COURSE EVALUATION TIME

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I had nice things to say about my other classes. My writing class, not so much.


I would recommend this instructor to other students.
Disagree

Why or why not?
The fact that the entire class was limited to one narrow, popular subject that I researched years ago made it mind-numbingly boring. I should have anticipated this and chosen a class where I would be able to select my own research topics, but I thought that it was a subject I feel favorable toward and simply didn't realize how profoundly, uninspiringly dull it would be to have to write all three papers about something I was probably last all fired up about when I was half my current age.

Last term, I got to choose my topics, which meant I had a great time researching a diversity of areas related to various more sophisticated topics related to science and psychology. This term, my brain feels like it might die and fall out if I have to write one more word about I don't even care anymore please kill me now.

I wish I had dropped the class. I will know better next time. Bottom line, this class is NOT for students with a thirst for new and stimulating information, unless they've been living in a cave with no access to information about sustainable food production, ie. not anywhere in or near Portland, or possibly in the Western Hemisphere. It might have been more interesting and intellectually challenging if the foundational topic for the entire class had been Britney Spears. In fact, I'm sure it would have, as I I know nothing about her and might have enjoyed the learning process.


Is there anything else?
As a user of the internet for 25 years, man, the desire2learn interface is AWFUL. There is absolutely no conceivable reason for instructions for a project to exist in different forms/levels of detail in different locations. The student should be able to find all the instructions and due dates in a single, cohesive, predictable location. Current assignments and projects should be at the top, and not buried under pages of old assignments and projects. There should be a class home that has all the information about current assignments and due dates, and links to more specific instructions or upload folders if applicable. The idea, really, is that the interface should be cohesive rather than fragmented.


What did you learn in this class?
Almost nothing about writing, technically speaking, that wasn't covered in 121. My understanding is that this class was supposed to deepen our understanding of argument technique, but if anything the argument materials seemed less sophisticated than what we learned in 121. I read a lot about locavorism and sustainable farming, but this was not a class about locavorism and sustainable farming. Although both are an important part of my life, I am in school to learn skills that will further my academic career and help me succeed in scientific research. If I wanted to take a class in sustainable food systems, I would have looked under environmental science. I was looking for a class to further my research and argumentative writing skills, and this class did nothing of the sort.


What activities and/or assignments worked well for you?
Reading the books and watching the film was interesting. Rudimentary, but interesting.


What would you like to see changed?
The forced subject theme. There is no acceptable reason for this alleged "writing" class to be an ode to the instructor's pet sociopolitical cause at the expense of teaching about writing. The books "A Rulebook For Arguments" and "The Curious Researcher" are solid little books, and I feel I could have gained far more for the time spent had I simply read them cover-to-cover on my own time, which I probably will after this term ends to catch up on what I missed. "Food, Inc." is a nice book, very simple, very accessible, and also completely worthless as a core subject book for anyone with a reasonable level of sociopolitical literacy. Some of the videos and essays we were required to absorb and comment on were trite even by the standards of my thirteen-year-old. I would like to see this class elevated to a level suitable for college students. I am sorry if I seem irritated, but I feel kind of ripped off, both financially and in terms of my time. I would have liked to see the subject matter left up to the students, with less focus on the food agenda and more focus on the technical aspects of writing a good paper.

The course stimulated your interest in reading and writing. Strongly disagree.

[Cardinal Pizza Deliverance.]

Ut-oh. You were coherent, moderately polite, and had examples to back up your position. Cue rageflailing and butthurt on the professor's part.

[Freeky]

Oh shit, you had desire2learn?  Yeah, that software is shitty as fuck.  SHIT TAY.  Also, so is boring, useless, not writing Writing class.

[Don Coyote]

Ut-oh. You were coherent, moderately polite, and had examples to back up your position. Cue rageflailing and butthurt on the professor's part.

Doesn't matter because they are anonymous and won't get delivered to the prof, provided Nigel's college works similarly to mine.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Oh shit, you had desire2learn?  Yeah, that software is shitty as fuck.  SHIT TAY.  Also, so is boring, useless, not writing Writing class.

Yep

Never taking an online class at this school again.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Ut-oh. You were coherent, moderately polite, and had examples to back up your position. Cue rageflailing and butthurt on the professor's part.

Doesn't matter because they are anonymous and won't get delivered to the prof, provided Nigel's college works similarly to mine.

I am holding off a tiny bit before sending, only because they will be delivered to the department head, who is my FAVORITE and the feeling is mutual. I know he'll know who wrote it and I want to make sure it's how I want to present myself. 

[Freeky]

Oh shit, you had desire2learn?  Yeah, that software is shitty as fuck.  SHIT TAY.  Also, so is boring, useless, not writing Writing class.

Yep

Never taking an online class at this school again.

I've had mixed experiences with D2L.  My Writing 101 class (which sounds similar to your 121 class? We were actually taught those things, but it was more literary focused than scientific) was web integrated classroom setup, and it was decently done, despite it being the first semester the teacher used the software, but I also had a shitty experience with it during some other class I can't remember which it was.

I think it might just be your teacher, but you're probably safer having decided to avoid D2L LIKE THE PLAGUE.

[GrannySmith]

Such an eloquent complaint on a writing course is bound to be taken seriously! The last part was especially good i though, I wish more students could express themselves so well, especially when writing complaints.

[Junkenstein]

Nigel, one suggestion:

I am sorry if I seem irritated, but I feel kind of ripped off, both financially and in terms of my time. I would have liked to see the subject matter left up to the students, with less focus on the food agenda and more focus on the technical aspects of writing a good paper.

I would drop the apology, and just state that you are irritated and have been ripped off to the tune of X.

You do not have to apologise for others poor work. Especially if you've paid for the privilege. Fuck it, try your luck and ask for a refund. You never know. Well, you do, but not trying guarantees the result I guess.

This desire2learn thing sounds shitty as hell. I've used some bad systems but that sounds really special.