Experimental Psychology
Student Comments – Spring Semester 2002
06/03/2002
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Most Valuable Course Aspects: Least Valuable Course Aspects: Suggestions for improvement:
The most valuable aspect of this course was that the teacher explained the paper in explicit detail. The student should have understood all that was required of them when it came to the paper. There was not a least valuable section. Everything the instructor said and did was important in understanding this course. I think there was a little too much emphasis on passing the class in order to move on to the upper level courses.
 
The challenge. This is one of the classes that weeds out those of us who won't make it. I made it and it is a good feeling!
 
 

 

Everything that I learned will be needed in my career.
 
 
 
 

 

Don't make it easier. It's important that all of us face a challenge. The work load is heavy, but it's not impossible. However, it would have been better if we could have collected the data and actually conducted the experiment. I think it would have been easier to see as a whole and more could have been learned. 
The web site was very helpful. It was also helpful that Dr. Whatley was always available for help, whether in person, through e-mail, or through the course discussion page.
 
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Conducting research on an experiment that had already been done. It might have been better if we were allowed to choose our own experiment to conduct, but I know that is a little out of our reach being undergraduates.
I thought that Dr. Whatley was very helpful and understanding when assessing the students' understanding of the experimental paper. He made sure that students understood what was expected of them when writing the paper and he provided very useful and helpful tools that aided in writing the paper. He also gave opportunities to earn extra credit. N/A N/A
Learning how to use SPSS was valuable in interpreting experimental results. Studying APA format was incredibly valuable considering my professors before now have not spent too much time on the subject. I cannot think of any aspect that was not valuable in some light.
 
 
 
 
No suggestions.
 
 
 
 
 
The instructor gave time for the class to work on papers or projects so that we could ask questions. None. N/A
Learning how the experimental psychology paper The same things which we learned in Psyc 3500 I think this course is already good.
I think one of the most valuable aspects of the course was the attention given to the paper. Going over what was required in each section and how to write it was helpful. N/A
 

 

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Learning to write the paper, understanding how to read papers like the one that we did.

 

The course was good overall.
 
 

 

In researching for the paper I found many that were not as detailed as the one that we did. I would like to know more about how and why these papers are different. Dr. Whatley should smile more. He can be intimidating.

Some research endeavors are not as detailed as those typically conducted in this class, or there are page limits in the journal where the article was published.

It really helped when Dr. Whatley would email information as it changed. He did a good job at helping when students needed it especially at the end of the course with the research papers! N/A N/A
The website was a great tool to use for assignments and for the paper. There was much information there, very helpful if you took the time to look.
 

 

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There is so much information covered and along with the paper there is just not enough time to cover everything well for the student even though the instructor was excellent. This class could be broken down so that more time could be spent with the instructor just learning to write the paper.

I agree; this class should really be a year long.

The hands on projects that couldn't be learned from the book. None. None.
The website was the most valuable part of the course because it had all of the class lectures and practice quizes for each chapter which made studying for the test a lot easier.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
When we had to go and read the chapters on our own and learn those chapters on our own without the teacher lecturing on those chapters. I pay for classes so the teacher will teach me the information not so I can go teach myself the info and then be graded on how well I taught myself the information. 

Perhaps you should be an active learner rather than a passive learner. As stated on my syllabus, "Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself."
 
 
 
 

The techer should have gone over the tests upon returning them to the class so we, the students, can see why we got the questions wrong that we missed as well as being able to know if our tests were graded correctly.

In order to maximize class time, students are informed after each test that they can come by and I will be happy to go over their test with them. Those students who are very interested in their learning typically make an appointment.
 
 
 
 

The web page helped and incredible amount. I think it should be mandatory for all professors to have a web page like Dr. Whatley's. It was nice to have grades almost immediately. The discussion forum helped a lot in understanding material and gaining insight on the course.
 
 
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The professor could do more actual teaching over the material. Usually an example would be given and
then the students were expected to know how to do the task. Some chapters were covered and others were not. It
would be helpful if there was more lecture in the class to help students learn instead of just reading material or
looking at examples.
The website was a lifesaver. N/A N/A
Learning to write in APA style and how to conduct experiments.  The text book was rather irrelevant. It is very valuable for psychology majors. However, the instructor needs to realize that this is our first time doing this type of work and should not grade so harshly. 
The outlines on the web and the chapter test. N/A Be a little more personable. Smile more often.
Understanding how to write the paper properly. N/A N/A
Available chapter quizzes and online chapter outlines and lecture notes. Also helpful were the multiple homework assignments and extra credits available.
 

 

There were only 2 exams and a large paper that counted for most of our grade--the paper was not clearly outlined and there was much confusion on several of the sections. Also it as frutrating that there were no set office hours or times we could reach him.

I had set office hours during Spring 2002; twelve hours in fact. Granted, some of those office hours were cancelled so I could attend doctor appointments with my pregnant wife.

Be more available for questioning AND make the lectures more interesting and not just word for word from the text (boring!). And have set office hours or set times students may seek help.

 

Doing the paper, homework exercises, and the web site. Pop quizzes. It is valuable enough.
Learning how to analyze, and evaluate information. None. None.
N/A N/A Stop making the class hard just to prove that you know what you are doing. I, as a student, need to feel comfortable coming to you and saying that I just don't understand instead of feeling stupid.

Why didn't you come to me? I had several students who stopped by on a weekly basis to make sure they understood the material or homework assignments.

learning to effectively wright APA style reasearch papers N/A N/A
This was an interesting class. N/A N/A
It was good to learn the different research components. I also really appreciated the web site very much. I don't think "pop" quizes are good indicators of how well we know the subject matter. Although we may have read the text, the quiz did not necesarily reflect our knowledge.

That's strange, because the quizzes were taken from the questions listed at the end of each chapter.
 

Provide more outside examples. Most of it was taught in the classroom setting and few visual or extra aids were used.
I think that writing the paper was a good learning experience and definitely gave me a better understanding of the more
post-graduation, so to speak, world of psychology as a vocation.
N/A I think that much more information regarding the paper could have been given out. Specifically, I know that much benefit would have come from knowing that the experiment on the first day was one that I would be working with until the very end of the semester and one that I should memorize to the best of my ability. Also, I think that the instructor did a somewhat poor job of helping students understand the dynamics of such a paper and what it would involve. I realize that some of that may have been my lack of preparation, but several times I found myself feeling completely clueless as to what was going on. I've even written a journal article before (not nearly as in depth), and I still found myself feeling in the dark. I think the paper could've been even somewhat enjoyable had I received some better guidance.
Learning how to write a paper in APA style. None Less demands on the course