Student comments from EPID600 Fall 2009
(in order by date submitted -
click here for random order)
(About student comments)
|
______________________________
|
1:
“I definitely value group work and how it can contribute to
everyone's learning, especially in this type of class, yet
I feel that the group dynamics could have been structured more
from the onset. It would have been nice if the groups could
have been encouraged to establish group agreements and discuss
how they would like to proceed with tackling the case study
questions. Some sort of structured activity prior to beginning
our group work, could have alleviated some of the issues that
inevitably unfolded during the group process. There is already
so much work to accomplish in a short period that it would
have been nice to take a preventative approach to our group
work, by foreseeing any issues and establish agreed upon methods
to deal with those issues if they were to occur. Also, all
students could definitely benefit from learning how to structurally
work in a group (everyone didn't come to this class knowing
how to function in a large group). These are all factors to
consider.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/09/26)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
2:
“Also, because I missed one day, I am not sure if anyone else
missed that day. Thanks!”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/09/25)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
4:
“Heidi is doing a great Job. However, sometimes, she's too in
hurry during her explanation. The professor is very committed
and outstanding.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/09/25)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
5:
“The website is very hard to navigate. Class lectures are good,
but sometimes I wish they would go into a little more detail
so I felt better prepared to answer the very specific case
study questions. I like the clarification I get in the recitation
presentation and hearing the input from my group on case study
questions. In general, though, I feel that the groups are too
large to work effectively.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/09/25)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
6:
“Heidi is doing a fabulous job so far at teaching us what we
need to know and not bogging down the material with too many
cumbersome details. I like how Heidi uses specific examples
and problems in her powerpoints to teach lessons. Dr. Schoenbach
is very intelligent and has a lot to tell us in class. In reality,
though, it may be a little too much. He almost never ends class
on time and has to rush through slides without students actually
having time to "soak" up the information. Dr. Harmon cut out
a lot of Dr. Schoenbach's slides when she gave the lecture
and I thought I learned so much more when I wasn't weighed
down by a multitude of studies, equations, and verbatim lecture
notes.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/09/23)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
7:
“The lectures at the beginning of recitation are very helpful
to sum up the lecture and smooth out any confusions I had.
I really enjoy this class- I think it's my favorite class this
semester! but the case studies are very time consuming and
I end up spending much more time on them than going over the
slides or doing the reading in the book.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/09/24)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
8:
“Thank you, Heidi, for you brief presentatations at the beginning
of our group sessions. They are very helpful to me in simplifying
some of the more complex equations and topics in the course.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/09/25)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
10:
“I find the class to be extremely interesting. The TAs and Dr.
Schoenbach are enthusiastic about the material, which makes
learning exciting and more enjoyable!”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/09/23)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
11:
“We have broken up into the same groups most weeks so while
I know the faces and contributions of the other members I do
not know there name. Many of them were not searchable on Facebook,
and a lack of a face is a reason I am lacking in the reasoning
for a lot of the answers I gave but I have no issue with the
work any of the other team members has contributed.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/09/25)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
12:
“I think everyone is doing a wonderful job being prepared, involved
in discussion, and listening to others. We have all been trying
our hardest and I haven't noticed anyone slacking or falling
behind. I gave every 100% and above for this reason!”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/09/24)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
13:
“Our group has been great so far. I think we all work well together
and we were very quick to establish an effective and efficient
system through which to complete the critical thinking assignments.
I think we have all helped each other understand the material
better and I hope we will continue to work so well together.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/09/24)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
14:
“Great class! I am learning a lot and looking forward to much
more!”
|
Pranay,
BSPH student,
HPM,
TA: Nikhil
(1st peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/09/26)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
15:
“Epidemiology is harder than I thought it would be. The overlapping
definitions are confusing. I get stuck on little details in
the case studies and it is a bit frustrating, but I have a
great study group to work with and a wonderful and efficient
classroom group. Vic's lectures are entertaining and funny,
as well as, educational. I also appreciate Nikhil's mini-lectures.
