to my wife about the Info I just learned.  I know it has stayed with me from the first day.  My weakest point is writing.  Having to face my Fear of writing has made me less afraid.  I am genuinely satified with this course and Dr Kelly.

The most interesting thing I learned compared to other history class was the women’s movement.  I had no idea women were going through all of this to stand up for what they believed in.  That really moved me.

It seemed like this class “sunk” in better than all the rest – I remembered all the stories and facts easily.  That’s why I wished we had a test in this class.  Application of my knowledge into a paper form was harder.

Compared to other history courses, I believe I learned more in Western Civilization than any other history courses I’ve taken.  In other history classes the professor will lecture and the student mindlessly take notes for the test.  In Western Civilization the teacher didn’t just lecture facts, but  ask questions and had the students answer them.  As well their weren’t test but papers were we had to use all of our material to write. 

Compared to my other history classes, the other History course I have taken are mostly book reading and test or essays.  This course (Western Civ.) is mostly class discussions and group discussions.  The essays are not over a certain topic, but mostly over using historical document that you analysis your own views when reading them.

Right now I’m taking another history class that is very fact based.  The teacher lectures the entire time with some discussion over the readings.  In that class I’ve learned countless names, dates, important documents, battles, etc.  In this class that kind of information wasn’t the focus, but I don’t feel that that was bad.  As I mentioned in the above answer, the class focused on broader themes.  I think that this approach is more suited for a broad subject like Western Civilization.  It enables students to better grasp the material and draw connections between topics.