Fall Semester Reviews

Posted on October 23, 2024 by by

by Deborah Lanser

Introduction

The fall courses were generally a hit. There were 253 responses to the evaluation form, which confirms a high rate of involvement. The course content was widely praised; 89% of respondents rated it 4 or 5. Presenters were likewise appreciated, with 94% being rated 4 or 5. Many members offered interesting and sometimes challenging insights into their responses, including constructive suggestions for improvement. Members of the Curriculum Committee particularly appreciate those specific comments, which they consider when developing new courses. Here is a sample of the many responses.

Course Content

Most comments indicated that members were engaged with the material.

Met and exceeded expectations.
Each topic filled the time allotted well.
Class was organized and accessible.
The content was varied and interesting. I liked the structure of the overall course and the progression of ideas.
The course brought new perspectives to very complicated issues.
It is obvious that a great deal of thought and production time went into making this gift to LLI.
Despite the difficulty of the material, I enjoyed the class.
Abundance of interesting information and history.
Great coverage with outstanding videos and narratives!
Course exceeded expectations and it inspired me to teach a course.
There aren’t many classes to which one always looks forward and always leaves carrying new images and energy.
The visual substance of this class was inspiring.
I found myself thinking about the content during the week–always a good sign.

While some others had reservations.

The objective of the course was unclear.
Did not follow [course] description. Lots of repetition with no building upon prior sessions.
Kind of confusing—both the material and the presenter.
The biggest problem from my point of view was the size of the weekly assignments. We didn’t have enough time in each class to address the assignments.
I felt that the content was too elementary and had too much solicited open discussion rather than lectures packed with in-depth and engaging content.
A bit of an infomercial.
Would have preferred less discussion, more lecture format.
Too much content for some classes.
All the material rather overwhelming and Socratic questioning method felt unpleasantly academic.
Way too technical.

Presenter

Presenters were widely appreciated.

Knowledgeable, experienced, and very humble.
An expansive thinker.
Organized, accessible, knowledgeable, low key.
[The presenter] managed questions well so that the class didn’t slow down too much or go off track.
[The presenter] brings you into the experience through his own enthusiasm and joy.
[The presenter] is a MASTER!!
A big positive was that the presenter creates a very safe environment to say anything.
She kept things moving when necessary and made everyone feel included and appreciated.

But there were caveats.

Presenter alone is a 5; content is a 1.
Soft voice often hard to hear.
I would appreciate it if [the presenter] would have repeated the questions asked by audience. Not a very dynamic speaker, but covered the content.
Didn’t feel like much preparation went into the classes.
One tricky aspect of [the presenter’s] style is the habit of asking a question to which he wants a specific response.
Spent too much time soliciting feedback and discussion.
One class in particular [the presenter] was not prepared and I felt he was winging it.
Unprepared to manage/curtail the occasional, but very emotional, feedback from classmates.
The presenter’s ego got in the way….I can’t imagine going into a classroom with her again.

Repeat the Class?

A majority of responses favored repeating the class.

This is a course I would actually take again if offered.
This class bears repeating or expanding.
It seems worthwhile to think about how to structure [the class] for a larger audience, balancing the tradeoff of more people and less individual discussion.
I would like to take it again so that I can see and learn more. Repeat with whatever twists seem interesting.

I did not enjoy the class and unsure [that] repeating is warranted.
Not as delivered.
No. Lack of direction and focus, and no clear objective.

Slides, Videos, Readings

Helpful

Any time [the presenter} used a video clip, it was substantive and communicated more than would have been conveyed in comments.
[The presenter’s] class notes that were sent out each week provided context and really enriched the class experience.
Extraordinary variety and understanding of written and video sources of information.

Needs Improvement

Some of the diagrams shown later were complex. There wasn’t really time to explore them.
I would have liked to have resources and suggested readings or viewing for each class.
It would have been nice to have some handouts to learn the vocabulary and to refer to in subsequent classes.
I am not sure that all the video clips were central to successful discussion.
It would’ve been very helpful if [the presenter] would turn on captions when showing YouTube videos.

General Comments

My only criticism: would have liked a few more weeks.
Cutting the fall term from seven to six classes was not without cost. I hope this doesn’t happen in the future.
Noticed consistently high attendance.
Don’t think a course like this should allow for more than 15 students.
It would be great for a Zoom class as well because the presentation was full of excellent videos and photos.
It’s time to remind students that if they come to class with a cough, they should wear a mask.
For the class to work, people need to be not only active participants but respectful listeners.
Producers, managers, interviewers, and technical staff were ALL so amazing!