Instructor: Mills Kelly
Date: February 25, 2000
Class: Western Civilization (10:00 Section) [Web Section]
Location: HH 128

The following comments are a sampling of responses from student groups comprised of approximately 4 to 5 students and from the consequent class discussion. There were 17 students present and 4 small groups.

Question 1: What works well in this class? What do you like? What helps you learn?

* Note that the class was split over the issue of "convenience" – some felt that their schedules, lack of appropriate equipment at home, etc. made the website difficult to use at times and caused frustration. See other related comments in the next section.

Question 2: What does not work well? What does not help you learn? What do you not like?

All groups shared concerns about the papers.

• The papers should be graded over actual content and not over structure and grammar. We have trouble getting examples and narrowing topics. We need more time for papers.
• Too writing intensive
• It is a concern that there are no tests because some of us do not write or express ourselves on paper as well as others, whereas almost everyone can study for a test. We feel that the fact that this course is writing intensive should have been stated sooner.
• Give more clarity. What do you want? What are you looking for?
• The focus is on grammar.
• The papers are too time consuming and subjective.

2 of the groups related problems with the WWW enhancements.

• Those of us without computers feel that a few handouts would be helpful.
• There are problems with access and time conflicts.

Question 3: What suggestions or recommendations do you have?

Small Group Instructional Diagnosis Summary
Individual Responses

The following comments are typed directly from the individual student responses. There were 17 individual responses completed.

Group Discussions:

• The discussion of topics because it gives way from one point of view to many or a view not previously thought of.
• I feel discussing issues in groups as well as debating issues. It gives a good understanding of topics.
• I like the class discussions.
• The discussions force me to read.
• I enjoy the group discussions, it helps because often there is someone with a different point of view and it gives me something to think about.
• I believe that getting in groups and discussing topics help out a lot.
• I think that whenever we have discussion here in class helps me learn.
• I think the class discussion work well for me. I believe that classroom interaction is good and helps with the learning process.
• It helps to read a document the night before, form my own ideas and then come to class and hear what other people think about it too.
• Discussion and debate helps me learn.
• I also like when we get into groups because I will always learn something that I didn’t catch the first time.
• Discussion helps me keep awake and more importantly I get more out of it than in the lectures.

2. What does not work well? What does not help you learn? What do you not like?

WWW Enhancements:

• Having the internet page and so much to read. Having time to get on the internet is difficult.
• I can never go to the web page and not have to enter the username and password on my own computer.
• I wish the class was not web based.
• I have trouble getting to the web page and trying to get copies. I do not have internet access at my house so going to the library is a pain.
• Having to look up information on the internet does not work good.
• The documents we have to read from the web are also a little discomforting. I don’t have a computer and getting to one can be difficult sometimes.
• It would be nice if he would be more specific on what we had to read off the internet. It would also sometimes be easier to have all the documents instead of having to go to the web since I don’t have a computer at home.

Writing Papers:

• I wish that the majority of the grade was not all papers.
• I don’t like the fact that this class is more like an English class. Every assignment is a paper.
• I have a hard time writing a paper with very little direction with what we’re supposed to write about.
• I think more time needs to be spent discussing what needs to be written in our paper.
• He could be a little more specific on what he wants on our papers or what documents he wants them over.
• I do not like the short papers.

Miscellaneous:

• The outline he puts on the board and then we have to get as much information as possible.
• I wish the class was more of a survey class.
• I don’t like the textbook. It is too big.
• Having to read so many source documents.
• Sometimes the class feels rushed. Maybe slowing down a little while giving actual lectures might help.

3. What suggestions or recommendations do you have?

Papers:

• Too many papers. It could be just me but I have many papers due and the amount of papers is difficult to accomplish.
• Not so harsh grading system on papers. Maybe a couple of examples shown on the paper.
• A little more clarification of what papers are about or maybe some examples.
• Fewer or less papers.
• I think Dr. Kelly is too strict when it comes to writing papers. He is a well-educated man and he certainly knows his subject but in my opinion he comes off on students as a perfectionist.
• Since the papers are the major aspect of the class maybe if we had more opportunities to talk with the Professor one on one if we have questions or ideas. I have classes during his office hours.
• If the class is going to be left writing intensive, content should be weighed much heavier that it was on the first short papers.

Group Discussions:

• Group discussions should become a little more structured where more people participate. That’s what bothers me the most is not everyone in the group participating.
• Make the groups smaller so everyone gets a chance to state their opinions.

Tests:

• A few objective tests.
• Add some tests.
• I would like to see this class changed back to the standard format quiz and exam.
• If Dr. Kelly doesn’t like giving multiple choice tests, then maybe we should have essay tests or some other form of testing.

Class Format/Teaching Method

• Maybe having a schedule of what documents we are discussing and a tentative date, so that we are not printing tons of papers that are supplemental and not being discussed.
• Changing the outline and have a few notes down. He is a great professor personally. The best one I had so far and he makes it extremely interesting.
• Use some chronological order, fill in some of the events before and after the ones you have covered.
• Maybe more lecture on society and what happened historically, maybe turn in rough drafts, not so harsh grading system.

Miscellaneous:

• I enjoy the class which is proven because I am up and awake and here on a Friday morning.
• Give more independent lectures so when you miss a class you don’t actually miss 3 or 4 (because of linkage of classes on a week or two week block.)
• I feel Dr. Kelly is a good professor.
• We should use the internet site only and forget about the textbook.
• Not so much weight on attendance. You are going to be sick sometimes and have something come up once in a while.
• Have available printouts of sources we need to read.
• Keep doing the same thing just add a bit more details. I learn more from this teaching style than any other so far.