Course, Teacher, & Student Evaluation Form Peter Suber, Philosophy Department, Earlham College

Revised, April 2001

To fill out this form, please print a copy, write your answers by hand, then hand-deliver the sheets to Dee Airgood in Carpenter 325. Do not use campus mail. Cross your name off Dee's list of students in this course. Your form is due before the last day of class. Thanks, Peter.

I have made this form for my own benefit. The more honest and thoughtful you are, the more it helps. Be positive or negative, objective or subjective, cosmic or picayune. If you need more room for any question, use the backs or attach extra sheets; but indicate which question(s) you are answering. If any questions do not apply to this course, just write "N/A". I will benefit most from detailed, written comments; but if you get tired, just give a grade. You don't have to sign this form if you don't want to. I will not see this form until after I send my grades for the semester to the registrar. After a few general questions, there follows one section each of questions about the course, about me, and about you.

Course: Semester & year: Major or likely major, if known: Class (circle one):Fr.So.Jr.Sr.Other

Questions About the Course

1. Check one:

   _____ This course had no prerequisites.

   _____ This course had prerequisites and you met them all.

   _____ This course had prerequisites and at least one was waived in your case.

2. How would you grade this course overall? Why? Answer this question by appealing to your own standards and values. Be explicit. (I want to know what you think is important, and in any case you'll get enough of my standards in later questions.)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. If you used any of the following for this course, were they helpful? How could they be improved?

   1. generic course hand-out?
      
      
      
      

   2. emailed (or tape-recorded) paper comments?
      
      
      
      

   3. study sheets and hand-outs?
      
      
      
      

   4. course home-page and course-related web links?
      
      
      
      

   5. electronic discussion?
      
      
      
      

4. (Give comments or a grade.) How do you rate the course in:

   1. scope of coverage?
      
      
      
      

   2. relevance and accessibility of the reading?
      
      
      
      

   3. aptness of the writing and other non-reading assignments?
      
      
      
      

   4. pace of the reading and other assignments?
      
      
      
      

   5. appropriateness of demands on your time and energy overall?
      
      
      
      

   6. balance of lecture and discussion (given the enrollment and type of course)?
      
      
      
      

   7. sufficiency of syllabus?
      
      
      
      

   8. prior notice of deadlines, requirements, standards?
      
      
      
      

   9. policy on late work and extensions of deadlines?
      
      
      
      

   10. policy on rewrites?
       
       
       
       

   11. student freedom and responsibility?
       
       
       
       

   12. intellectual interest, importance, challenge?
       
       
       
       

5. Did the course design have any notable strengths or weaknesses not covered by the previous question?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

6. Did the pre-requisites prepare you adequately for this course? Should they be expanded? Reduced?
   
   
   
   

7. If I offer this course again, how could I improve it?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Questions About Me

8. (Give comments or a grade.) How do you rate me in:

   1. preparation for class?
      
      
      
      

   2. knowledge of material?
      
      
      
      

   3. clarity and coherence?
      
      
      
      

   4. care and accuracy with texts?
      
      
      
      

   5. enthusiasm?
      
      
      
      

   6. responsiveness to questions?
      
      
      
      

   7. listening?
      
      
      
      

   8. receptivity to new ideas and disagreement?
      
      
      
      

   9. directing discussion?
      
      
      
      

   10. lecturing?
       
       
       
       

   11. helpfulness in comments on papers?
       
       
       
       

   12. firmness in holding students to a high standard?
       
       
       
       

   13. sensitivity to student problems?
       
       
       
       

   14. accessibility outside class?
       
       
       
       

   15. fairness in grading?
       
       
       
       

9. Did I have any notable strengths or weaknesses not covered by the previous question?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

10. How could I improve my teaching?
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Questions About You

11. Give approximate percentages:

    1. _______ How often did you attend class?

    2. _______ How much of the assigned reading did you read?

    3. _______ How often were you fully up to date in the reading during class meetings?

    4. _______ How much of your full effort did you give to learning what could be learned from this course?

       Explain if you like:
       
       
       
       
       

12. Did you feel free to ask questions, participate in discussions, express your ideas, or disagree with me, the authors, or the class? (If not, can you locate the cause?)
    
    
    
    
    
    

13. (Give comments or a grade.) How do you rate yourself in:

    1. preparation for class?
       
       
       
       

    2. receptivity to new ideas, disagreement, or criticism from peers, authors, or me?
       
       
       
       

    3. balance of willingness to persuade and be persuaded?
       
       
       
       

    4. balance of listening and speaking in discussion?
       
       
       
       

    5. tenacity with difficult material?
       
       
       
       

    6. tolerance for ambiguity, subtlety, complexity?
       
       
       
       

    7. curiosity?
       
       
       
       

    8. efficiency of study habits, use of time?
       
       
       
       

    9. holding yourself to a high standard?
       
       
       
       

    10. creativity, initiative, responsibility in using your freedom?
        
        
        
        

14. Did you have any notable strengths or weaknesses not covered by the previous question?
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

15. Other comments:
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Name (optional):

Peter Suber, Department of Philosophy, Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana, 47374, U.S.A.
peters@earlham.edu. Copyright © 1998-2002, Peter Suber.