Student Assessment of Instructors

Clemson University Student Evaluation of Teaching

Evaluation Report for Brian Croxall teaching ENGL 212 007 during Fall Semester 2009
Respondents = 23 Enrolled = 32 Response rate = 72%

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%	2	8.70%	5	21.74%	15	65.22%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.591	0.666	5	22
Same Level	4.285	0.885	5	1300
Same Discipline	4.304	0.903	5	3325

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%	3	13.04%	6	26.09%	12	52.17%	2	8.70%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.429	0.746	5	21
Same Level	4.206	0.951	4	1298
Same Discipline	4.279	0.940	5	3322

G3. The course was well organized.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	1	4.35%	10	43.48%	11	47.83%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.455	0.596	4.5	22
Same Level	4.302	0.922	5	1292
Same Discipline	4.225	0.989	5	3315

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%	0	0.00%	4	17.39%	18	78.26%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.818	0.395	5	22
Same Level	4.492	0.793	5	1298
Same Discipline	4.478	0.859	5	3315

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	4.35%	5	21.74%	16	69.57%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.682	0.568	5	22
Same Level	4.087	1.037	4	1292
Same Discipline	4.145	1.045	4	3309

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%	4	17.39%	17	73.91%	2	8.70%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.810	0.402	5	21
Same Level	4.258	0.953	5	1292
Same Discipline	4.263	0.995	5	3301

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%	4	17.39%	2	8.70%	16	69.57%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.545	0.800	5	22
Same Level	4.271	0.957	5	1293
Same Discipline	4.252	1.004	5	3312

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

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	1	4.35%	5	21.74%	6	26.09%	10	43.48%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.136	0.941	4	22
Same Level	3.932	1.101	4	1294
Same Discipline	3.988	1.125	4	3309

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%	3	13.04%	6	26.09%	13	56.52%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.455	0.739	5	22
Same Level	4.105	1.013	4	1296
Same Discipline	4.212	1.013	5	3322

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%	5	21.74%	15	65.22%	3	13.04%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.750	0.444	5	20
Same Level	4.307	0.924	5	1291
Same Discipline	4.334	0.931	5	3305

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%	2	8.70%	8	34.78%	12	52.17%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.455	0.671	5	22
Same Level	4.103	1.025	4	1287
Same Discipline	4.195	0.995	4	3298

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%	9	39.13%	7	30.43%	6	26.09%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	3.864	0.834	4	22
Same Level	3.820	0.872	4	1294
Same Discipline	3.848	0.922	4	3312

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

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	2	8.70%	7	30.43%	10	43.48%	3	13.04%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	3.636	0.848	4	22
Same Level	3.427	1.013	3	1295
Same Discipline	3.361	1.085	3	3314

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

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
1	4.35%	0	0.00%	1	4.35%	6	26.09%	13	56.52%	2	8.70%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.429	0.978	5	21
Same Level	4.127	1.046	4	1293
Same Discipline	4.330	1.005	5	3313

G15. Was this course in your major?

Type: Yes - No

Yes		No		NR
7	30.43%	15	65.22%	1	4.35%

G16. Was this course team-taught?

Type: Yes - No

Yes		No		NR
1	4.35%	21	91.30%	1	4.35%

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
0	0.00%	1	4.35%	5	21.74%	15	65.22%	2	8.70%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
This Class	3.667	0.577	4	21
Same Level	3.600	0.618	4	1297
Same Discipline	3.607	0.635	4	3322

