Great stuff, Jim.  Would you be willing to share that Guide with the list when it’s done?

 

-M

 

 

 

I am rewriting my guide to instructors for “Using Student Evaluation Data Wisely”....and thought this might be useful for everyone

Came across a great paper.....with a great student comment and analysis

Here is my take on this paper by Thoma....

You can encounter very negative reactions from students who insist on a black versus white, right versus wrong world. When instructors introduce ambiguity these students can become very uncomfortable and begin to question authourity. Uncomfortable students, typically make instructors uncomfortable with their feedback. The authour Thoma in his article “The Perry Framework and Tactics for Teaching Critical Thinking in Economics” provides a very helpful and insightful student evaluation comment (likely from a student struggling with accepting ambiguity):
 
 “It wasn’t a question of being hard or easy but rather too subjective. I found this to be the worst course I have ever taken, taught by the worst professor in the history of the human race…I have found the best course I have ever taken to be an introduction to the biology of the cell. The course required much more intense technical reading and a lot of work effort. But it was very rewarding and absolutely objective in its grading policy.”

Likely this comment is more about where the student is at, and not so much about the instructors teaching. These are still difficult comment to read and process. We need to remember that these comments might not be true, but may be true of something.


jim