Nikhil is easy to talk to and helpful in his explanations.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/09/23)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
16:
“My group is working really well so far.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/09/24)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
17:
“Though there is a lot of reading required for this course, it
is very interesting and practical. It's been full of insight
for me so far.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/09/26)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
18:
“Some of the questions on the case study are worded in a way
that is confusing and hard to interpret. I often spend a considerable
amount of time trying to understand what the question is asking
for. After understanding the question, I am then able to try
and answer the question. I would recommend/suggest revising
some of the questions and how they are worded. Also, the Blackboard
site for Epid 600 a bit confusing. For instance, it took me
a while to find where the syllabus with due dates was, as it
is not under the syllabus section of the site.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/09/26)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
19:
“I think it is hard to grade those people who are doing a great
job, but not at the same level as maybe one or two of the group.
It was easy to pick out those who are not involved at all,
but I think those in the middle really are doing more than
is required of them, but just are not the same as those of
us who are a bit more obsessed with the group work. I tried
to fairly assess the whole group, but found it a bit difficult.
I think the biggest issue we face other than people not contributing
at all is people contributing really late or just posting responses
that make it obvious they have not read the 10 prior posts.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/25)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
20:
“I like the overall format, took me a week or two to get used
to the online format and sometimes the deadlines have kept
me up a bit late, but overall love the course so far. As a
clinician, I believe we need to develop skills to analyze the
literature more critically and I believe I already have a better
concept of epidemiologic dtudies. Thanks! PS I dont see feedback
for Jessica Rinksy here, or for Elizabeth Yanik.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/28)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
21:
“I've enjoyed the group work this year.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/27)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
22:
“Excellent so far, enjoying epidemiology tremendously. I made
the right choice to take this course.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/26)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
23:
“Excellent, challenging, but fair course. Thanks, Jessica and
Vic, for thought-provoking comments and excellent communication.”
|
Jeffrey,
MPH student,
PUBX,
TA: Jessica
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/25)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
24:
“This course is stretching me; am VERY glad, as a full-time
employee, that this is the only course I'm taking. Love the
problem-solving and Vic's intro/exit slides (my 10-year old
son is also now hooked on these quirky entries; he can hardly
wait for each week's iteration.) Have been really impressed
with Jessica's responsiveness and attentiveness to both group
and individual work. Thanks!”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/23)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
25:
“The Friday deadline for submission of extra-credit (**) questions
is tough for those of us who work M-F, especially since the
previous case study forum doesn't end until Thursdays. Saturday
deadline would be better, but I guess then maybe it would be
too easy!”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/25)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
26:
“I wish I would have seen the facilitating rating sheet before
I facilitated. Maybe I missed it? The balance between participating
in the discussion during your faciliation week and facilitating
is difficult. I found it hard to keep up with the discussion
boards and synthesize information; and VERY difficult to participate
meaningfully in the discussion. I am being challenged--no doubt--but
the course is intriguing and the case studies are helpful.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/23)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
27:
“I understand the intent behind it, but I found this evaluation
form to be cumbersome. I didn't feel very comfortable making
all of the assessments that it asked for for each student in
my group after such a short time, and it took an inordinate
amount of my day to fill out, time which I no longer have to
allocate to this week's readings and case study. If for grading
purposes you want students evaluated along each of these aspects,
I would recommend doing this only once, near the end of the
semester. If these earlier results are meant to be shared with
the students so that the can adjust their group participation
before it is too late, then I think a less detailed review
at this stage in the semester would suffice. On a completely
different note, I have really appreciated the Case Studies.
I was a little nervous at the beginning of the semester that
the Case Studies would really just be busy work -- a way to
get us to put in a requisite number of hours per week working
on epidemiology. Instead, the questions have been interesting
and thought provoking, and have certainly helped me to flesh
out some of the more difficult concepts. Thanks.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/21)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
28:
“Sometimes it is a deterrent to others to contribute to online
discussion when others in the group are posting answers so
early on in the week, especially to those individuals who are
not EMP and have more than one or two courses and other various
commitments.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/26)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
29:
“Thus far I am really enjoying this course. It is a lot of work
but I feel that the workload is necessary in order to adequately
cover such an intense subject matter. This is my first semester
in the MPH program and I was a bit nervous but I have gotten
over that and am very happy to be in this program and in this
course. The TAs seem very knowledgeable and I am very impressed
with Vic's teaching style and depth of knowledge in epidemiology.