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

Type: Essay

Student	Comments
#1 -	The class time was organized by discussion which made it easier to relate and remember information
#2 -	lecture/discussion method of analyzing texts was insightful and helped me understand literature better
#3 -	He seemed very interested in the course material and also interested in helping us learn it. He was upbeat and entertaining, which kept me awake at 9:30 in the morning. He clearly explained the format of the tests, which helped me do well on them. I also appreciated how he proved the basis for his analysis by showing us many examples in the texts. Overall, he seemed very willing to help and facilitate students\' learning.
#4 -	Strengths: Did a good job explaining the material, kept us informed on what was due and when, etc Weakness: Took a long time to receive grades, course content was a little disheveled, and the literary works were somewhat muntane(except for watchman).
#5 -	I think that Dr Croxall is very knowledgeable and was therefore able to organize the course well and make the material interesting. He was able to connect with the class and hold attention.
#6 -	Professor\'s notes on the board were helpful in identifying and defining key terms and concepts relating to the reading
#8 -	The course was very organized which made it easy to learn. The readings was interesting and usually differed in some way that the course was never boring. Professor Croxall was always over prepared for class and could have kept teaching for another class period. It was nice to see he was really interested in learning more about the material and what we thought about it.
#9 -	I really liked how the different literary ideas were presented in class to show how they interconnected.
#10 -	The instructor was available for help on papers and other various assignments
#11 -	great teacher. really kept my attention in class, and really picked some interesting things to talk about. awesome methods to teaching
#12 -	Good teacher
#13 -	Explained the stories well.
#14 -	I thought the instructor was great at communicating with the students and getting back to them with answers. He was very helpful with ideas on how to succeed in his class.
#15 -	lectures were great
#16 -	Knowledgeable. Open to student\'s ideas.
#17 -	Always being available and approachable made a huge difference, most professors are so stand offish. The class was great, the only thing I would suggest is maybe a few less readings (just spreading them out more), we didn\'t get to go in depth into most of the works, and it was actually enjoyable so I would have liked to! Otherwise it\'s an awesome course, and Prof. Croxall does a great job.
#18 -	For what little time we had to discuss the reading, he really explained and dug deep. He really helped me understand what we were reading and helped me to think beyond what the reading said.
#19 -	Instructor tied various themes together very well and did very well to bring an understanding to the significance of material.
#20 -	Very knowledgeable and had good interaction with the class
#21 -	I liked that we focused on how women were portrayed in the texts. We spent specific time discussing the roles of women in them and I think that is a great thing. It is good to have that brought up so when we read all of the material we can be thinking about how they are presented.
#22 -	Very fun instructer, makes you think and engages you in conversation about the material.

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

Type: Essay

Student	Comments
#1 -	It too a while to get grades back
#2 -	Too many texts chosen for the amount of time in semester maybe cut out one of the shorter texts to build in a buffer for lengthy discussions. Crammed too much material in at the end of semester after getting behind in the discussions of texts
#3 -	My one complaint is the selection of texts for this class. It is a World Literature class, and I would have hoped to read more things from unfamiliar, especially non-Western, cultures. Throughout school, I have received an overly heavy dosage of information about Western literature, art, etc. I had hoped that in a \"world\" literature class we could break outside of this. Although passages from the Old Testament, Dante\'s Inferno, and Milton\'s Paradise Lost are all technically from different cultures, they are all from the Judeo-Christian tradition. I think spending the largest segment of the class focusing on this tradition was a bad choice because everyone in the class already knew about this perspective. Instead, we should have become more aware citizens of the world by reading about different cultures. My favorite reading was \"Breast-Giver\" by Mahasweta Devi because it was different from anything I had ever read before. I think in a \"world\" literature class, there is an opportunity to read fascinating works from anytime in any place, and this fact could have been used to select more eye-opening readings.
#5 -	the only thing that comes to mind is he was late a few times
#6 -	I felt the class was too big to fully take advantage of \"class participation\". With that being said, it seemed as if the professor tried to push the idea too much, especially by incorporating active class participation in our grades. I personally found the Wiki notes to be annoying to update and never used them, but I\'m sure other students found them helpful. The fact that the notes from class can also be found online may discourage class attendance, so maybe there should be no Wiki and keep the 3 absence rule, or keep the Wiki and lose the 3 absence rule?
#8 -	The course was very strong, the only complaint I had was that I was bored at the beginning because my AP literature class was based on heroes and the texts overlapped but as the semester progressed it became more interesting and I enjoyed reading the new materials.
#9 -	Giving enough time to cover each literary work was definitely a weakness since there were some rushed lectures.
#10 -	the first exam wasn\'t clear as far as what to expect
#11 -	none. sometimes we weren\'t able to get through everything, but its completely understandable. There\'s a lot to teach in too short of time. not his fault.
#12 -	Slow in grading
#13 -	Very slow grader
#14 -	I think the instructor could have been more specific on which sections in the reading would be covered on the identifications on the test.
#15 -	test could have been formatted differently
#16 -	Often ran out of time to talk about the material he wanted to cover.
#18 -	I wouldn\'t call this a weakness, but it was hard to read all these books and poems because we wouldn\'t be able to discuss everything we read.
#19 -	Covered a large amount of material.
#20 -	There is a lot of reading at times, however, it seems as though that is just the course.
#21 -	I felt like some of it was really arbitrary. The material, that is. I didnt feel like there was much reason for teaching some of the material except that certain topics would be easier for the professor to teach on.
#22 -	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 -	Class discussion was incredibly helpful. It was hard though when we ran out of time to discuss certain books
#2 -	lessons progressed in a well organized discussion, didn\'t jump around from theme/topic to topic which made it easy to follow logic
#3 -	I thought the class was very well taught. He explained the texts well. I especially enjoyed the drawings.
#4 -	Good analysis of course material.
#5 -	I liked how Dr Croxall wrote key words/ideas on the board. When i went back in my notes then i could read those terms and remember the discussion
#6 -	The notes on the board were helpful, although I would have liked them more if what was really important was the only thing on the board (instead of having everyone\'s suggestions that \"kind of maybe if you squint\" related to what we were getting at), although I understand it\'s hard to eliminate these. I wasn\'t a big fan of the texts we had to read this semester except for 2. Even if a work isn\'t interesting to me, I still have an appreciation for it if there is an intriguing aspect that is \"easy to analyze\" (For example, The Metamorphosis by Kafka. Although the book was incredibly boring, I could write pages and pages about little details within the text), which I didn\'t find true for most of the works we read. (Just trying to offer some suggestions for future reading-changes, if any). Or maybe just fewer texts and more days spent on analyzing the small details? Already mentioned the Wiki notes. Whoever decided a 9:30 English class lasting an hour and 15 minutes was a good idea needs to sit back down and re-think life.
#8 -	I liked the way we were asked questions to get to the answers about the texts. Usually people in class had interesting things to say but sometimes this caused us to get side tracked and not finish covering all the material that could have been beneficial or interesting.
#9 -	I liked doing the wiki, although it was a little hard keeping up with when it was your group\'s turn, but it gave a chance for us to talk amongst ourselves about what we gathered from the lecture.
#10 -	The way the professor taught the course made the reading material more interesting and easier to understand
#11 -	wiki notes were great idea. not sure i like the program. i like how he talked to us instead of giving a presentation.
#13 -	Class discussions
#14 -	I really liked the Wiki. I think it really helped students understand what went on in class. I loved the way we were responsible for putting up certain notes. I think this is a great way to get students involved and participating in class.
#15 -	the wiki notes are very helpful
#18 -	I liked the wiki notes. It was a very useful tool when it came down to studying for my exams.
#19 -	Very good lecturer. Overhead powerpoint presentations for visual reference may have been useful when graphic novel was presented.
#20 -	Good job
#21 -	I liked the wikinotes because they made us think about what was important in our discussion and what didnt matter as much. It also made us go over the material so we were more familiar with it. I didnt like doing it though. It was a real hassle to get done.
#22 -	Making things fun.

