English 1006 G
October 2013

As far as I can tell, there were only five responders to the survey. If you commented and your comments didn't make it, and you want to try again (or, perhaps more likely, if you'd like to comment now when you didn't before, perhaps after you've seen what others have said). I've arranged another way of doing this. It's pretty much the same from your point of view, but it uses a different program. There's a link to it on the main course page; I'll leave it up till Thursday. If you respond in this way, I'll do the same thing I've done here; put your comments on this page and, if I think it's likely to be useful, respond myself.

The comments I received are copied below, along with my comments, in [italics and square brackets] where I thought they might be useful.

1. In this course I try to shift the locus of learning to the students, in part by creating situations in which people read each other's writing, and write in the awareness that others are reading that writing. Is this helping, or changing, your learning?

• Absolutely, because I was able to analyze other's opinions and build a new opinion myself.
• I enjoy reading others posts. sometimes I feel like I'm not on the right track with something I am writing but be able to read what others have wrote give me help to whether I am on the right track or not. I also like when people give me feedback on my writing so I know how to improve or if I even have to. [I find the most useful feedback is when people misunderstand me.]
  
• This is changing the way I learn. At first, I didn't like the fact that everybody could see what I was writing and that they could see whether or not I made a mistake. But now, I really like it. Reading other peoples posts teaches me a lot of things that I never would have thought of, and I like it a lot.
  
• Yes, I am always writing to the best of my abilities knowing that the class will be reading it and that perhaps my piece will be read and anaylzed in front of the class. [I'd say that what happens isn't that it's "analyzed," but I think this is important, as the next responder says.]
  
• Having other people read my writing makes me become more aware of what I am writing, because I am conscious of what people will think. I think this has a positive effect on my writing.
• I think criticism from a teacher is much better than that of any of my peers. That way, I actually know what needs improving and not just some random student's opinion. [I'd argue that there are quite different kinds of response: some are "feedback," some are responses, and some are commentary. They all serve different functions.]
  
• It was a slow start, but I do believe this has changed my learning a lot, and for the better.
  

2. I try to create situations in which student discussion -- both oral, and in writing -- promotes learning. Is there significantly more discussion than in most of your other classes, or not? Do you find the discussion promotes your own learning?

• Yes there is more discussion than in any of my other classes. This class offers a different learning environment which allows and promotes learning.
• This is by far the class with the most discussions. I'm not sure if it promotes my learning, because often we discuss things that almost everyone already seems to be aware of.
  
• I tried to discuss with my peer about the reading, but unfortunately most of them don't like to share their ideas in class. I think they feel more comfortable talking in the forums.
• this class is my only class where we do have discussions, I myself don't enjoy speaking in front of the class, I like when others speak and I retain information that way.
• There is not nearly as much discussion in my other classes as there is in this class. Not saying that is a bad thing because personally that is how I learn. I don't learn well in a lecture but when it's being discussed between two or more people, that's when I learn the most. [Discussion isn't always best -- and I think sometimes it's best when it happens in writing -- but I'm happy to see that at least these folks think it's a good strategy.]
• No, there is a lot more discussion going on in my any of my other classes. Prior to last Tuesday's class, I can't remember the last time any of put any oral input into the class. And if it weren't for the fact that we have no choice but to give some sort of a comment on others work, there would be no discussion at all. I think the "no cell phone" or talking during class needs to be enforced. I understand that it's their own fault if they fail, but it's also become distracting/frustrating to the rest of us to try and hear you over the voices of others. [I said above "both oral, and in writing," partly because oral discussion in a class of over 35 is in general pretty ineffective. That said, I agree with the distraction of the voices of other people, and also with the fact that when there is oral discussion many people just sign out. That's one of the reasons there's not more: with 35 people, it's hard to keep people from directing what they're saying to the voice of god in the middle of the room, and for others to see it as worth trying to listen.]
  
• I find there is a lot of discussion in this class, more so than most of my other courses.  I find the discussions help me come to new conclusions about learning itself.
  

3. A focus of this course has, so far, been on language itself. To what extent has this been helpful to you?

• It has made be more careful of the language I use and the way in which I read other people's work.
  
• Its helped be understand how to read between the lines and find deeper meaning into pieces we read. Some authors use certain language or words to reach a point of understanding that he/she wants us the readers to understand as well.
  
• Reading, writing and critical thinking. I spent most of my weekend and a few hours during the week reading and writing in English.
• To me, it has been helpful by teaching (or rather giving me a constant reminder) that there are all sorts of different people with different biases I want to reach through my writing. If I want to get my point across, I have to figure out how to be descriptive but clear.
  
• All of the discussion based classes have helped me a lot with learning language.
• I do understand the message you are trying to convey about going deeper than just the simple written words we see, and to question everything about it. It's been helpful in other classes, for sure. But I think we ought to have been able to cover much more in this class.
  

4. Would you say that the workload in this course is heavier or lighter than average? Does the structure of having regular assignments and class discussions about them help you to stay engaged?

• Having regular assignments is helpful, it makes planning my schedule easier because I can always expect some work from this course at the same time each week.
  
• In my opinion, the workload is very heavy, but in the same time, I think is necessary. I believe that by practice you gain expertise.
• I feel this course's workload is about average. I do spend a lot of time online writing, but I enhoy the fact that I can work online on my own time. Having class discussions allow for better understanding and clarifying what is needed to be done.
• This class is the only class where I have something to do after every class time. Although these assignments are smaller compared to my other classes, I don't mind it. Sometime I do find it hard to complete these little assignments when I have a larger paper due the same time, and I often find I won't complete the assignments for this class. I do enjoy having class discussions after the fact of doing the assignments, so I understand the point of doing it and it helps me learn to discuss afterwards.
• I like the work load in this class. It's not necessarily light but it's not heavy either. It's pretty average, and having a prompt to do after every class makes it helpful because I never forget to do it, and it keeps me engaged in the class. [All these responses suggest to me that this aspect of the course is working reasonably well. I'd be even more convinced if there were more consistent occasions when everybody actually did the assignments.]
• It does help to stay engage, but only because it's consistent and never ending.
  
