Galen T. PickettAssoc. ProfessorPhysics and AstronomyPH3-103
California State University Long Beach 1250 Bellflower Blvd. Long Beach, CA 90840-3901 (562) 985-4934 vc (562) 985-7924 fax
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Analysis of written comments:
At the time of evaluations, enrollment in the course was 48 and 33
students filled out evaluation forms. Of those, 30 had extra written
comments to make.
First, let me be clear that in summer courses, Cal State Long Beach does not run any kind of independent course evaluations at all, so these data come from a self-administered evaluation, similar in form to the university evaluations, but not tabulated by the administration. Hence, there are no numbers from the College of Natural Sciences for comparison.
This was a six-week summer course, which met for two hours / day on four days of the week. The material was substatntially the same as in Spring 2007, but as I lectured in a large lecture hall with a tablet PC and an electronic projection system, all of my quicklywritten notes and calcuations were preserved and posted online within minutes of class ending. The preponderance of complaints in Spring 2007 about my pace and the hardness of the material have all but evaporated, even though the absolute pace in a summer course is *much* higher than during a 15 week semester. Additionally, the online Mastering Physics suite of problems and tutorials are widely held to be very useful, even though I had a full semester's set of problems crammed into six weeks.
Comments made during standard class evaluations:
1. The exams were interesting; I've never had that type before.
I like the homework policy; it makes this class
much easier to pass. Pacing was a little fast; labs were good.
I really like the lab instructor. Did not take 151 here. Never
did paper HW for physics.
2. One of the most accessible college professors I've had.
Homework was appropriate to the materialbut I did
not have much time this summer to complete it. Very
clear presentation of topics. I would prefer more application
of the subject. labs only boosted my grade; I did not learn anything
nor did I need to wake up early for them. Prof. Hlousek is very amiable.
Course moved quickly, as to be expected. I
had to dedicate the summer wholly to this class ... encourage students
to not take any other course. Chabay/Sherwood: few examples
to help with homework. More consice. Does not include some
ley equations / ideas in an effort to be easy to read. young/Freedman:
Very helpful examples. Wordy, hard to read. Through in explaination.
though more difficult to read, I prefer Young/Freedman because it provides
the opportunity to learn more and delve into specific topics. Homework
online takes longer. Homework on paper provides an opportunity to
BS answers.
3. The hwks does help. The extra credit is really helpful
since it will push my grade. Only advantage
of taking physics in the summer is that you don't ahve time to forget.
Pace in 151 sucked (3 exams the final) 6 day of class. Young
and freedman is way better. No question. Maybe
an occasional paper HW.
4. I thought your expectations were clear. Your
notes were understandable, and it was convenient that they were posted
online. I thought the exam structure was very effective, because
we showed what we learned on our own, then were able to interact learning
more. Likewise, the in-class exercises were helpful. I though
the pace of the class was reasonable, quick but not
overwhelming of too difficult. I though the Youg and Freedman
text was much more comprehensible than Chabay and Sherwood. The odd
exercises had answers which was helpful. The explaination and examples
were also much more effective and clear in Young. I thought the Young
text was better organized. I fell that mastering physics is much
more effective. I didn;t know if I was doing
the homework correctly in 151, and even though the professor went over
the answers, I feel that it is more helpful to work out problems on your
won, with the ability to get help from classmates or the professor.
The problems were complex, but that enhanced my learning much more than
the homework on paper.
5. Great teacher. You made a very
difficult subject more understandable. Labs-> needed more
instruction and help from the lab instructor. Youn and Freedman book
was *way* better than the Chabay and Sherwood book. The young book
had more, well set-up, relevant problems throughout the chapters.
The problems at the end of the chapters were also more useful in helping
me understand the material in the reading and lecture. Mastering
physics is better than Hwk on paper. There wan no feedback with the
paper hwk.
