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Methods course documentation
Participants' final reflections (D8.2)
Participants' feedback -- Responses to an anonymous questionnaire
General prompt: This course evaluation questionnaire is intended
mostly for myself, the instructor, to provide information that could help
me refine and improve my planning of this course in my future teaching.
In what follows, I have identified key components of the course about which
I would appreciate your feedback and suggestions for improvement.
Specific item addressed: "What have I learned" paper
-- what did you like/dislike and why? any suggestions for improvement?
Note: Although the "What have I learned" paper
was an element of all our implementations of the Methods course, in what
follows we have reported the responses of the participants in Implementation
A only, since this was the only case in which this item was included in
the final evaluation questionnaire.
- I approached this will reluctance, even though I think it is an essential
way to draw closure... I'm just a little "reflected out." By
the time I was done with it, have gone through all my old papers and highlighting
them, it almost turned into fun. It was useful even though slightly tortuous.
As you can see, I have mixed feelings!
- Good way to organize gained knowledge through course experience, however,
felt redundant because I have been doing this in all my reflection papers,
so it felt like doing it again, saying things I've probably said. Perhaps
it's more valuable for people who have been learning how to reflect in
this course?
- I had a difficult time writing this paper. I think I felt a little
bit constrained by your detailed description of what you expected from
this assignment. I tried to write what I felt the assignment meant to me
and then reread what you described. I then tried to edit what I wrote to
be more like what you described but I don't think I did exactly what you
had in mind when I wrote the first time. I learned a great deal, but I
got frustrated revising it to fit into your description. I know you were
worried about being too vague, but sometimes being too detailed is just
as confusing.
- A great way to end the session. Only reinforces in me how much a "reflective"
person I've become...
- I don't know because I have not written it yet. I suspect though, like
"walk down memory lane," that I will get more out of it than
I anticipate.
- I learned a lot from going back through my papers and journals and
highlighting what I have learned. This was a good culminating experience
and emphasized how important the role of the teacher is in the classroom
based on inquiry. I had commented on this a number of times throughout
the semester.
- Excellent way for me to review all I learned and as I wrote in my paper,
"solidify" my knowledge!
- This was a good way of putting a closure on the class. However, at
the same time this was due I had 3 other papers due. Although, we couldn't
really do it at any other time so I guess it was a good thing.
- Haven't done it yet, but I can comment on this evaluation piece. It
was hard for me to really remember everything we have done over a 3 month
period. Perhaps, you could provide students with a small evaluation
inventory after each lesson, and then just compile the immediate feedback
you're given and make the appropriate changes, as opposed to waiting unit
the end of the semester.
(added later) I think this final reflection piece was a good idea.
It allowed me the opportunity to identify things that were instrumental
as both a student learner and as a teacher. (Definitely keep this activity!)
- You never realize how much work we've done for this class until you
sit down and truly look at your notebook with all the scribbled insights
along the margins.
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