Every semester I conclude with an evaluation of each course that I teach (↪ view). I meticulously process the feedback and use the analysis to identify what worked and, more importantly, what didn't work. Since learning and teaching is not a primary research field for me, I use this information to address student learning needs. This page presents some evidence of where I have used this feedback to make adjustments.
Earlier student comments on the STA221 course led to the introduction of theory-based tutorial tests at the beginning of each weekly tutorial in addition to the application tutorial tests (↪ view). The student evaluation of the quality of the tutorial sessions improved from 42% rating it as excellent in 2013 (↪ view) to overwhelmingly excellent (approximately 70%) in 2019 (↪ view).
In 2017 the BIA713 examination was a 24 hour take home assignment which had to be completed entirely on the computer. Student evaluations after the final exams brought to our attention that the students were overwhelmed by this structure. Given the feedback received we decided to have the students write an on-campus exam following a different format in 2018. The new format consisted of three types of questions: students were given computer output and then asked to interpret the output; students had to explain the significance of the provided computer output within the context of the question; and questions where the students were required to provide the computer output and interpretation thereof. This format was tested in the last two assignments of the module to prepare the students for the new final assessment layout (↪ view). Student comments from 2018 can be viewed here.
The Statistical Modelling module, STA737, was evaluated for the first time in 2017 after its first run. The lecturing team identified a lack in knowledge of the Statistical software R and comments to this effect were also made by the students. To address this it was decided to divide the module into a theory and a practical part in 2018 and the students were offered, in alternate weeks, full practical lectures on how to apply the theory in R. The practical lectures were presented by myself and were followed up with full assignments on Statistical Modelling in R. For an example of such an assignment, ↪ view. At the end of the semester it was clear that this approach worked very well. In 2017 the average of the R practical exam was 57% and in 2018 it was approximately 70%. All students improved significantly throughout the semester and they had expressed, through a course evaluation, that they feel confident in their ability to use R for Statistical Modelling. The lecturers felt that sacrificing every alternate week to practical demonstration significantly impacted the amount of content that could by covered in the course. As such, STA737 was given an additional weekly practical demonstration slot on the timetable (↪ view). This was done until 2023, the last time I was the practical demonstrator for this course. View an email from a student expressing what these practical classes meant to them.
During the Covid pandemic with online learning and assessments, students would use Word to type their answers to questions and then submit the scripts as Word documents. This created an impression that students, particularly the current generation that are very digitally aware, would prefer typing responses rather than writing them by hand in a test book. There is of course a personal bias as well in that typed responses mean the lecturer no longer had to struggle with deciphering a student's handwriting :-) However, in 2024 a student commented the following: "The module's tests should be handwritten. It's better that way.". Consequently, all tests are now back to being handwritten.
Another student commented that the online classes run long which affects focus. I admit that I am a passionate lecturer and I love teaching Statistics, so I do tend to forget to give breaks! To avoid this from happening again, I've started adding break reminders to my lecture slides using bright pink icons (↪ view).
Lastly, a student commented that they "would like Dr Luus to record her lectures as it is an advantage to attend and have video to refer on when having challenges.". First and foremost, I want my students to attend lectures so that they can engage with me. And, I want them to consult with me when they determine there's a concept they don't fully grasp. I am very much a hands-on teacher. However, I have to acknowledge that the current generation of students learn differently and, as I've mentioned already, they are very digitally minded. They like watching Youtube videos. I still don't record all lectures, but I do record lectures on challenging topics and especially when I demonstrate a theory application by hand. This way they have something to refer to when they work on their assignments and/or prepare for exams.