• I think this course load is pretty on par with my other courses.  While they may have fewer assignments, they usually take longer to do. I like the small, regular assignments, it does help me stay engaged.
  

5. I've tried to create a course that helps people take responsibility for their own learning, and for assessing for themselves the quality of their own work. Is this working? Do you think it has helped your learning in general?

• I feel like this works somewhat, but I would also like more feedback from a professional rather than just students alone. [This is a common feeling. My view is that feedback from a "professional" is actually less helpful -- most students have had it through their whole careers, and it hasn't helped the people who most need help all that much.]
  
• It hasn't really helped my learning because I'm not very confident in any work I do. I guess in the long run this will help me be more confident in my work, but a little criticism would help too.
• Yes, I think it help me to assess my own learning, because we discuss the forum in class and the professor clarify each point and comments. These comments come from us, so we analyze our own work.
• Doing the regular assignments themselves isn't where I have learned, its the discussions in class that we have about the assignments and learning about the purpose of why we did that that actually helps me learn.
• I think students ought to learn to be more responsible, and take matters in their own hands. It's a little heavy, but it's the same in any of the other classes. No one's going to do what you need to do. 
• I feel as though there are people in the course who do the minimum to pass the class, and those who actually try to something away from it.  People have become responsible for their own learning, I'm just not sure they're completely ready to take that on. However, it has taught me to be more on top of things. [This is a long process, especially for folks who are accustomed to having the responsibility for their learning taken over by an authority. I think it's worth it, but it's not easy -- and some people never do catch on.]
  

6. This course has used "information technology" -- email, online prompts and course Web site, Moodle -- fairly extensively. Has this been helpful to your learning? How if not, can you explain what the problems are?

• It has been fairly useful, although it would be nice if prompts were more to the point and clearer. I often do not understand what exactly is being asked, I would appreciate it if the prompts were simplified, maybe using point form incdicating exactly what is to be done. [While I do learn about writing -- and writing prompts, especially -- when people misunderstand, or don't understand, it's also true that much of the purpose of this course is to give people experience of reading complex language in order to understand and act on it. If most people understand, I tend to think it's not entirely that the prompt wasn't clear.] I enjoy the fact that I can work online on my own time. It has been help to my learning
• I really like that this class is basically online. It keeps me a lot more organized, and I work a lot faster when I'm on a computer. It keeps me engaged in what I'm doing and I don't get distracted as easily. It also helps with the way technology is being used now. This class has taught me how to use Moodle and the STU email.
  
• Ut has helped my learning. I enjoy doing things online and I also enjoy being able to read what others have said, reading other peoples posts helps me learn as well, it will give me ideas or thoughts that I wouldn't of originally thought of, it helps me learn different perspective to the assignments.
  
• This is the only course that use every class the forums in Moodle. Our generation uses computer and technology every day. I thought that I will be using books in this course, but I was surprise see that technology became a regular tool.
• I can't see how technology has helped in any way. I came here to learn English Lit., not about simple computer functions... Paper would've worked just fine. [Actually, if you think about it, paper would not work for almost all of what I've used technology for -- writing and reading out of the classroom, for one minor example. If you've spent much time learning "simple computer functions" then you probably needed to spend the time -- but I'm pretty doubtful that many people have had to put much time into that.]
  
• I love the use of Moodle, it keeps things neat and organized in and out of the classroom. I think my biggest problem is not realizing when their has been an update, or i forget to look for a prompt.
  

7. What do you think it's important for me to know about how this course works (or doesn't) that the questions I've asked above didn't provide for you to answer?

• I think it's important in order to make adjustments in the future.
• Make prompts more clear please. Less talk more clear directions. [See the comment on the first response under No. 6]
  
• Like I have already said, having the forums and prompts online helps a lot, I enjoy reading other peoples posts and having discussions in class about them, that's what helps me learn but I feel we spend too much time one the same topic. I mean if we are going to learn about articles and the language used we could have used 2-3 different articles to work on instead of spending 2-3 weeks on the same Muslim Woman article. [This is, as I said in class the other day, a common view -- but I have two responses: one is that being able to focus on one thing is a good habit to acquire; the other is that in my view we are often using the same focal text or idea to address quite different issues.] I also enjoy being in groups for class discussions, I enjoy getting other opinions, instead of what others are speaking out about. Some people have really good points and ideas but are too shy to speak to the class, I feel having the groups helps people give their opinions and ideas to the lucky few who get to listen and learn from them, instead of learning from the same few people who do speak.
• I don't really know how to answer this question. [Get any ideas from the other answers?]
• What works: peer evaluation. There's a sense of satisfaction when someone picks your writing, and you're very good at picking up key points in what the author is trying to say,
  What doesn't: I think, when it comes to class discussion, we should engage people more.  It seems to be always the same people who speak up.
  
• This class doesn't give us anything to really work on. Any one of us could be weak in one way or an other and there is no sure way for any of us to know this. I honestly think there should be a lot more feedback than there is. [I'm sorry if it seems there's nothing to work on, and I can see how you might think that. On the other hand, if the only way you can know if your weak is for an authority to tell you, you're missing something important, and something that can, I think, be learned.]