I'd love to be able to make it down to NC for a live EPID600
class some time.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/24)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
31:
“I worry about contributing too much so I will comment on one
problem my group does not have a consensus on and then back
off. But, no one else is commenting or working to reach a consensus
at the end of the discussion except myself and the facilitator
(Akito in the last discussion). In the last discussion I felt
like we were doing all the work and still couldn't get it all
accomplished. I'm struggling to learn this material and am
very frustrated. It is not a good experience. Everything is
taught at level 3 and applied at level 10. It is great when
you can figure it out but if you can't it is a week of hell
dealing with group until the "correct" answers are posted.
At that point, your best effort/answers are counted off. I
dread the test and my husband is even asking when this class
is going to end. I have only had wonderful experiences in my
past courses so this is very frustrating. I know I can do better
and resolve to not have all the right answers but I would actually
like to learn all the material instead of having the right
answers hanging over my head as deductions.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/24)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
32:
“I am enjoying this course thoroughly! It is challenging and
very informative. My biggest challenge is finding the data
when completing case studies. This will get better with practice.
I find my group very supportive and driven to do well. I couldn't
ask for a better online experience!”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/25)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
33:
“Steve has been an excellent TA and has shown impressive and
constant engagement. The amount of time he has put into explaining
questions to me and to the entire group has been impressive...and
extremely helpful.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/24)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
34:
“We have a group of really bright people that all make great
contributions.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/27)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
35:
“Thus far, the course has been very challenging but in a good
way. I have enjoyed the course so far and it ranks as one of
the best I have taken in the program.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/25)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
36:
“Thanks for making the course truly enjoyable, despite the time
squeeze.”
|
(1st peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/09/28)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
37:
“Overall, I am very pleased with Anna. She provides very timely feedback to our submissions
and to any questions that we email her. She gives us "hints" at what we may be doing incorrectly
without directly telling us the answers. She is probably the best TA that I have had so
far in my experiences at UNC. I feel very fortunate to have her as my TA for this course.
She is definitely facilitating my learning in this course.”
|
(email,
Classroom course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
38:
“I think the class is very good and very challenging. One critique
I have is that there is almost too much information when navigating
blackboard. I think it would be easier for distance students
to have only one place to get the info. they are looking for
rather than several. Overall the class is very good thus far.”
|
(TAeval1,
Internet course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
39:
“My intent in taking this course was to learn. Learning is far
more important than a grade. I also have a busy schedule, so
when I find myself going in circles trying to locate an assignment
or a key piece of information in order to proceed with a course
assignment, I get very frustrated. I wish the course were designed
in such a way that, following the ppt/narrative presentation
and explanation, very clear and precise instructions were provided,
followed by a chance to complete a series of assignments based
on the information, followed by immediate feedback (this doesn't
even have to be a grading of an individual assignment--it could
be an automated response with the correct calculations illustrated,
step-by-step).
Learning should not be a guessing game;
it should be instructions and explanations, a chance to practice
(based on clear directions and information), and responsive.”
|
(TAeval1,
Internet course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
40:
“This has been a challenging course, but the content is fascinating
to me and extremely relevant to my current employment. I highly
recommend it to anyone with an interest in learning more about epidemiology.”
|
(TAeval1,
Internet course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
41:
“I am really enjoying the course, though I do find it quite
more time consuming than I had figured with group assignments
and individual assignments due only one day apart each week.
I feel this may be why the discussion board ends up being the
same 3-4 of us each week as others have moved on to the next
case study. I am happy to have a TA that is so involved because
I know she can see who is participating and who is not. I also
think this mid course evaluation is a brilliant idea and I
wish I had this in my other courses where the group participation
is much less than this course. I find the lectures extremely
helpful and the text is surprisingly good reading.”
|
(TAeval1,
Internet course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
46:
“I love the live meetings because the interaction is in real
time and it is a way to get our questions answered and better
understand the material. Group forums are difficult to manage
online because each person has a different schedule for posting
contributions and the start and stop times of the forum are blurry.”
|
(TAeval1,
Internet course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
47:
“The recitation group is not working for me, as a student with
English as a second language. The discussions are not clarifying
my doubts because my colleagues go through arithmetic explanation
so fast that I can't follow them. It has been very disappointing.