6. You are awesome! You clearly explain how electricity
and magnetism work with examples in everyday life. I enjoyed the
class so much more and learned *way* much more than when I had taken it
previously and not passed. Keep doing what you do!
I liked the pace of the course and how the tests were spread out every
two weeks and the homework due every week. The labs were great.
Homework on mastering physics gives you hints and
feedbacks
to help you understand the problems better, wheras if HW was done on paper,
you don't get feedback right away and know what problems you got wrong
to study for a test.
7. Homework and exams were clear and
very helpful. labs and pace of course was reasonable.
Young and Freedman was much better and clearer than Chabay and Sherwood.
Mastering physics was more effective in teaching
us the material.
8. Very organized and clear. labs were unclear and not
very helpful. But, the professor was very helpful in answering questions.
Young and freedman is much easier to follow because it contains many examples
while Chabay and Sherwood didn't work out many problems. Mastering
physics and homework portfolio was very convenient and useful.
9. homework: a reasonable amount of homework per week.
Exams: they were of reasonable difficulty. Although grades were not
curved, the overall grade was not affected too heavily by a poor test grade.
The online homework system makes for easy grading
and uniform point allocation. However, I feel that homework
on paper helps with studying more easily. Online homework also, unfortunately,
allows for plagiariasm.
10. I like the HW, mastering physics
was helful. Test were new style, but after getting used to
ISEE, test wern't that bad. Summer was fast,
new style for me. labs were ok. But I would rather taking
it on a reg. semester.
11. I felt that this summer's session went very well.
Even though we had only six weeks to do a relatively
involved class, I though I had learned more than I would have during a
16-week course. Emails were excellent. HW and exams
were well explained and expectations of how to do them (as students) were
fair. I though the labs were ok. Two lab sessions per week
for a summer wree ideal. Homeowrk on paper
much preferred since I can be force to actually do the work wheras Mastering
physics, I enter the correct answer, submit, then forget how I arrived
at the solution.
12. Homeworks were challenging, but the are relevant
and helpful. Exams are really "not easy, not hard" but I guess we
thought they were ridiculously hard. Pacing
was FAST. labs wern't really helpful. lab professor
wan;t there most of the time during lab to help us.
13. Young and Freedman was the only book I used ... it is
still confusing. I think HW in paper is better
because we're actually obligated to show every single step, as opposed
to mastering physics where everyon can just plug in random answers.
14. HWK and exams were reasonable and you were there to help
(in class) or through emails. I didn't learn much from lab.
The experiments were ok, but the wire connections were confusing and lab
professor was not there to help. The class
is too fast pace, but I guess it balances out with the fact that most of
us only have one class to focus on. I used the Young and Freedman
only. I took phys151 in summer 06, and I didn't do any hwk because
it was not required. I feel doing homework is very helpful because
it forces me to learn. Paper or mastering physics
is the same to me. I like your teaching style, but I feel
like you do a lot of shortcuts during calculations/ algebra which makes
it confusing sometimes because I am not very quick at seeing what you did.
15. Dear Dr. Pickett: The structure of the class was
very organized and developed to benefit the student. Exams were fair
and very cumulative. Reply to email quickly and was very helpful.
THe sturcture of the exam was very beneficial. Lab instructor was
*not* very helpful considering that the setup was very difficult to do.
I felt I did not benefit from the lab at all. lab pace was fair.
Mastering physics by far is a *better* choice.
I learned so much from doing so. Concepts of physics are hard but
masteringphysics help ease the class. I also felt the doing mastering
phsyics on aper and transfering them on to the website was a better way
for me to learn. I was able to learn the problem twice.
16. The homeowrk was ok. I believe we needed more examples
on some items. THe exams were good, but the group test should be
limited to only small groups because there is more learning and less copying.
THe class notes and quizzes helped a lot. Labs were too few and the
professor was never there. Sometimes mastering
physics was too easy since some people had the answers.
17. This instructor makes this class interesting and easy
to learn. All policies were clear and easy to follow. Best
class I ever took. It is easier to get the
assignment online and use all the hints.
