Teaching Evaluations

FALL 2014: English 1303: First Year Writing I (online)

Summary of Student Evaluation Statistics
In the Fall 2014 semester in my two sections of English 1303: First Year Writing I (online), 24
out of 40 students completed the evaluation form. Of those students, 85% took the course
because it was a required course and 15% would have taken the course even if it hadnt been
required.
Below is a summary of selected evaluation statistics. The mean data is based on a 5-point likert
scale, in which:
5Strongly Agree/Outstanding
4Agree/Above Average
3Neutral/Average
2Disagree/Below Average
1Strongly Disagree/Poor
Selected evaluation items

Mean

STUDENT-INSTRUCTOR INTERACTION
The instructor provided a syllabus and reviewed course expectations at
the beginning of the semester.
The instructor presented the course in a clear, logical and organized
manner.
The instructor encouraged student participation, questions, and
discussions as the class size allowed.
The instructor encouraged critical thinking and evaluation of ideas and
evidence.
Tests, examinations, projects, papers, or creative activities reflected
materials emphasized in the course.
The overall teaching effectiveness of this instructor is
The instructors ability for individual assistance is
The instructors demonstration of respect for students is

4.9
4.4
4.7
4.7
4.6
4.3
4.4
4.6

COURSE OBJECTIVES AND ORGANIZATION

Course objectives were clearly indicated in the syllabus or somewhere
online.
The quizzes/tests and/or assignments were related to the lectures and
course material.
Grading criteria for this course was clear.
The technology used to deliver this course was helpful [beneficial] to
learning the material.
The overall quality of this course is

4.7
4.7
4.5
4.7
4.2

OVERALL EVALUATION SCORE

Mean of all previous items

4.6

Un-edited compilation of student evaluation comments

I liked the fact that we had the chance to have discussions with classmates over class assignments. Also,
having students revise each others essays a week before the final draft is due is very beneficial.
Overall, this was definitely the class I learned the most out of. I'm a freshman and all of my classes are
online, so being in this class and comparing them to others I could really tell the difference. The fact that
we had the oppurtunity to correct our writing and reflect on it, helped to eliminate that do-or-die feeling
that some of the other classes had, which doesn't help performance, but rather makes everything worse. I
often took offense when people would think that just because I'm in an online class that it means that its
below the caliber of face-to-face classes, when it really isn't (well atleast not in this class). I really do
believe my writing has improved and that I have gotten a little more comfortable with the different styles
that I'm going to have to write sooner or later.
Lots of interaction between students. Students were able to share their knowledge and help one another
through the processes of writing.
Strengths were Organization, Learning Style, and Community/Peers.
It is such an informative, effective, and efficient class. She responded to our journals and assignments in a
timely manner and offered great feedback.
Instructor was always available and presented many resources for projects.
The biggest strength was the teachers critical thinking and open-minded views.
I think that this is my favorite Professor. I really fell in love with this course.
I would recommend this instructor because she gave me wonderful advice and tips for writing papers. She
was very nice and helpful. She is a fair teacher.
Being a freshman, primarily in online classes, I found this class to really help transitioning into an online
format. The information and the ideas learned throughout the course really stuck with me. The fact that
we got personal feedback for most of the assignments was helpful, especially in the way that it helped for
me to actually know the material, rather than remember a lesson for a week and then forget it the next.
I really enjoyed having the professor. At the beginning of the semester, I feared that I would not be able to
understand this course or my professor. I was scared of the professor not being very hands on because I
have many online instructors that just sent an email the first day and an email the last day of class. I really
liked her personality and enthusiasm. I also felt like I could be honest about my projects and struggles.
She was very encouraging while also being thorough in feedback. I enjoyed reading her feedback and
correcting my papers based on her feedback. She was a very great hands on instructor.
Taking a fully online class was terrifying but beneficial. In regular classroom settings, its easy for me to
kind of just exist for the hour of instruction and pick up a majority of the information, thereby letting me
to get away with never reading the assigned text by myself or having to review in a textbook. Here, in this
online course, there is no group reading of, for instance, how to make a rhetorical analysis so to complete
the homework assignments, I had to actively look for the information required and schedule my own time
to read it. This new recurring task most *definitely* helped me learn basic study skills and I feel like Ive

learned the material better. I honestly dont think the professor could have done anything to make the
class more effective. Im still supremely impressed at how much individual attention/response I got.