When I was the moderator of a recitation discussion I felt
horrible because I was not feeling that I could moderate. That
experience made me have an outburst because I felt so stupid
during the discussion. I talked with one of the group's member
that I do not feel empowered to say that the structure we are
using is hurting me rather than helping. I decided to ask this
colleague to meet me individually to go through my doubts.
I' m considering also contact my T.A. to see what she thinks.”
|
(TAeval1,
Classroom course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
50:
“Course is really good , learning new things. Concept of group
discussion is little bit new to me but learning a lot in group
discussions. I wish I could attend the residential lecture.”
|
(TAeval1,
Classroom course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
51:
“I find this class to be very interesting. I like the content
and the information. Unfortunately, this class has killed any
interest I have what so ever in the topic. There is a significant
amount of work to do each week and that does not give you time
to really understand the material. Instead we spend time looking
up a website for a number to a piece of information that we
then use to try to interpret something. Instead of sending
us on a treasure hunt, teach us to understand the concepts
and the theory. Huge long assignments do not make you a better
teacher or the class better students. The questions are written
in a way that is confusing and confounding. It is a lot of
work and a waste of time. Does giving this feedback really
even matter? I am sure you have heard this before and has anything
changed? Thanks for ruining my interest in this topic.”
|
(TAeval1,
Internet course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
52:
“I like the wide variety of topics at which the case studies
discuss. However, my favorite, as of yet, has been the AIDS documentary.”
|
(TAeval1,
Internet course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
53:
“The course is very stimulating. It requires the art of thinking
and not just copying answers from books. / / I just wish I
had more time dedicated to this course.”
|
(TAeval1,
Internet course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
56:
“I think the set up of the online materials is very complicated
and disconnected. Too much information.”
|
(TAeval1,
Classroom course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
58:
“Great course! I am already learning so much and am excited
about all that I'm going to learn over the next couple months. Thanks!”
|
(TAeval1,
Classroom course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
59:
“I find the course as a whole somewhat disorganized. The website
is a maze to figure out, and the case study questions are often
convoluted and hard to understand.”
|
(TAeval1,
Classroom course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
60:
“The case studies are spaced too closely together. And each
case study is dragged along the whole week (from Friday - individual
submissions thru Thursday - group submission). Also, I usually
work on the case studies on Fridays when individual submissions
are due, then by the lab on Tuesdays, I forget why and how
I got my answers. It would be helpful to make the individual
answers due by Monday evening, or sometime closer to the discussion section.”
|
(TAeval1,
Classroom course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
61:
“I think the course is incredibly informative. The structure
of the class, specifically with the group work and Case Studies
to apply the skills taught in the lecture is very helpful!”
|
(TAeval1,
Classroom course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
63:
“Quite a challenging class (in a good way)!!!”
|
(TAeval1,
Internet course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
64:
“The course is very exciting, and the materials are stimulating.
However, the scheduling of this course along with Capstone
is unfortunate because many of us taking the Capstone have
major time commitment issues, finding it difficult to split
time between the various assignments that are due in each of
the courses each week.”
|
(TAeval1,
Internet course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
65:
“I believe that the form submission process for case problems
is archaic. Other classes have not had to use these 'text-based'
forms. In a class that is dependent on calculations and with
today's available technologies, it is extremely cumbersome
to have to re-do answers and type formulas that one does in
Excel into a text-based editor and then have to paste these
answers into a form.”
