Student Assessment of Instructors

Clemson University Student Evaluation of Teaching

Evaluation Report for Brian Croxall teaching ENGL 212 002 during Fall Semester 2009
Respondents = 18 Enrolled = 30 Response rate = 60%

Global Questions

G1. The instructor clearly communicated what I was expected to learn.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	0	0.00%	8	44.44%	10	55.56%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.556	0.511	5	18
Same Level	4.287	0.886	5	1304
Same Discipline	4.305	0.904	5	3329

G2. The instructor made the relevance of the course material clear.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	2	11.11%	6	33.33%	10	55.56%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.444	0.705	5	18
Same Level	4.207	0.951	4	1301
Same Discipline	4.279	0.940	5	3325

G3. The course was well organized.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	2	11.11%	8	44.44%	8	44.44%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.333	0.686	4	18
Same Level	4.304	0.921	5	1296
Same Discipline	4.226	0.988	5	3319

G4. There was a positive interaction between the class and the instructor.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	4	22.22%	6	33.33%	8	44.44%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.222	0.808	4	18
Same Level	4.502	0.789	5	1302
Same Discipline	4.482	0.857	5	3319

G5. The instructor's teaching methods helped me understand the course material.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	1	5.56%	4	22.22%	12	66.67%	1	5.56%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.647	0.606	5	17
Same Level	4.090	1.037	4	1297
Same Discipline	4.146	1.045	4	3314

G6. The instructor's verbal communication skills helped me understand the course material.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	0	0.00%	6	33.33%	12	66.67%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.667	0.485	5	18
Same Level	4.261	0.953	5	1295
Same Discipline	4.265	0.995	5	3304

G7. The instructor clearly explained what was expected on assignments and tests

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	1	5.56%	8	44.44%	9	50.00%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.444	0.616	4.5	18
Same Level	4.274	0.959	5	1297
Same Discipline	4.253	1.004	5	3316

G8. The instructor kept me informed about my progress in the course.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	3	16.67%	7	38.89%	6	33.33%	2	11.11%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	3.389	0.916	3	18
Same Level	3.943	1.099	4	1298
Same Discipline	3.992	1.124	4	3313

G9. The feedback I received on assignments and tests gave me the opportunity to improve my performance.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	4	22.22%	7	38.89%	7	38.89%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.167	0.786	4	18
Same Level	4.110	1.013	4	1300
Same Discipline	4.214	1.013	5	3326

G10. Overall, the instructor is an effective teacher.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	0	0.00%	4	22.22%	14	77.78%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.778	0.428	5	18
Same Level	4.307	0.924	5	1293
Same Discipline	4.334	0.930	5	3307

G11. The instructor's grading procedures gave a fair evaluation of my understanding of the material.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	1	5.56%	8	44.44%	9	50.00%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.444	0.616	4.5	18
Same Level	4.104	1.025	4	1291
Same Discipline	4.196	0.995	4	3302

G12. How much work did you put into this course relative to your other courses?

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	4	22.22%	12	66.67%	2	11.11%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	3.889	0.583	4	18
Same Level	3.820	0.874	4	1298
Same Discipline	3.847	0.922	4	3316

G13. How difficult was this course for you relative to your other courses?

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	3	16.67%	5	27.78%	7	38.89%	3	16.67%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	3.556	0.984	4	18
Same Level	3.429	1.012	3	1299
Same Discipline	3.362	1.084	3	3318

G14. To what extent was this course a requirement for you?

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	2	11.11%	2	11.11%	7	38.89%	7	38.89%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.056	0.998	4	18
Same Level	4.133	1.046	4	1296
Same Discipline	4.332	1.005	5	3316

G15. Was this course in your major?

Type: Yes - No

Yes		No		NR
9	50.00%	8	44.44%	1	5.56%

G16. Was this course team-taught?

Type: Yes - No

Yes		No		NR
1	5.56%	17	94.44%	0	0.00%

G17. Please indicate your satisfaction with the availability of the instructor outside the classroom by choosing one response from the scale. In selecting your rating, consider the instructor's availability via established office hours, appointments, and other opportunities for face-to-face interaction as well as via telephone, email, fax and other means.

Type: Satisfaction

1		2		3		4		NR
1	5.56%	0	0.00%	8	44.44%	9	50.00%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
This Class	3.389	0.778	3.5	18
Same Level	3.604	0.615	4	1300
Same Discipline	3.608	0.634	4	3325

G18. Please comment on the strengths of the instructor and the course.

