Feedback comments obtained from students in Hosei University (2021-, in Japanese）
ゼミの魅力：
多様な国籍と背景を持った面白いメンバーが集まって自由に関心分野について研究できる！
このゼミ最大の魅力は、一人一人の個性を活かせる空間があることです。アットホームな環境下でもオンオフをはっきりさせ、それぞれの得意、苦手分野を伸ばし補い合うことで成長し合えるところです
いい意味でグループ化されてなくて、仲が良いところ！
雰囲気がいい、皆んなと友達になれる
経済学のさまざまな分野に触れる機会が多いこと。
ゼミ員がとにかくみんないい人たちです✨いろいろな国籍の人が集まっているのも魅力です！
個性豊かな人が多く、学べる環境が整ってるところ
自由度が高く、自分が好きなことをできるところ
八木橋ゼミのメンバーはみんな頑張っていて、刺激的な人たちです！それからほんとうに優しいです！いい人たちに囲まれて活動できます！！
自由度を軸にしているので、ゼミ外での活動や勉強にも集中しやすいです。経済学は幅広い視点から捉えることができます。
自由
1年生の頃に経済学を抽象的に学んだ中で関心があるのもを一つの経済学に絞らず、さまざまな観点から経済を学ぶことができます。また、留学生、帰国子女、海外に関心がある人などさまざまな経験をしてきた学生が多数在籍しています。
先生の性格について
穏やかで柔軟性があってどんな事に関心持っていても受け入れてくれる。
とても優しくてやりたいことを全力で応援してくださる先生です。
チャレンジ精神高めで、その分学生のやることにも理解がある人です
優しくて、友達みたいな先生
とても明るくて優しい先生です。無理に干渉せず、生徒の良さを引き出してくれます。
優しくて、困ったことがあればすぐ相談に乗ってくれます！
分からないことは丁寧に教えてくれて相談にも乗ってくれる優しい先生です！
とても優しくて、やりたいことがあればサポートしてくれます！
学びに対する好奇心がある方です！
ゼミ生に親身になってくれて、さまざまな面で協力してくれます。
とにかく優しい
生徒一人一人に対して経済学的な質問や関心に対してアドバイスを提案してくださいます。
Anonymous feedback comments obtained from students in Old Dominion University (2011-2018)
(lightly edited to ensure the sentences are clear. Typos are kept as in original)
Advanced Macroeconomics (MA level)
I think instructor was wonderful and helpful with all questions (from most recent 2017Spr. survey)
Instructor was so helpful and solve all homework questions in class.(from most recent 2017Spr. survey)
It was helpful for future learning and some questions was critically thinking which developed more discussion in class.(from most recent 2017Spr. survey)
He knows the material and isn't afraid to be challenging
I learned critical problems about Macroeconomics.
Instructor was always outgoing and enthusiastic. He is a very approachable individual and very knowledgeable about the class topics
Interactive and informative
The instructor was articulate and could respond clearly to any spontaneous questions from the class
Tons of information and genius teacher. Very nice guy but most HW and tests are super duper complex. Dr. Y is very gentle and lovely person to talk and very very cooperative. ODU needs many instructors like him.
Well organized slides and good explanation of the material.
The homework questions were very challenging, but once we learned how to do them the correct way they were really insightful, and ultimately helped me to not just memorize, but actually know the processes.
He is so cool and brilliant. He is so gentle and respectful to students.
He is very enthusiastic!
(I liked) His willingness to meet students via skype or other methods
Professor Yagihashi is very down to earth and enthusiastic. He was very helpful during the semester, and very quick replying to emails.
I have an ambition of pursuing a Phd in Economics in a few years to come and having, at least, some basic knowledge of macroeconomic models is a great step towards achieving that. I found the models taught in class very interesting and very relevant to what transpire in the reral world. The models also broadened my understanding on current discussions on economic issues. If there was anything that made me think critically, then it must be the purely mathematical nature of the course. Doing the math was one thing but explaining the intuition behind the math required a lot of critical thinking, and despite the fact that it, sometimes, took me hours to grab the intuition, I now have the feeling that my critical thinking is at a level much higher than it was prior to me taking this class.