|
(TAeval1,
Internet course,
2009)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
66:
“I truly enjoyed this class and how it expanded my knowledge
about key public health and epidemiological concepts in various
ways. I entered this class thinking that it would be a struggle
for me to truly understand the concepts, yet I'm pleased to
leave this class with a strong foundation of knowledge that
I will be able to apply to future coursework. With the semester
behind me, my only wish is that students had more time to have
fruitful discussions about the key concepts and the research
studies. The recitation lab sessions only allotted time for
solely focusing on the case study questions provided. Opportunities
to have discussions beyond the class structure were not always
feasible. Although I learned a lot from the recitation labs
and discussions that I sought out, I wish that I would have
had more opportunities during the structured class time to
just talk about the multitude of concepts and formulas that
we learned about throughout the semester. Overall, I'm really
happy with what I've learned and retained over the course of
the semester and I hope to take another EPID course before
I graduate.”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/11)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
68:
“This class was way too confusing. And there was no need for
it to be so confusing. The grading policies were confusing,
lecture notes were confusing, and the exams/assignments were
very confusing. Questions should not be 2 paragraphs long and
full of irrelevant material and it would really be nice if
the exams could be complete and error free before being posted
so that we don't have to read through lists of corrections
and re-answer questions. Lectures/lecture notes were too full
of extraneous jokes and random materials. Thank goodness for
my TA, Heidi, or I would have done much worse in the class.
Her lecture notes were really helpful and much more clear and
useful than the main lecture material.”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/03)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
69:
“Heidi's TA lectures were great. Thanks!”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/07)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
70:
“Heidi was great during all the semester. She always provided
toughtful explanations and her lectures helped to better understand
the material. She deserves an award.”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/08)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
71:
“Thanks Heidi for being a great TA and making some difficult
concepts totally understandable!”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/08)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
72:
“Heidi was wonderful and very supportive of the group”
|
Joel,
MPH student,
MHCH,
TA: Heidi
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/14)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
74:
“Thank you for a great semester. Nikhil, you did a fabulous
job of TAing and were always welcoming to students!”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/08)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
75:
“Nikhil was a wonderful TA. He was very helpful, clear, and
available for help!”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/13)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
76:
“Very helpful class. Although time-consuming, but you will learn
a lot of things.”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/08)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
77:
“I did not really include any comments for specific group members
because I think everyone contributed pretty evenly and we worked
very well as a group. I also want you [Nikhil] to know that I really
appreciated your contribution as a TA as you were much better
than many other TAs I have had in the past.”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/12)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
78:
“I thoroughly enjoyed this recitation class and thought everyone
did a phenomenal job!”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/11)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
79:
“I thought we were a good group. We had a good efficient system
that ensured that we all did every problem and yet did not
have to be stuck in recitation 'till late. I have really enjoyed
this class and learned a lot that I will definitely apply in
the future. In fact, after taking this class I have been thinking
more and more of environmental epidemiology as a career!”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/10)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
80:
“It was hard to evaluate because I felt our group really did
work very well together. It's not often that I've worked in
a group where almost everyone contributed and did the work
in preparation and in discussions and facilitating. It was
a very positive experience overall.”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/10)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
82:
“EPID 600 has been an intersting, but challenging course for
me. Because I had previously taken Epidemiology during a previous
graduate level course, I thought I knew a bit of it. But I
realized I knew nothing of this particular course by the time
I wrote the first exam. That was a big challenge for me to
buckle down and approach the course as a beginner. And this
paid off for me. It's been an interestig, but time-consuming
journey, well worth its while.”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/13)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
83:
“I loved Epidemiology. Although I struggled with some of the
concepts, this course has introduced me to a field in Public
Health that I want to learn more about.”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/12)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
84:
“There is a lot of information about the class on Blackboard
as well as the Epi website. Much of this information is extraneous
and wordy. It was often hard to find the critical information
in the sea of text and information that was out there. Additionally,
the organization of the Blackboard site was not 100% intuitive.