Type: Essay

Student	Comments
#1 -	You knew a lot about the material we had to read for class.
#2 -	Wiki Notes, explaining the texts,
#4 -	He has an uncanny ability to \"suck you into\" his teachings. I have never had such an enjoyable class- I actually looked forward to going and until now, I HATED English. This was the only world literature class I\'ve ever taken that actually taught WORLD literature! -This class was phenomenal!
#5 -	His knowleadge of the material was his strength.
#6 -	I really liked that there was an overall theme to the semester that was actually interesting.
#7 -	Very good communication skills, really got everything he was trying to teach
#8 -	Made material interesting and connected points well as well as showed interesting connections that I hadn\'t seen before.
#9 -	Interesting class lectures/discussions. I feel like I gained a lot of knowledge in subjects besides world literature. The discussions made me appreciate the works we read, rather than be bored and annoyed with them.
#10 -	He was able to connect with the students on a better level than other professors due to his age and enthusiasm about his materials.
#11 -	Made sure that students did what was needed for class. Was well prepared.
#12 -	Kept the class interesting with sense of humor
#14 -	I thought the class discussions were very insightful, and the professor got them going even if the students were less inclined to talk. It was clear he put a lot of time into preparing for each class.
#15 -	I loved the funny and interesting references to popular culture that connected to the works we were reading (example: \"bullet time\" and the poems of Li Po and Y\'Tsun).
#16 -	Croxall was a great teacher and his since of humor kept me interested in the material. Bullet Bill FTW
#17 -	Communication. The instructor did a great job of explaining everything we covered in the course and made it very clear to us what the literature was trying to show us.
#18 -	Good teacher. Really knows what he is talking about. \"Discussions\" are really interesting.

G19. Please comment on the weaknesses of the instructor and the course.

Type: Essay

Student	Comments
#1 -	The class got boring at times.
#2 -	Maybe tried to cram in 2 or 3 extra days. May have been better if we dropped a text or two. This especially happened toward the end of the semester.
#3 -	took far too long to give us our grades back
#4 -	He has more great ideas than time will alot him; and NO ONE can controll time.
#5 -	There were no obvious weaknesses.
#7 -	none
#8 -	Tough grading on participation
#9 -	I prefer lecturing rather than discussing/group work, but I understand that is what you are supposed to do in this course.
#10 -	Only weakness was really the time taken for returned assignments.
#11 -	None.
#12 -	Participation grades were very \"high school\". Let the results of those that don\'t read show through the tests, not through how often they speak in class
#14 -	Possibly less books so we could have more time to discuss them in class and read them outside of class.
#15 -	I feel he over estimated the amount of work we could get done in such a short amount of time. There were things I would\'ve liked to go more in depth with but had to skim over in order to finish the syllabus.
#16 -	There was a lot of material each week so i guess the only think i could complain about is that.
#17 -	The only weakness I saw was his initial connection with the class. The instructor tried to make the course more of a \"discussion\" rather than a \"lecture\" and I think towards the end of the course he succeeded somewhat, but I know personally I had to warm up to the idea of a more lenient lecture because my initial interpretation of the instructor was that he was a tad bit intimidating. I know he did not mean to come off this way, but my initial interpretation was that he was a bit more strict and stern in how he wanted to control his class, and that was simply not the case. His sense of humor and constant jokes allowed me to open up to him a lot during the course of the semester, just not so much at the beginning.
#18 -	None.

G20. Please comment on any teaching methods you found particularly helpful, and suggest alternative methods that you feel would improve the course.

Type: Essay

Student	Comments
#1 -	You did a good job at keeping the class interactive.
#2 -	The wiki notes helped a ton especially with studying. Maybe a little more group work in class. We did some at the beginning, but then we kind of stopped.
#4 -	The way in which he connected to the students was highly unorthodoxed. He seemed to promote participantion of the highest caliber.
#5 -	He made the course light hearted with jokes. This kept my attention and helped keep the course interesting.
#6 -	The wiki notes were very helpful for studying.
#7 -	conversations
#9 -	The wiki notes were very helpful for studying.
#10 -	The group wiki would be more helpful if the scores were more individually based rather than one score for the entire group. As I experienced, there are group members that tend to not put in as much effort as others.
#11 -	Went over material well.
#15 -	Even though he said it wasn\'t a lecture course it often seemed that way, however, I quite enjoyed listening to him so if he\'s lecturing, then so be it. I\'m not sure that group work really helped, but maybe it was because we didn\'t do it often enough to really get the hang of it. Also, it\'d be cool to do a group project, like making a poster or something.
#16 -	Drawings
#17 -	I found the wiki notes very helpful. It was my first time using it and I had no problems with it. I actually think it should be used in more classes today.
#18 -	I don\'t know of any. Not a teacher.

G21. I would recommend this instructor to a friend. Yes or no? Why?

Type: Essay

Student	Comments
#1 -	Yes. The class isn\'t all that exciting, but you\'re a good lecturer.
#2 -	Yes. I enjoyed this class more than all my other non major classes. I felt like I learned about the texts too.
#4 -	Yes, This man is quite a talented instructor!
#5 -	Yes, his knowleage of the material was very helpful.
#6 -	Yes. The class had interesting reading and interesting discussions.
#7 -	yes, I liked him
#8 -	Yes. I really enjoyed this class although there was a lot of reading every night, I definitely learned a lot and enjoyed it.
#9 -	Yes. I learned a lot from this instructor, and it was an overall likable course. The works we read were interesting, and the class discussions could be funny at times.
#10 -	Yes. He is easy to get along with and makes the class interesting and fun while still being able to cover the material effectively.
#11 -	Yes, great teacher.
#13 -	Yes
#14 -	Yes, definitely.
#15 -	Heck yes I would! In fact, I already have. Professor Croxall is funny, a fair grader, and he really knows what he\'s talking about. I really enjoyed his class!
#16 -	I would because he is cool
#17 -	Yes. I found him hilarious at times, and a good sense of humor always makes a class more enjoyable, no matter what the subject. It takes a lot of pressure off of the student and reduces some tension in the classroom, making the interaction from student to teacher a lot more favorable.
#18 -	Yes. Really good professor. Friends are jealous of what I get to do in class.

