One lecture and one seminar a week. Seminars tutor-led to provide discussion of material presented in lectures.
Each lecture supported by web pages (see below) which doubled as visual aids during the lecture; net discussion site mounted for revision.
For further articulation of teaching strategy see module handbook.
Presentations from me seasoned by prompted discussion and reflection.
Visual aids provided by web site, made available through projector (and, conveniently,
net connection also provided in the lecture theatre).
I reprise the one or more of the main issue(s) presented in the lecture (3 sentences only) and participants take it in turn to say what they want to say (we go round the room). It is a rule that anyone is welcome to 'pass'. (I think this method is called, and anyway it is called by me, 'rounds'.) Participants are down to have done a set piece of reading, and that to some extent feeds into the discussion.
There were lots of valuable points made which I shall try to take notice of but which I can't include in a brief summary:
Lectures appreciated. 'Enthusiasm' of lecturer noted particularly. One comment that breaking up periodically for small group discussion is less helpful than plenary discussion.
Seminars. All respondents who commented thought the format was helpful
('rounds') and that the seminars 'worked'. Several particularly positive comments.
("They were very good. Stimulated many interesting discussions." "Encouraged
everyone to contribute due to informal nature which resulted in a good atmosphere.")
Everyone who commented were positive about the usefulness of the web-site, some
very positive. ("Good to have detailed and clear copy of the lecture notes
for revision and clarification." "Really helpful.")
Assignments. Positive comments on design. Some comments that the remarks in the feedback on 'how to improve next time' could have been more developed.
General. Some texts difficult (Kant, but not only Kant).
Most thought provoking comment:
Q:Worst thing about the course? A: "People I knew did the course last
year. It was very empty."
Not available at the present time.
As for the last presentation, I've spent a lot of time and enthusiasm this year developing the website that goes with the module. I feel pleased enough about the way all this is going to repeat as an appendix the outline of what I am trying to do that I gave last year.
This year students were clearly noticing the pages and making use of them. They are I think being perceived as a kind of textbook for the course, which is potentially an excellent development (because they are free to the student) but means they need to be developed very seriously with this role in mind ...!
Though I invite discussion in the lectures, participants on the whole seem to prefer to reserve discussion for the seminars. This is entirely reasonable, though it makes me feel from time to time that my promptings are insufficiently stimulating.
Kant is perceived as difficult, and by some participants so are all or most of the other texts we consider. I think for a lot of course participants the great thing they take from the module which actually persists is their having actually encountered directly some of the greatest achievements of Western Civilization - and that mastering their arguments via modern secondary texts comes second. So I would like to stay with the policy of challenging participants to read the big things. I feel closing the module with Kant is good in terms of structure - giving a point of view from which pre-Kantian Enlightenment thought can be seen in some perspective.
Seminars have gone extremely well this year I would say: very different groups, but each of them really excellent in their distinctive way. Feedback confirms this.
The results suggest again to me that there should be a broader band of excellent work. This was noted last year and was something I have been trying to address - but no progress I think. I am still better at reassuring participants that they will 'get by' than challenging the ablest them to read, in aid of deepening their understanding of the primary texts, the best (often including the most difficult) commentary literature.
|
Average
|
Me
|
2nd Marker
|
External
|
|
| Course work | 62.0 | |||
| Exam | 60.3 | 58.7 |
| ACTION POINT | WHAT HAPPENED |
| Implement University's new regulations on the late submission of coursework, and consider whether this has reduced the number of extensions requested. Analysis as programme level. | TBA |
| Develop statistics to enable identification of variations in standard applied by different markers. Analysis at programme level. | TBA |
| In response to a decision to move away from course readers towards using published readers or textbooks where possible. there was a decision to make systematic use of classic texts on the net; and to develop the module website into a textbook-equivalent. | Substantial progress in this direction. Participants are certainly beginning to treat the web-site as a textbook type resource. But it needs development to bring it up to the standard appropriate to this use. |
| Develop webpages in the same direction as this year, especially enhancing interaction techniques to help learning | Substantial progress achieved, but more required. |
| Explore potential of anonymous polling technology. | Looked into this. Media support leant me the manual and made it clear that it would be an adventure for both of us. With a very large overhead in setting up time at the beginning of each session and dubious value I didn't take it any further this year. It remains a fun thing to try. |
| Make more use of multimedia resources now readily available via the lecture room facilities, including the net connection. | The net connection has been the main avenue explored. No breakthroughs to report, but see points made elsewhere in these notes. |
| Work on developing use of net discussion. | There have been significant efforts and achievements developments at programme level, but an innovative push masterminded by Martin Pederson didn't get the (minimal!) University support it needed, so there is less progress on this front than there ought to have been. |
| Find ways of pushing able people harder without weakening support for those who find it difficult. | I have made simple-minded attempts to address this problem, but haven't found a technique that works. |
Signed
VFJ Pratt
The webpages are designed to
· make lecture presentations fully available for consultation after the lecture.
· offer supplementary material to the enthusiastic student who seeks further depth or coverage through material of mine
· encourage students (by incorporating a manageable number of well-chosen links) to make use of the great wealth of other people's material now available across the net.
· encourage people to develop their encounter with primary texts by giving links at the end of quotations to their specific occurrence in full e-texts. Eg http://www.vernon.uklinux.net/L11%20Berkeley1.htm#general
· to offer prompts for thought, linking directly to the module discussion site, and sometimes linked to the response to the prompt offered by me. Eg http://www.vernon.uklinux.net/L20Kant4.htm
· to offer juvenile quizzes to help consolidation. Eg http://www.vernon.uklinux.net/L12%20Berkeley2x.htm#spirits
· To offer visual aids to comprehension. Eg http://www.vernon.uklinux.net/L19Kant3.htm#causality
· to offer eye candy to make life sweeter. Eg http://www.vernon.uklinux.net/L11%20Berkeley1.htm
· to be used as a visual aid instead of 'Powerpoint' (which on the whole I hate as all glitter and closed technologically) or the more flexible overhead transparency. I am confused as to the outcome of my experimenting. I suppose my thought is that the potential is there for an efficient and effective way of enhancing the lecture experience, particularly by bringing all sort of media into the lecture room, but I don't feel I have got there yet. One down point is that when you are experimenting it can make you very stiff and inflexible (as well as, I hope) hyped up.
The full pages were made available to students on request on a free CD ROM.
I also mounted a special website for me to field for everyone's benefit revision questions. Eg http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/PHIL211/
 |  |