Overall Results
Lecturer Comments
Detail of the Survey

OVERALL RESULTS out of 371 answers (from a total of 9 students out a total of 12).

Questions 1 to 41 relative to the course and lecturer.

Normalized results. The top graph is relative to the course and lecturer (question 1 to 41), the graph at the bottom is relative to students involvement (questions 42 to 46).

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Lecturer comments 2001.

What I discovered

Many students had very little computer skills and only a few had very strong expertise. It turns out that many students get into trouble with simple tasks such as retrieving an image embedded in an email message, or sending an email with an attachment, or even copying a file from a hard drive to a floppy disk.

I found that many students did struggled to source and synthesise information into a coherent eReport. Some eReport topics were fully contained in one single textbook chapter. Even in this favourable circumstance students were having difficulties synthesising information and understanding basic concepts. When information spread across a number of sources: textbooks, books, papers, it was obvious that the exercise was too difficult, eReport were filled with irrelevant information and repetition, whereas fundamental concepts where not included.

After the first set of eReport I decided to suggest for each topics a 'Table of Content' to help students with the organization of the information and help them to write a relevant report. I also insisted to have a descent introduction presenting both the significance of the topics and the organization of the eReport. Improvement was immediate, eReport contained nearly exclusively information relevant to the topics, and nearly every important aspect was covered. However, information was delivered in a succession of paragraphs with little attempt to link the different sections together.

The main problem (in addition to coping with computer) was still the sourcing the information. At the beginning of the course a few textbooks were suggested, and a list of paper was provided with important papers emphasized. I made clear to the student that, except for a couple of topics, 99% of the information they needed was contained in textbooks. I felt that most student were not using textbook at all, something that I already knew from past experience.

After the second set of eReport I decided to suggest, in addition to a 'Table of Content" a limited number of textbook chapters where student could get the information they needed. This however didn't improved students ability to synthesise the information. Too many eReports read like a succession of sections with little linkage.

In terms of organization I found that students did not work in pair as they were supposed to but separately, each of them working on a different section of the eReport. Some students were also relying on friends to turn their report into an electronic format. Nothing wrong with that except that some students did not bother learning from their friends how to do it.

I believe that most students understood and acknowledged the importance of becoming a self-learner and the importance of improving their computer skills. However I feel that this approach may not suit students with part-time jobs or other time-consuming extra-curriculum activities.


What's next

One student suggested introducing each topics with a 40mn lecture, it is indeed a good idea. This will certainly help the student to see the links between the various topics. In order to compensate for the time invested in lecture, topics will have to be less general and more focused.

P. Rey

Lecturer comments 2002.

Students' feedback did improve with respect to last year. I have introduced a lecture component which focus on math and physics intensive issues. I have reduced the number of electronic reports and limited their respective scope. This course on on good tracks.

QUESTIONNAIRE
Achieving Aims and Objectives			2	7	27	32	10
Q1: This course provided a solid training in Structural Geology and Tectonics			1	0	2	6	0
Q2: I am more efficient at sourcing,  digesting, and synthesising information..			0	0	2	6	1
Q3: I am confident I can design efficient scientific reports using IT..............			0	1	3	2	3
Q4: I am confident I can deliver sound oral presentations...........................			0	2	3	3	1
Q5: This course enhanced my computer skills.......................................			0	0	1	4	4
Q6: The course has sharpened my analytic skills....................................			0	1	5	2	1
Q7: The degree course has developed my problem-solving skills.................			1	0	5	2	0
Q8: The degree course has improved my skills in written communication......			0	2	4	2	0
Q9: My degree course has developed my ability to plan my own work.........			0	1	2	5	0
Organisation and Teaching Methods			7	14	25	28	8
Q10: I have had a clear idea of what was expected of me in this course...........			1	2	6	0	0
Q11: It was hard to discover what was expected of me in this course.............			-	-	-	-	-
Q12: It was easy to know the standard of work expected............................			1	1	5	2	0
Q13: I was generally given enough time to understand the things I had to learn			3	4	2	0	0
Q14: When it was used, information technology helped me to learn...............			0	4	2	3	0
Q15: Feedback on my work was more than marks or grades.......................						7	2
Q16: I feel I had enough feedback on my work......................................			0	3	1	4	2
Q17: Efforts were made to understand my difficulties with my work.............			0	0	2	4	3
Q18: I feel part of a group of students and staff committed to learning...........			1	0	2	5	1
Q19: Overall, this course was well organised........................................			1	0	5	3	0
The Lecturer			0	3	18	40	35
Q20: I feel the lecturer was committed to his course and his students............			0	0	0	6	3
Q21: The lecturer motivated me to do my best work................................			0	1	1	6	1
Q22: The lecturer worked hard to make his course interesting.....................			0	1	4	2	2
Q23: The lecturer was good at explaining things....................................			0	0	2	3	4
Q24: The lecturer was helpful and approachable.....................................			0	0	1	1	7
Q25: The lecturer was concerned that students learnt efficiently in this class.....			0	0	2	4	3
Q26: The lecturer made himself available for his students........................			0	0	1	5	3
Q27: I feel the lecturer had too high expectation on what I could achieve..(change wording, not incl.)			0	0	2	4	3
Q28: The lecturer made effort to provide a friendly learning environment.......			0	0	3	4	0
Q29: The lecturer explained clearly his teaching strategy and methods...........			0	1	2	2	2
Q30: The lecturer respected students and responded to student needs.............			0	0	0	2	4
Q31: The lecturer treated students fairly and impartially............................			0	0	0	3	3
The Content			4	7	19	27	13
Q32: The content specified for this unit of study was covered......................			0	0	5	2	0
Q33: I was helped to understand why the topics were relevant....................			1	1	2	3	0
Q34: I learnt more by designing and writing eReport than going to lectures....			1	2	1		3
Q35: I had sufficient information to source relevant information..................					2	3	2
Q36: I had sufficient computer skills to cope with the use of IT...................			1	1	3	1	1
Q37: I think the report topics had equivalent level of difficulty.....................			0	0	3	2	2
Q38: I could cope with the mathematics and physics aspects of the course.......			1	2	1	2	1
Q39: The topics were challenging and interesting...................................			0	0	0	5	2
Q40: I feel comfortable reading and learning from textbooks......................			0	0	1	6	0
Q41: I can see how the topics were linked together..................................			0	1	1	3	2
You			0	2	10	21	12
Q42: I invested up to 5-10-15-20-25 hours per week into this course............			0	0	3	3	3
Q43: I did the best I could..............................................................			0	0	0	5	4
Q44: I was proactive and very involved..............................................			0	1	3	3	2
Q45: I attended all the meetings and kept the lecturer informed of my progress.			0	1	2	4	2
Q46: I am satisfied with my work......................................................			0	0	2	6	1