Departmental Questions

D1. I learned to apply principles from this course to other contexts.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	1	5.56%	3	16.67%	8	44.44%	6	33.33%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.056	0.873	4	18
Same Level	3.698	1.093	4	1246
Same Discipline	3.933	1.058	4	3165

D2. I developed more confidence in my ability to communicate effectively through writing.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
1	5.56%	0	0.00%	4	22.22%	8	44.44%	5	27.78%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	3.889	1.023	4	18
Same Level	3.796	1.075	4	1245
Same Discipline	3.961	1.052	4	3163

D3. As a part of my overall course load, this course was a priority to me.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	1	5.56%	8	44.44%	4	22.22%	5	27.78%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	3.722	0.958	3.5	18
Same Level	3.476	1.089	4	1244
Same Discipline	3.559	1.135	4	3164

D4. This course challenged me intellectually.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	1	5.56%	2	11.11%	8	44.44%	6	33.33%	1	5.56%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.118	0.857	4	17
Same Level	3.923	0.996	4	1244
Same Discipline	3.791	1.100	4	3165

D5. The instructor is enthusiastic about the course material.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	0	0.00%	3	16.67%	15	83.33%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.833	0.383	5	18
Same Level	4.600	0.732	5	1241
Same Discipline	4.526	0.790	5	3154

D6. The instructor treats students with respect.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	1	5.56%	6	33.33%	11	61.11%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.556	0.616	5	18
Same Level	4.696	0.647	5	1240
Same Discipline	4.643	0.730	5	3158

D7. The instructor makes me feel free to ask questions.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	2	11.11%	1	5.56%	4	22.22%	11	61.11%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.333	1.029	5	18
Same Level	4.594	0.739	5	1240
Same Discipline	4.597	0.788	5	3148

D8. The instructor sets high standards for students.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	4	22.22%	8	44.44%	6	33.33%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.111	0.758	4	18
Same Level	4.313	0.786	4	1232
Same Discipline	4.326	0.811	5	3146

D9. The assigned reading is well integrated into the course.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	0	0.00%	7	38.89%	11	61.11%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.611	0.502	5	18
Same Level	4.408	0.889	5	1239
Same Discipline	4.105	1.079	4	3142

D10. The assigned writing is well integrated into the course.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	2	11.11%	10	55.56%	6	33.33%	0	0.00%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.222	0.647	4	18
Same Level	4.254	0.956	5	1244
Same Discipline	4.271	0.962	5	3158

D11. What did you find most valuable and helpful about the course?

Type: Essay

Student	Comments
#1 -	I read literature that is common knowledge to almost all people.
#2 -	Wiki Notes
#4 -	The mental paradigm that is exemplified
#5 -	The literature that I had not before read. This information can be translated over into other areas of my life.
#7 -	just the conversations
#8 -	I learned about world literature.
#9 -	Certain themes and ideas drawn from this class I found could be applied to other projects in different classes. Making connections between different time periods, cultures, and writers proved to be really interesting and helpful as well.
#11 -	Gained knowlegde of litature.
#12 -	the reading selections were very good
#14 -	The discussions on the novels.
#15 -	The wiki. It helped be process what I had written in my notes and put them in a precise, to-the-point format. It also really came in handy when it came time for a test.
#16 -	The multicultural reading list
#17 -	Most helpful was the wiki notes page.
#18 -	The teacher. He is very knowledgeable about the material he has read.

D12. What would you like to see changed in subsequent offerings of this course?

Type: Essay

Student	Comments
#1 -	Read more modern things.
#2 -	More Group work
#3 -	less reading per night, with other classes, it takes too much time out of working on other homework, and seems pointless, especially since we never actually covered all of the assigned reading per night in class the next day.
#4 -	I honestly don\'t think you can improve it.
#5 -	Nothing, I thought it was well organized.
#7 -	nothing
#8 -	More in-depth analysis on each work. We just didn\'t have enough time for every work.
#11 -	Not a thing.
#14 -	None
#15 -	Maybe less time on the Odyssey. I know it was an important work, but I\'ve been studying it since the 8th grade, enough\'s enough. But don\'t drop it all together, what I learned was very interesting.
#16 -	make it meet three times a week
#17 -	The reading assignments were a tad bit long. I think maybe cutting out one or two texts that we covered and allowing for more time on the other texts would make things in the course flow a bit more smoothly.
#18 -	Nothing.