The instructor of this class is very brilliant. He showed us how to logically think about the topics from different perspectives. He also told us some job background information in this field. He even did a lot of activities in the class to inspire our mind and enhance our practical skills required by relevant jobs.
The questions always entailed an intuitive component.
Working on presentation project and term paper helped me digesting the material
...
Global / Applied Macroeconomics (MBA level)
He used real world examples to explain the concepts
he was willing to do skype calls for those of us that couldn’t visit him during his office hours.
Homeworks were difficult but extremely helpful in preparing for the exams
Takeshi is very enthusiastic about the subject and knows how to break it down for non-Econ types.
The instructor encourages students’ participation in class a lot.
This was one of the most favorite classes in the program
Instructor discussed current economic situation and news
Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory (Econ majors BA/BS)
I have truly enjoyed coming this class
He worked with me when I got behind
His lecture were very informative while still relating the material to current events. He was comical and very easy to talk to.
I enjoyed his enthusiasm and passion for economics
Our class was serious but also friendly and easy to ask questions. Dr. Yagihashi was also available on extended office hours.
The group assignments and projects required the most out of us.
The application of the materials was the most helpful with critical thinking
The powerpoints were all posted at the beginning of the semester and had blank spots in them for us to fill in during lecture. I liked that he instructed us with group work, individual presentations, and a group final paper. It was nice to have the option to work with others and learn together.
He is a very kind man, very helpful. I enjoyed the group projects because it exposed me to more information and allowed collaboration with my peers
I liked the fact that the instructor was available for help/questions outside the class
Made sure we understood everything before we moved on
My instructor was incredibly enthusiastic about the material and was happy to answer questions many of us had about the real world and the material itself
I enjoyed the semester term project that was assigned. I learned a lot about wage rates and how different variables affect them
The lectures and general discussion of the content helped facilitate my learning
I don’t think much could be done to make the course an even better learning experience
Broke down the information into layman’s terms. Applied theories to reality
I like the real life examples of how macroeconomics fits into real life.
I really like the atmosphere of the class. I often find lecture classes very boring however he kept everyone engaged while still getting all of the necessary information across. I also liked that the class was somewhat difficult however the grading and opportunities for bonus points made the class very reasonable.
The subject material was interesting and the instructor was extremely helpful.
I really felt like Professor Yagihashi did a great job at extending many of the basic concepts and models from the book and extended them to more “real life” situations that forced you to think critically versus just memorizing information. I also really enjoyed the project and paper that were assigned because they allowed us to use what we learned in class and apply it even further.
Professor Yagihashi involves the class through the use of ungraded pop quizzes. These were very useful, as it allows for the students to learn from their mistakes.
I really enjoyed the style of the course and how Professor Yagihashi encouraged a lot of class participation and was never critical even though many students had retarded responses. I also felt like the level of homework wasn’t overwhelming however it was enough to test your knowledge and give you a good understanding of what you needed to work on.
International Economics (Both for econ majors and non-majors BA/BS)
He is very knowledgable about the subject (from most recent 2016 Fall survey)
He taught us about recent events in the economy, not just hypothetical stuff (from most recent 2016 Fall survey)
He was very enthusiastic about the material (from most recent 2016 Fall survey)
(I liked) how well informed Mr. Yagihashi was and how good he was at teaching the class. He went over the material well and was always there for you if you have any questions or need help with the notes in class (from most recent 2016 Fall survey)
I enjoyed how excited the professor was about International economics. Always came to class ready to go and in a cheerful mood (from most recent 2016 Fall survey)
I liked how relaxed the atmosphere was. My professor was really easy going about the material and didn't overly stress the subject material, he was also willing to re-explain a section if needed (from most recent 2016 Fall survey)
Mr. Yagihashi is a great professor overall and very willing to help (from most recent 2016 Fall survey)
The instructor provided the current news paper article which were related to the subject matter in the class and applied to what we learned in the class was interesting (from most recent 2016 Fall survey)
The international trade section helped me understand our stand in regards to the treaties being discussed nationwide by politicians and market experts (from most recent 2016 Fall survey)
The professor was very enthusiastic about the class. The material was interesting (from most recent 2016 Fall survey)
The instructor was encouraging through out the semester and always willing to help students improve their grades (from most recent 2016 Fall survey)
I enjoyed coming to class and actively participating.