For instance, it took me a while to find the link on the page
under the syllabus tab to actually get the syllabus. Also,
the problem sets and exam questions we were given were often
very confusing. I would spend a good amount of time trying
to interpret the question first before even attempting to answer
the problem (of course only for the case study questions, for
the exam questions, I had to interpret them on my own and would
often not do such a good job). I found this was a real obstacle
to understanding the concepts and how to apply them, when I
couldn't even figure out what the question was asking and/or
there were often misleading words and terms. I know this is
a well-established course, but I feel someone may want to go
through the problems and edit some of the text to make it more
clear.”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/10)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
85:
“Our group worked really well together and Nikhil did a fantastic
job of helping us out when we had questions about epidemiological
methods. I really enjoyed the case studies and felt they were
a very good way to learn the material and really enjoyed working
with my group.”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Classroom course,
2009/12/06)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
87:
“One of the best courses I have ever taken, and I have taken
many. Very well organized and made especially easy for an internet
course. I now have a strong basis for my epidemiology studies.”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/12/09)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
88:
“This group seemed extremely skilled, professional, and maybe
even a little over-achieving. I was astounded by the breadth,
depth, and speed of discussion.”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/12/04)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
89:
“This was the best discussion group I have participated in of
all of the 5 Core Certificate courses. I found these group
discussions helped me more than anything to understand and
process the content of each unit. Our TA, Jessica, was awesome
and more involved than TA's in any previous classes.”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/12/04)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
90:
“I really enjoyed my discussion group. We worked well together,
and I learned a lot in the process.”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/12/09)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
91:
“Thanks so much for your hard work. I had a great time and learned
a lot!”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/12/04)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
92:
“I feel somewhat uncomfortable evaluating my peers when I missed
interacting with them for nearly a month during the end of
the semester due to my work travel. I did try to stay up with
their online contributions as much as possible, and went back
to review them once I was back in the United States with a
more reliable internet connection than I had in Zambia, but
it wasn't quite the same experience as if I had been able to
participate continuously as I did for the first couple months.
As such, I have tried to give the benefit of the doubt wherever
possible, rather than unfairly bringing down someone's rating
when I may be lacking information. If my answers are out of
sync with the rest of the group members' ratings of an individual,
please take this explanation into account.
[Note from Vic - participation grades are based on median ratings, so low ratings from one or two participants have minimal impact.]”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/12/11)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
93:
“This was an excellent class for learning. I've thoroughly enjoyed
being in the class with my work at the same time. Liz has done
best moderating and teaching for our group. I am especially
thankful to Dr. Schoenbach for allowing me to take this class
and material for course work has been very carefully designed.
It has certainly added a lot to my basic knowledge and understanding
of Epidemiology and will be very useful for future. The Case
study material was very well selected and suited for class
participation and I've really enjoyed our group's discussion
which was always thought provoking. it's nice to know everyone's
view for same question.”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/12/04)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
94:
“EPID600 was an excellent course that exposed me to the fundamentals
of Epidemiology on a global scale. The course was structured
in a manner that built upon concepts that developed into full
understanding of the value of the science.”
|
Charlene,
CERT student,
PHCP,
TA: Steve
(2nd peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/12/10)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
95:
“EPID600 comes with a warning that it requires a lot of time,
and I found that to absolutely be the case. But it is time
well spent, and the positive effect that this course has had
on my understanding of public health can't be overstated. Thanks
to all for a great experience!”
|
Brian,
CERT student,
PHCP,
TA: Steve
(2nd peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/12/12)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
96:
“Steve offered an outstanding effort as our TA providing informative
and focused feedback to ensure that our discussions remained
on track and that each member of our group understood core
concepts for the module. Thanks for all your help, Steve!”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/12/07)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
97:
“Steve is a great TA, he was always ready to help us. The whole
team is hoping that you recover fast!”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/12/02)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
98:
“This semester was very frustrating given the lack of participation
by the majority of my group. I felt I could only rely on two
other members to participate each week. I don't know what can
be done, but I would recommend reorganization of the structure
in future semesters if the TAs notice something like this happening.
Thanks.”
|
(2nd peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/12/03)
Show comments in random order.
|
|
______________________________
|
99:
“Thanks for a great course! I wish I had had enough time to
fully participate in the discussion forum. Notwithstanding,
when I was able to participate, I learned a great deal from
the materials and the insights my fellow students contributed
to the discussions. Have a great and Merry Christmas!”
|
Wilmot,
MHA student,
HPMX,
TA: Steve
(2nd peer evaluation,
Internet course,
2009/12/08)
Show comments in random order.
|
(An additional 15 comments were received but the students did not
authorize their dissemination.)
2009cd,
compiled 12/18/2009 |