SPRING 2014: English 1304: First Year Writing II (hybrid)

Summary of Student Evaluation Statistics
In the Spring 2014 semester in my two sections of English 1304: First Year Writing II (hybrid),
38 out of 48 students completed the evaluation form. Of those students, 92% took the course
because it was a required course and 8% would have taken the course even if it hadnt been
required.
Below is a summary of selected evaluation statistics. The mean data is based on a 5-point likert
scale, in which:
5Strongly Agree/Outstanding
4Agree/Above Average
3Neutral/Average
2Disagree/Below Average
1Strongly Disagree/Poor
Selected evaluation items

Mean

STUDENT-INSTRUCTOR INTERACTION
The instructor provided a syllabus and reviewed course expectations at
the beginning of the semester.
The instructor presented the course in a clear, logical and organized
manner.
The instructor encouraged student participation, questions, and
discussions as the class size allowed.
The instructor encouraged critical thinking and evaluation of ideas and
evidence.
Tests, examinations, projects, papers, or creative activities reflected
materials emphasized in the course.
The overall teaching effectiveness of this instructor is
The instructors ability for individual assistance is
The instructors demonstration of respect for students is

4.7
4.4
4.7
4.5
4.5
4.2
4.5
4.7

COURSE OBJECTIVES AND ORGANIZATION

Course objectives were clearly indicated in the syllabus or somewhere
online.
The quizzes/tests and/or assignments were related to the lectures and
course material.
Grading criteria for this course was clear.
The technology used to deliver this course was helpful [beneficial] to
learning the material.
The overall quality of this course is

4.7
4.6
4.5
4.3
4.0

OVERALL EVALUATION SCORE

Mean of all previous items

4.5

Un-edited compilation of student evaluation comments

The syllabus was emphasized, and well explained, from the beginning of the course. Making the grading
scale easy to follow made the class better as well. Another strong point was the one-on-one meeting the
instructor had with us to discuss our work.
Mrs. Hallman was always receptive to questions and student concerns and was always available for extra
help. I also liked the fact that we researched one particular community all semester of our choosing. It
kept the class more focused and gave us a taste and prepared us for what a much larger research paper
might be like if we have to write a thesis for a graduate degree.
The professor was very helpful and encouraged everyone to follow in discussion. She listened to
everything that was being said and gave feedback to all the students.
Very clear instructor, and material was simple if you took notes and paid close attention.
The best part was learning about arguments and researching which have been beneficial with other
classes.
It really did push me to try harder in writing. A hybrid class teaches you to stay on top of your work.
Professor Hallman was very understanding and really cared for the success of her students. She made the
class a lot better. She is a real person just like us and she really pushed us to strive to do well.
I would recommend the instructor because she is reasonable and fair. She is very respectful to the students
and gives some time to meet one on one when possible to discuss projects/grades.
Mrs. Hallman was a great teacher and if I were taking another English class I would most definitely try
and take a class with her as my instructor.
I liked that she allowed students to have discussion and brainstorming; creative and interesting critical
thinking about issues.
I liked how she encouraged class discussions and was always available to help when needed
I would recommend her because shes a good teacher. She is responsible and really want you to learn
something from her class.
She is very helpful and friendly. Also, she gives great feedback on what should be improved on in papers
and has one-on-one meetings in the middle of the semester to talk to you about where you stand. Grades
in a timely manner.
Id recommend her. She was not only organized but also passionate about all the material she was
teaching!
Shes a reasonable grader, but not an easy grader, which is good. She aimed for students to be able to get
something from her and the assignments. She also encourages different kinds of thinking.
Thank you for giving us these interesting assignments. I am glad that I was able to learn something that I
didnt expect. It was eye-opening.

SUMMER 2014: MARK 8397. Communicating Academic Research

Un-edited compilation of student evaluation comments
Student 1
Working with Rebecca was a great experience for me. She was very nice and helpful to all of us.
During the course, she gave us practical suggestions on writing, presenting and communicating. I
still remember at the beginning of this course, I was shy and rarely talked. But Rebecca was
always patient and encouraging. She taught us communication skills with using vivid examples,
which made me feel comfortable and relax, and finally participate in the discussions confidently.
After the course, she dedicatedly edited our papers and provided us valuable comments. Besides,
she spent a lot of time on finding us useful writing materials and posted them on the blackboard.
As such, we can get access to those writing sources while editing the paper. With Rebeccas help,
I was able to edit my paper to a whole new one--the one that I liked much more than the first
draft.
Student 2
In Mark 839 last summer, Rebeccas comments for my writing were really helpful in improving
my writing skill, especially for a academic paper. In every class, she gave me very thoughtful
and specific comments on what are my issues in writing a paper, what I need to do to correct
those issues, and how to improve my paper writing in general. Also, whenever I asked questions
about my writing, she always gave me useful and proper answers in a timely manner.
Specifically, I want to give one example how her comment contributed to my paper writing.
She gave me a comment for introduction part of my paper as follows:
"This is a very informative first paragraph again though, I wonder if you might provide a
short, anecdotal scenario that plays off of your title to hook your readers."
According to this comment, I added an anecdote to this introduction part and I got quite good
feedback on this change from my colleagues in the class. I also believe that this addition of
anecdotal paragraph made my introduction part more impressive. Through making this change, I
could learn that I need to consider readers' perspectives and that how to make my paper more
interesting from those readers' view.
This is just one of many comments I got from Rebecca and I am really thankful for all her
comments and help during the class. Most of all, what I most appreciated about her as a teaching
assistant is that she always encouraged all students including me in academic writing during
online sessions as well as offline sessions.
Student 3
I was so lucky to have a teaching assistant like Rebecca who was very enthusiastic to the
students and the class. The most helpful thing was her comments on the paper. Although she is
not in my field, she tried to understand my field and gave appropriate comments based on that.