18. I enjoyed your class once again and wish more teachers
were as effective. The pace of the course was
a bit fast but very reasonable considering it was completed in one summer
session. I thought masteringphysics
is better than traditional hw. However, it can be frustrating
when you can't figure out an answer and the program can't help you any
further. Your method of going over them in class was very effective.
19. I really enjoyed doing the homework.
HTe exams were very reasonable and challenging. Email correspondence
with the instructor was excellent. HTe lecture format was good.
HTe policies were great. Lab was really good and informative.
The pace of the course was at a reasonable pace.
I did not use the Chabay and Sherwood textbook. I liked doing the
homework on Masteringphsyics because I got feedback from the website.
Homework on paper is less interactive.
20. Doing the workbook was helpful in
making mastering physics work for me. Without doing the workbook
mastering physics doesn't really help to perpare for test, but putting
it in the workbook helps me with the format of the exams and the steps
that I need to do to get the correct answer. I like that mastering
physics provides hints and lets you know tight away if the answer is correct.
If I did the homework on paper and turned it in, I woudln't get that feedback
until it was too late and I could be doing all the problems wrong.
21. I like the class structure. You are very helpful
in understanding material. Labs weren't too difficult, but more instruction
on set-up would be nice. Course was well-paced. Mastering
physics is a much much better homeowrk tool.
22. One of the best proffessors I've ever had. The class
was set up so the students could succeed and I did really well because
of that. No issues with any teaching methods/ all perfect. :)
I hate lab so that's all I have to say about that ... haha. Never
had Chabay and Sherwood. Mastering Physics
is the best thing that's happened. It slowly step by step
takes you through the problems, shows you how to set up and what not.
I wouldn't even be able to start over 1/2 of thiose problems without mastering
physics.
23. You have had everything well prepared, easy to follow,
easy to contact you and all class materials/ lessons were relevent to the
clas objective. Pace is easier to handle with
just one class and lots of free time. labs were somewhat difficult
because there was little instruction but the professor was willing to help
if we struggled. I did not take phys 151 in 1st session. I
like masteringphysics, it is easier than math online homework as far as
entering an answer or lee-way on rounded scientific notational answers.
24. This is the best physics class I have taken. Dr.
Pickett is very through, knowledgeable, and helpful. The
homework helps one better understand the course concepts, and his
grading criteria made the class bearable. The labs were helpful,
but the manual is to wordy and at times the directions were hard to follow.
Mastering physics is better because we get feedback when our answers are
wrong and have unlimited tries.
25. Professor Pickett stuck to the original styllabus better
than any other professor. Grading on HW, exams, and in-class assignments
were fair and accurate. Response to email was quick. I don't
think I got the full benefit of the lab. Plus, the lab professor
offered no help in doing the labs. The pace
of the course was perfect for the summer course because this was my only
class. I prefer mastering physics because
even though we might get an answer wrong numerous times, we would still
be able to try and learn. Also, the Extra Credit opportunities
really balance the toughness of the course so we could still pass.
26. Great teacher!
27. Like how he was really helpful when you were stuck on
any subject or on any hw problem. He was really precise in his explainations.
I like how the labs were designed one day HW Q's or any kind of questions
/ random problems followd by one day with just the lab. Umm,
I prefer HW on paper. Mastering physics is harder, and confusing.
28. The Chabay and Sherwood book was not as clear, or explain
things as well. The diagrams weren't as good. There were no
answers in the back or solution manual to help know if you are even on
the right track or get the right answers. I
liked the mastering physics better because we would at least know if we
were wrong or not and we had a chance of extra credit.
29. 152 textbook had more examples and explainations.
From 151, did not get any feedback on my homeworks and no corrections.
Mastering phsyics was easy to use and I liked the
feedback.
30. Perfect, don't change a thing, only used young and freedman,
mastering physics.
last updated: Jan. 18, 2008