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

Type: Essay

Student	Comments
#1 -	Yes. For an english class, it was more entertaining than most and I really enjoyed the class discussions, especially when they related to day-to-day things like heroes and religion
#2 -	Yes, class requires a lot of work but is interesting and not too many assignments other than nightly reading, overall a good experience though challenging at times
#3 -	Yes. I think he cares about the material and the students. He is also entertaining and invites you to participate.
#4 -	yes, if you do the work and listen in class, you will be fine.
#5 -	Yes because he is understanding, helpful and tries hard to make the material relevant and interesting
#6 -	Sure, everyone seems to like him a lot. I feel that I wasn\'t challenged enough in terms of in-depth analysis when it came to the works we studied (instead focusing on shallow topics), therefore, I wouldn\'t recommend him to an over-analyzer.
#8 -	Yes, the course was organized and I learned and understood everything I was supposed to. Professor Croxall was enthusiastic about teaching and wanted us to succeed but still challenged me to actually learn the material.
#9 -	I would recommend him to a friend because I liked most of the works he had us read and he is one of the better English teachers that I\'ve had.
#10 -	yes, because it is an interesting collection of works.
#11 -	definitely. Awesome teacher. i learned a ton from his class and wish i could take another class with him
#12 -	yes, he is a good teacher
#13 -	Yes, because it\'s a relatively fun and easy class.
#14 -	Yes, I would recommend this instructor to a friend.
#15 -	great professor overall
#16 -	yes
#17 -	Absolutely, makes english enjoyable. Related everything back to a main topic so all the readings didn\'t seem random or pointless.
#18 -	Yes, he really enjoys what he does and you can tell. To me, I don\'t enjoy reading, but he really makes things fun in class.
#19 -	Yes, understanding of significance of very important works realized
#20 -	Yes, made a typical english class interesting and fun
#21 -	maybe. If there was no one better. I think the class would have been better if the students had participated more. He was ok.
#22 -	Absolutely, it\'s not an easy \"A\" but if you are willing to work you\'ll do well, and He is more than willing to work with you outside of class. Again, not an easy \"A,\" but it is a fun 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%	2	8.70%	1	4.35%	7	30.43%	12	52.17%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.318	0.945	5	22
Same Level	3.692	1.090	4	1242
Same Discipline	3.931	1.057	4	3161

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

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	1	4.35%	5	21.74%	6	26.09%	10	43.48%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.136	0.941	4	22
Same Level	3.791	1.076	4	1241
Same Discipline	3.959	1.052	4	3159

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%	3	13.04%	6	26.09%	6	26.09%	7	30.43%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	3.773	1.066	4	22
Same Level	3.474	1.087	4	1240
Same Discipline	3.558	1.135	4	3160

