FALL 2010 FIQWS C&T SURVEY REPORT

Introduction:

A student opinion survey was conducted in FIQWS (and all other classes) at the end of the Fall 10 semester. Students were invited to evaluate their courses and teachers online through an application developed by the college’s IR office. College-wide response rate was very low (~10%) and FIQWS sections response rates varied from 5% to 41% per section (13% average). While the low response rate data couldn’t be used to assess effectiveness and quality of a particular section or teacher, open ended survey questions related to students learning did offer valuable information about the effectiveness of FIQWS. This section of the survey asked students to (1) list the 3 most important things they learned in the class; (2) how the class could be improved; and (3) what they appreciated the most about the class.

Data: Results summary

Students readily commented on things they learned in class. Their responses were well correlated with FIQWS learning outcomes and included both topic and composition section achievements.

Specific skills and knowledge that students highlighted and related to the composition section learning outcomes include:

Learning how to and/or being able to:

·  Compose a thesis statement

·  Organize a research paper

·  Use correct grammar

·  Structure a paper

·  Conduct research

·  Properly cite sources

·  Critically analyze material

·  Take notes

·  Write about a subject

·  Edit and rewrite their own writing

Students also highlighted specific skills and knowledge that that related to the topic section learning outcomes. Topic-specific learning was in the various areas of FIQWS study: biology, anthropology, earth science, biomedicine, psychology, history, literature, education, philosophy, political science and economics.

In addition, students saw significance and commented on other important parts of FIQWS. They appreciated the learning community aspect of FIQWS that allowed them to form close relationships with classmates and teachers. They appreciated responsiveness and caring of their teachers (one described a teacher as “devoted”), class discussions, timely feedback and peer-reviews. Some also commented that their time management skills have been improved, this being one of the goals of this first semester freshmen class. Some students pointed out the close communication between the two instructors was crucial for the course’s success.

The average overall satisfaction rate with the course was 3.9 on a scale of 1-5.

Conclusion:

Survey responses indicate that, overall, students are satisfied with the course. Their open ended comments are heartening as it is obvious that students understand what the course is about. Their statements on learning are exactly aligned with the course learning outcomes. They see the two parts of the course as one whole commenting on both sections interchangeably. They recognize that forming relationships with classmates and teachers is a valuable outcome of this course. Finally, they comment on the importance of collaboration between the two instructors.