Also, she made students very easy to contact her. She always let us know first when she is
available to meet us for help. It made me feel so comfortable to contact her. Lastly, her class was
very informative and organized. I like that she divided the class in a small group. Small group
discussion was so efficient that we could focus on everyones paper very carefully.
Student 4
I really appreciate what Rebecca did for us in MARK 8397 last summer. She did help me a lot to
improve my writing. As an international student, I had struggled with writing in English. Every
time when I had questions, she always answered my questions very patiently in class. After class,
she even voluntarily helped to find and forwarded a lot of useful materials to us.
More importantly, Rebecca gave me such a great help to improve my paper. Every week she
carefully reviewed my updated paper and gave me such a thorough and constructive comment. In
particular, this process was interactive rather than one-way feedback. She was so creative and
enthusiastic to cultivate a in-class as well as online environment to encourage interactive
communication not only between her and me but also between me and my peers. I also
remembered I had a hard time about how to do a smooth transition. She worked with me and
went over every detail very carefully to help me. Now when I compared the current version of
my paper with the original version, I do think it improves a lot because of Rebecca. Also, know I
have more confidence to write and use transition words and sentences because of her help.
I truly appreciate her patience, passion, and professionalism!!

SPRING & SUMMER 2015: HI... Business and Technical Writing

Un-edited compilation of selected student reflections
Student 1
I usually like an education that is personalized for student goals, and this approach definitely
accomplished that. My experience in this class was a great one and I learned plenty. Prior to taking
this class, my writing skills were mediocre and didnt really know how to approach writing
assignments. After taking this class, I have a better understanding of writing objectives: to be
more reader-centered and provide information that is useful and persuasive to the reader. The
most valuable things I learned in writing were the different strategies and techniques to use when
trying to display or communicate information. Sentence structure, paragraph structure, lists,
bullets, typefonts, design, and visuals are all useful techniques to communicate information
effectively.
Student 2
Going into this class, I expected it to be similar to a traditional English writing class and was
surprised that it was not. The class was focused on professional writing that one could expect
to see in the corporate world. A professional furthering my education, it was nice to be able to
relate my schoolwork to my actual work. Being able to relate the course to my career made the
experience of the course more meaningful to me. Overall, the experience of the course was good
in my opinion. There was structure in place, but it was not overbearing and you had
independence to learn the way you prefer. If assistance or advice was needed, Professor Hallman
was quick to respond and feedback. Although online, the course almost felt like it was a
traditional class.
Student 3
My experience this semester has been a pleasantly positive one and I have had taking of this
course help me in other courses and also in my career communications. If I had taken it two
years ago, I would have been better suited to handle some workplace challenges then. The most
valuable things I learned were the formal communication techniques. Knowing how to anticipate
who your audience will be from the top to the bottom of the ladder was a valuable skill. In
particular, Project 2: Unsolicited Letter of Rec with Annotated Bibliography, was an interesting
one for me as I had to go do my own research and come up with solutions to problems that
potentially exist. It served to fire up my imagination and put me in a place to find exciting
articles and learn more on the topic I was working on. It was an interesting exercise that I would
have loved more of, if we had the time. I however found the Annotated Bibliography to be like
double work but I understood the value of it when I did it the second time.
Student 4
My experience in the class was very good overall. I like and greatly appreciate that the assignments
were all geared to be useful in real life situations. I found understanding the audience the most
valuable and applicable to daily tasks. In just the first week of my new job, I realized my
communications reach further up and I need to ensure that all recipients can find use in what I
write within varied amounts of time. I appreciate your honest feedback. Youve exceeded the

amount of feedback I expected for this course. The resume and cover letter assignment was
immensely beneficial. If only you saw what my original one looked like.