I think the real world experience he brings to the table benefits the class.
Takeshi is a kind person and it is apparent that (he) cares about his students
The projects were very interesting to do
(What I liked most is) the information, and the clarity of the presentation
Graphs were very helpful and helped me think critically.
The assigned group project pushed me to critically think in this course. Not only did we have to present the information, but also place an analysis and gather a conclusion from the data presented.
The homeworks and quizzes were very helpful in the preparation for the tests. There were many questions that had me thinking for quite a while considering all possibilities of what would happen in a scenario.
Principle of Macroeconomics (Both for econ majors and non-majors BA/BS)
Mega-class (N>80)
The class gave me an overview of how the world economy works which I believe is important in life (from most recent 2016 Spr. survey)
The class is about practical application of economics in the world which made critical thinking a must (from most recent 2016 Spr. survey)
the Learn Smarts on connect helped me a lot along with the practice questions before each exam (from most recent 2016 Spr. survey)
I believe that the professor did everything he could to better his students and make the class a good learning experience
He came up with good examples in class that were easy to relate to and comprehend.
He is a nice guy
He is passionate
He seemed friendly and personable
He was informative
he was very open, and wanted everyone aware that he was available if you needed extra help
It was very organized
The information was available to followup if missed any information in class. The class was large but the instructor and TA made themselves available and accessible to give it a small class feeling
the instructor was nice
very informative and interesting
Group project went well
the learn smart program was a big help, also the review sessions he somethimes held after exams were handy
Small-sized class (N<20)
He is very knowledgeable and welcomes class participation
I liked the group creation on the first day of the semester. Dr. Yagihashi is a great professor. He is willing to go the extra mile to ensure that you have a successful semester.
Mid-size class
He was very enthusiastic and nice
I enjoyed the lectures
The powerpoints were helpful
Anonymous feedback comments obtained from students in City University of New York (2008-2011)
Survey Question: "What are the instructor's greatest strength?"
Passion / attitude / intelligence
Smart guy
Explaining what the equations are to the best of his ability to try to let us understand the material
Enthusiasm / Knowledge
Helpful after class in office and answers emails
Knowledge of material, theoretical & practical applications
That he is patient, a very good teacher and makes sure you understand, he’s clear
Knows the subject matter very well, gets students involved
He is very interested in the course material / subject matter
Knowledgeable, very nice, genuinely cares about the students, taught each class at a high level
Knowledge, patience
He wants you to learn the subject. Knowledge of the subject.
Great teacher
Knowledgeable, willing to teach until material is understood, keeps his office hours
Immense knowledge, great lectures, really cares about the students, kept things interesting
Knowledge + down to earth
If we don’t understand he goes back and explains
Open to questions
Other comments (optional)
He’s the best
He’s awesome. Would take another class with him again
Great professor
Good man
Enjoyed this class, learned a lot which can be applied in a work environment. Felt like a real Ivy League class. One of the best teachers I’ve ever had.
Excellent professor
We need more professors like him
Very patient provided many tools to help understand material (such as website, blackboard, etc.)
One of the best teachers I’ve had
He’s a great teacher!
It was good to use Stata
Feedback comments from peers at College of Staten Island (full professors, associate professors)
Professor Yagihashi clearly knows his area and has put much effort into communicating it clearly
By posing questions, he ensured that students were getting the ideas and able to extrapolate what happens with different assumptions and how particular policies might respond to or reconfigure the terms of the curve
Throughout the class, Professor Yagihashi was clear and careful in his discussion, responsive to student questions and answers, and thoughtful in his approach
Professor Yagihashi’s style of presentation is very casual yet methodical, introducing (and then reviewing) the material at a measured pace that matches the material and the students’ ability to absorb it, and he found an easy rapport with his students.
He continually prodded the students for input and answers, keeping them on their toes.
I am certain he will continue to contribute top-quality teaching to the Department and the College of Staten Island for years to come.
Professor Yagihashi is a compassionate teacher and is eager to help students improve their knowledge of economics as well as their study skills.
He uses all sorts of different activities to enhance the learning experience of students in his macroeconomics class, including homework, quizzes and exams, and special assignments.
Overall, Professor Yagihashi makes the challenging material of macroeconomics accessible to students, which is not an easy task.