D4. This course challenged me intellectually.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	1	4.35%	6	26.09%	7	30.43%	8	34.78%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.000	0.926	4	22
Same Level	3.924	0.995	4	1239
Same Discipline	3.791	1.100	4	3160

D5. The instructor is enthusiastic about the course material.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	1	4.35%	4	17.39%	17	73.91%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.727	0.550	5	22
Same Level	4.601	0.731	5	1237
Same Discipline	4.526	0.790	5	3150

D6. The instructor treats students with respect.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	1	4.35%	5	21.74%	16	69.57%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.682	0.568	5	22
Same Level	4.694	0.648	5	1236
Same Discipline	4.643	0.730	5	3154

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

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	2	8.70%	0	0.00%	2	8.70%	18	78.26%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.636	0.902	5	22
Same Level	4.590	0.742	5	1236
Same Discipline	4.595	0.789	5	3144

D8. The instructor sets high standards for students.

Type: Agreement

1		2		3		4		5		NR
0	0.00%	0	0.00%	2	8.70%	6	26.09%	14	60.87%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.545	0.671	5	22
Same Level	4.305	0.787	4	1228
Same Discipline	4.324	0.811	5	3142

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%	4	17.39%	18	78.26%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.818	0.395	5	22
Same Level	4.404	0.889	5	1235
Same Discipline	4.103	1.079	4	3138

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	8.70%	5	21.74%	15	65.22%	1	4.35%

Focus	Mean	Stdev	Median	Observations
Class	4.591	0.666	5	22
Same Level	4.248	0.955	5	1240
Same Discipline	4.268	0.962	5	3154

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

Type: Essay

Student	Comments
#1 -	the discussions
#2 -	Very clear about assignments/tests at the beginning of semester and stuck to syllabus schedule
#3 -	The instructor was a very good teacher, and I liked his approachable attitude.
#4 -	Improved my analytical skills.
#5 -	The wiki notes. They were so helpful when studying for tests
#6 -	Getting the chance to finally read \"culturally significant\" literature such as Dante\'s Inferno and Paradise Lost (worst. book. ever.) Cocktail parties? Game on.
#8 -	I found it beneficial to learn about a wide range of works, differing by type, author, time period, etc and finding a way to relate each of them to one another.
#9 -	I found the reflection of looking at the time period/culture of a literary work and comparing the work to the corresponding events at the time. I really enjoyed reading \"Watchmen\", but I wish we had more time to go over it and discuss.
#10 -	the different perspectives of life
#11 -	i am now a more critical thinker about the novels im reading.
#12 -	The readings
#13 -	The class discussions
#14 -	I thought the Wiki was most helpful. I think it really helped students and was a great way to set up notes for the different classes. It also was a great study tool.
#15 -	the wiki
#16 -	My writing and argument skills increased because of our assignments.
#17 -	The tips for writing were great because they helped and will help with all of my writing in the future.
#18 -	The wiki notes helped greatly. I also liked that if you didn\'t understand something, he would break it down in order for you to understand. He really gets involved with the students, which is something else I liked.
#19 -	The instructors lectures concerning the readings.
#20 -	The different insights offered about the works
#21 -	I had been wanting to read The Watchmen for a while and I was glad we had to read it.
#22 -	Excellent feedback on writing to help you improve it.

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

Type: Essay

Student	Comments
#1 -	less reading
#2 -	reduce the amount of texts assigned to read especially when we get behind on the discussions
#3 -	Different texts! Pick more things like \"Breast-Giver,\" the poems by Li Po and Tu Fu, or \"The Garden of Forking Paths.\" I want to read more unique things in a world literature class.
#4 -	Different literary works
#6 -	I feel I have already mentioned this and don\'t feel like repeating myself. But for the record: the selection of readings, class size, and maybe the Wiki notes.
#8 -	The wiki notes were sometimes frustrating because it was all online meant that the group could work at random times. Sometimes you could edit the entire document only for someone else to erase it completely.
#9 -	Giving more time to certain works and perhaps letting go some of the longer works. They were all relevant in some way to each other, but some were a bit repetitive.
#10 -	less reading per night
#11 -	nothing
#12 -	More graphic novels
#13 -	Easier grading on Wikinotes
#14 -	I would maybe have more grades so that the students grade was on just a few different big assignments.
#15 -	test formatting
#19 -	More english 212 professor\'s should look at this approach and reading choices.
#20 -	more time to go over everything required
#21 -	I dont know. dont let obnoxious people in the class. if they are obnoxious, then kick them out of school. Even if they are not disruptive. Just if they make dumb comments and/or try to be funny but are definitely not. They should be kicked out of school, arrested, put through the whole meat grinder ordeal and sent to Siberia.
#22 -	Only one thing, maybe a little less stress on the wiki notes, while very effective, they do tend to get a bit tedious almost to the point of hassle,but, other than that. Not a thing.