0708-1300/Questionnaire

My Questions

1. Rate this class on the following scale:

Pathetic

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Superb

2. Unless you rated the class "superb", be kind and offer suggestion(s) for improvement. You may also use this space for comments like "X is good, keep it the same way".

0708-1300/Navigation Panel   Add your name / see who's in! # Week of... Links Fall Semester 1 Sep 10 About, Tue, Thu 2 Sep 17 Tue, HW1, Thu 3 Sep 24 Tue, Photo, Thu 4 Oct 1 Questionnaire, Tue, HW2, Thu 5 Oct 8 Thanksgiving, Tue, Thu 6 Oct 15 Tue, HW3, Thu 7 Oct 22 Tue, Thu 8 Oct 29 Tue, HW4, Thu, Hilbert sphere 9 Nov 5 Tue,Thu, TE1 10 Nov 12 Tue, Thu 11 Nov 19 Tue, Thu, HW5 12 Nov 26 Tue, Thu 13 Dec 3 Tue, Thu, HW6 Spring Semester 14 Jan 7 Tue, Thu, HW7 15 Jan 14 Tue, Thu 16 Jan 21 Tue, Thu, HW8 17 Jan 28 Tue, Thu 18 Feb 4 Tue 19 Feb 11 TE2, Tue, HW9, Thu, Feb 17: last chance to drop class R Feb 18 Reading week 20 Feb 25 Tue, Thu, HW10 21 Mar 3 Tue, Thu 22 Mar 10 Tue, Thu, HW11 23 Mar 17 Tue, Thu 24 Mar 24 Tue, HW12, Thu 25 Mar 31 Referendum,Tue, Thu 26 Apr 7 Tue, Thu R Apr 14 Office hours R Apr 21 Office hours F Apr 28 Office hours, Final (Fri, May 2) Register of Good Deeds Errata to Bredon's Book

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Your Answers

1. Here's a histogram of the responses to question 1:

No Answer | XX
    4     | X
    5     | X
    6     | X
    7     | XXXXX (one was marked a bit above 7)
    8     | XXXXXXX (one was halfway to 9)
    9     | XXXXXX
  Superb  | XXXX

2. And here's a summary of the responses to question 2:

• As a whole people like the class but find it difficult. Some even say "scary".
• As a whole people like my teaching style.
• Some find that I skip too many details.

Some quotes:

• "I need constant reminders of definitions ... what we're doing, where we're trying to get to".
• "I find lectures more confusing than the book".
• "Pictures are nice but they aren't helpful if it's not clear what a picture is supposed to be representing".
• "[Too] many things are taken for granted".
• "Need more examples [at least one example/exercise per 2 weeks]". (Repeated).
• "Class homepage is excellent".
• "More office hours".
• "More details".
• "Good mix of examples and theorems".
• "Class is interesting but difficult". (Repeated often, at different wording).
• "A good pace...". (Repeated).
• "You are very motivating!". (Repeated often, at different wording).
• "Keep drawing pictures".
• "The number of definitions is overwhelming".
• "[Move more slowly]".
• "Lectures are wonderful". (Repeated often, at different wording, some not as strong...).
• "I like how you suppress the technical details...". (Repeated).
• "Fascinating stuff".
• "Bredon's notation a bit unappealing".
• "Faster please".

A larger issue quoted from a student:

"We need a rigor agreement. I mean, the rigor is always an agreement between the writer and the reader. In lectures, you are the writer and we are the readers but in exams and homeworks the situation is reversed.

The question is: Are we allowed to use in exams and homeworks the same amount of rigor as you in lectures? If not, it is important to have a reference."

I (Dror) will discuss this point sometime later in class, definitely before the term exam.