Student Course Evaluations: 
MA1100 1-2 Calculus, FALL 1997

Note that in the academic year 1997-98 our college dean asked all faculty to try designing their own course evaluation questions. Mine are below (for a description of my rationale and my first attempt at this, visit the links for Fall 1995).

Select a Question:  1. , 2. , 3. or  4.

1. The MTS (Mastery TASK System) was used as the primary method of assessment and grading. The MTS is a learning-by-doing approach with continuous assessment using weekly TASK Performances and Encores. Please describe whether or not the MTS helped your math learning and/or your grade in the course.

I do think it was helpful. I'd rather take several little tests than 1 or 2 big tests.

This system helped my grade because it gave me more points in the class to bring up my grade.

Yes it did help my learning.

I thought this is an excellent method because not only does it improve and review the basic areas of calculus but goes further and touched upon the pharmacy aspects of dosages and fluid rates.

The MTS really helped my performances in this course. At the beginning, I didn't really understand the concepts. Being able to take Encores helped my grade and I learned from my mistakes.

I feel the MTS was a very adequate method of assessing the performance capabilities of a student. For me, this method helped me review the material well enough for performances. 'Practice makes perfect.' 
This method offers practice and thereby causes perfection.
 
Taking a quiz like this was better for me because it is smaller than one or two big tests and this makes it easier to understand.

I think it did help. I only had pre-calculus in high school so I didn't know how I was going to do in calculus. I thought the MTS was very helpful and I beleive it did help my grade a lot.

The encores helped.

I don't think it helped me. Most of what I learned was from the students.

The MTS did help my grade. The silly mistakes I made were corrected when I retook the test.

It definitely helped. The way it was presented made it so much more clear.

It helped me because there were times I knew the material but made dumb mistakes. It gave me a chance to do it over and the worst I did on an encore was 14.5/15.

The MTS helped me by not throwing several different exercises to be examined on at once. Also if I understood the process involved but made mistakes on the algebra, I was able to have a second chance at it to raise my grade.

I think it is good because it gives you a second chance to improve your grade and it is a little bit of work at a time. You don't have to remember 10 different equations--only 1 or 2 at a time.

I think that the MTS helped me a lot. I learned a lot by having weekly TASK performances and encores. This way I actually studied for calculus on a daily basis, instead of leaving it for the last minute.

Yes, the MTS grading system helped my grade tremendously (7.8%).

The MTS method helped my learning and grade extremely. I am one who learns from their mistakes so it really helped to take the quizzes a second time. According to my grade it also helped, in fact it increased my grade by 12.93%. That is more than 1 whole letter grade.

I think it helped because if I was not able to do good, I would have another chance to make it up. Also, it is a chance to see your mistakes and correct them.

I think it helped both. The pressure wasn't there so if you messed up you had another chance. It also helped in learning because you had to reach a mastery level.

Yes it helped because even if I messed up little things I could take an encore to prove to myself I could do it and improve my grade.

Yes, this helped me by making me try to study my best so that I can pass the first time and won't have to worry about retaking it. The fact that if I don't make a Mastery Level my ccw classwork would be lower also helped to make me be even more careful.

Yes, if I didn't pass the TASK performances the first time, I was able to look back at the TASK and CCW to see where I went wrong.

The MTS helped my math learning and grade in the course very much. I felt that by doing the TASKs many times before the performance helped me to understand the material much better than if I hadn't done them prior to the final TASK.

The MTS dramatically helped my grade. It seemed for me that it took a little longer for the information to sink in, so even though I had trouble with the tasks, I learned the material by the time the encore came around.

The MTS definitely helped my math learning and grade. If it had not been for this system, I would have a (B) right now. Two of the performances I struggled on, because I was not prepared for them nor fully understood them. The encores gave me more chance to have more time for review and more time to complete the task problems in the book rather than looking over the computer class work. Because of the MTS, I was able to pull an (A) out of the class.
 

Select a Question:  1. , 2. , 3. or  4.

2. Please describe whether or not you felt that using CCWs (Computer Classworks) was a helpful way to introduce new concepts. 

It was just long but it did prepare for task performances.

Yes I did. It helped me learn the concept better.

Yes it was because the computer showed the steps exactly in figuring out the problems.

For the most part they were. I did not like the lists of questions (for example CCW19). I think than those points should be taught, but verbally would be effective.

Yes, but I found it easier to go through these as they were being explained rather than doing them by myself.

I think that was useful to introduce new concepts, but I learned more from working the Task problems in class.

CCWs bere beneficial because they offered a lot of practice. Also, the step by step walk-through of each problem for easy understanding.

It was a good way to get hands on experience before getting a grade.

Most of the time I thought it was very helpful. The examples were good in showing what was to be expected for the tasks.

I think this was helpful once I figured out what it was all about. The syllabus and point system was very confusing. But the workbook was helpful once I figured it out.

It was somewhat helpful, but at times it was tedious.

Yes it was helpful, sometimes confusing because of the roundabout manner of teaching. But eventually the work got to one main point.

Yes, but sometimes the CCW was a lot harder than the Tasks, but they did help me understand the concepts.

I think it is helpful because it lets us understand it a little, before we start doing problems.

In the first half of the semester it helped me but as the second half of the semester progressed, it was less and less valuable to me.

It was very helpful to me. I tried to do most of it on my own--then checked with the CCW to make sure it was right.

I think it was helpful. It showed how certain problems were done, which would take too long to do by yourself.

I believe this was helpful, especially the extra examples at the end of the CCWs.

I thought it was very helpful. The CCWs show the entire work for the problems which helps me to figure them out.

The CCWs weren't that helpful because I had already learned it a different way, and was used to that way.

I feel it was. An index might help to make things easier to find.

Yes, the graphs were helpful to illustrate and having the answers in back helped me to learn it on my own because I could check it myself and not have to wait until class.

Yes, this is a kind of gathering of information and clarifying where things came from.

Sort of. It helped me in the chapters that involved the graphing of different rates.

The CCWs helped me understand how to begin the TASKs and what we were supposed to be accomplishing in them. They gradually introduced me to the new material and helped me understand the basic ideas.

Personally, I didn't like using the computer. At first I thought it was a good idea but later it seemed to make things harder.

Computer classworks did help in introducing new concepts. However, one should know how to attempt the problems themselves in order to understand the problems. The computer usually conbined steps. It didn't show the whole work.

Select a Question:  1. , 2. , 3. or  4.

3. Reflect on whether or not you feel that you gave your best effort in the course, and if not, what do you think you might have done differently that could have improved your math learning? 

Yes I did give a good effort.

I do feel that I gave my best effort. I do in all my classes.

I think my effort in this course was pretty good. I don't think that I would really change anything.

I had too many other things going on to ever study for this class, but I had already taken it. On Fridays I am anxious to get out of here or do things in the afternoons. I would have preferred an earlier class to keep my attention.

Yes, I feel that I did my best.

I feel that I could have done better in the beginning. I have never had Calculus before this course and got discouraged with all the new concepts. I could have tried a little harder in the beginning.

I put forth enough effort to maintain a high grade. Although I did not try my hardest, it is not to say I did not try well enough.

I gave a pretty good effort, but I could have done better if I would have reviewed the classwork more for the tasks.

I feel that I gave a good effort.

Because of various personal setbacks I was unable to work at my ability, however, yes, I do feel I gave my best effort considering. I started out up until midterm as an "A" student, and this is what I would have received if not for outside problems.

No I did not. Some of the things said in class interfered with my scores. This is evident from the task I didn't do very well on. I lost a lot of motivation after that.

I should have prepared a little bit more before the performances, that way the scores would have been better.

I feel I did the best I could do.

I gave my best effort except a couple of times I didn't study much.

During the first half of the semester and first part of second I gave my best effort. Towards the middle and end of the second half of the semester I began to slack off.

I think I did really good !

I think that I could have done better in this course. I think that I should have studied more for the performances.

I think if I would have put forth more time to this class my grade would show a big difference.

I know I did not give theis course my full or best effort. I started out well but declined heavily. I should have done more of the task problems in the book.

I think I did my best. Sometimes I made dumb mistakes on Tasks, but in general, I knew what I was doing.

I can't say I did, because of the other classes there isn't enough time in a day with organic and anatomy also.

I feel I gave my best effort.

I believe that I have tried hard enough, but I'm not sure if this was at my very best.

I'm not sure. I learned most of this in high school, so I was really prepared for this class.

I feel that I  gave my best effort in this course because I practiced all of the TASKs many times before the performances so that I understood them and didn't have to take any encores over.

I think I gave my best effort.

I think that I could have done better. I tended not to complete the task problems in the book. Instead, I thought that the computer work and problems coverd in class would be the only studying I needed.

Select a Question:  1. , 2. , 3. or  4.

 4. Any other suggestions for improvement, regarding the instructor, course content, or structure? 

No. 

I wouldn't change a thing. This was one of my favorite classes.

none necessary.

The movies in the CCW are really helpful.

Easy steps for each problem should continue. Class could be made more exciting by doing more interactive exercises in class.

nope.

The computer lab was very helpful. It might be better if you could spend more than one day in it.

I don't think that any question a student asks, should be looked down upon by an instructor. Patience is key. Not everyone is at the same level.

At times I felt that things were made personal instead of being objective.

Slow down, towards the end of the semester I felt we were really rushing.

Keep doing everything that you're doing. I learned more in one semester with you than I did the whole year in high school calculus. The way we did it will also help me to retain the info. too!

I think it was a good class.

None.

I think you did a good job--I really appreciate you helping me outside of class.

no.

None.

None that I can think of.

More time in the computer lab would have helped with many CCW problems.

I think there should be one day a week where both classes could come in and take encores separate from class. That would allow more class time and give people a better opportunity to take encores.

none.

I think it's really helpful to do each task example together in the class.

Spend a little more time on derivatives, because in order to understand how to do anti-derivatives the person needs to master derivatives.

No, I thought the entire course was very useful in helping me understand the basic concepts of Calculus. The content of the course was interesting and the instructor was very helpful.

 Select a Question: 1. , 2. , 3. or  4.

 
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