Student Evaluation of Instruction for HST201 - Fall Term 2017

Instructor comments follow in red

2

Rate the 12 questions below
Average rank
 ⇓ N/A

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

1. What was taught agreed with the objectives stated in the catalog or course outline. 1.2  0
2. The instructor exhibited an enthusiasm and interest in the subject. 1.1  0
3. The instructor was knowledgeable in the subject. 1.1  0
4. The instructor used class time effectively. 1.2  0
5. Respected diff. genders, religions, ethnic backgrounds, class status, abilities and lifestyles. 1.3  0
6. The instructor encouraged students to think. 1.3  0
7. The instructor's teaching methods were effective in helping me learn the material. 1.4  1
8. The instructor made an effort to be available to students. 1.3  0
9. Helped students understand the course material and find answers to relevant questions. 1.3  0
10. The instructor was fair and reasonable. 1.3  1
11. The instructor helped me believe I could achieve my potential in this course. 1.3  2
12. Overall, the instructor was effective. Consider both limitations and possibilities. 1.2  1
Responses Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Total N/A
1. What was taught agreed with the objectives stated in the catalog or course outline. 48 (79%) 13 (21%) 0 0 61 0
2. The instructor exhibited an enthusiasm and interest in the subject. 57 (93%) 3 (5%) 1 (2%) 0 61 0
3. The instructor was knowledgeable in the subject. 52 (85%) 9 (15%) 0 0 61 0
4. The instructor used class time effectively. 52 (85%) 8 (13%) 1 (2%) 0 61 0
5. Respected diff. genders, religions, ethnic backgrounds, class status, abilities and lifestyles. 45 (74%) 16 (26%) 0 0 61 0
6. The instructor encouraged students to think. 45 (74%) 16 (26%) 0 0 61 0
7. The instructor's teaching methods were effective in helping me learn the material. 37 (62%) 20 (33%) 3 (5%) 0 60 1
8. The instructor made an effort to be available to students. 42 (69%) 18 (30%) 1 (2%) 0 61 0
9. Helped students understand the course material and find answers to relevant questions. 41 (67%) 19 (31%) 1 (2%) 0 61 0
10. The instructor was fair and reasonable. 45 (75%) 14 (23%) 1 (2%) 0 60 1
11. The instructor helped me believe I could achieve my potential in this course. 42 (71%) 14 (24%) 3 (5%) 0 59 2
12. Overall, the instructor was effective. Consider both limitations and possibilities. 50 (83%) 9 (15%) 1 (2%) 0 60 1

3

What did you like about the class?
Response
I liked how efficiently the class time was used, it never felt like any time was being wasted. I also really like the moodle page, it was constantly kept updated with anything we needed to do and the email notifications were also nice. Most importantly I liked how the teacher treated every student and topic discussed in class with respect, even if it was something that was uncomfortable to talk about.
I liked how credible the class was. I knew that what I was being taught was as close to the truth as our instructor could get.
The professor was extremely excited about the subject and that made it fun to learn and go to class.
the study lists and quizzes were helpful in studying for the tests
One thing that I liked about the class is that the time in class had humor as well as education attached to the class. This not only made me want to come to class, but also made me want to know more about history.
Good, straightforward lecturing, good relation of historical stuff to current events. Interesting focus on comparing different historians' takes on the issues.
I really liked the approach you took to the class; specifically how you presented differing information (like the difference in Native American population estimates) and instead of picking one to display, you instead presented the different views and used it to show how data can be manipulated to a certain view and that we should always look for the complete picture. As its stands you even managed to make much of it interesting and I am not usually very interested in U.S. History (I prefer ancient history).
My favorite part about the class was feeling like the teacher actually interacted with the students, and made class interesting.
The forums helped me think more deeply about the topics we covered.
Organization of class, powerpoints, lectures, and information provided online through Moodle and ebook assigned to class.
teacher was clear with his expectations
I really liked the lectures in the class, Escobar's enthusiasm and knowledge really made the class more interesting.
I enjoy how Escobar made us think and how he urged us to know the facts. He showed us how to check those facts and be sure that they are true.
I liked how much Mr. Escobar knew about the subject of history, and how he was very interested in the subject and passionate. He always challenged students to think about what they were being taught and think about how history effects the presant.
I liked that the class was challenging enough that the students have to use critical thinking to get a good grade and it isn't an easy A, and the instructor values knowledge of the subject over grades of the class.
honest and straightforward teacher gives you the tools to succeed in his class
I liked the lectures and how the quizzes and forums were graded
I liked the enthusiasm that the instructor brought to the class. I also *highly* appreciated the constant communication on deadlines and accessible course material.
I liked the wide variety of videos and interviews that we watched. Also the weekly quizzes were very helpful in learning the information.
I enjoyed the detailed map outlines that really gave a sense of what the limitations were for settlers in America and as the class progressed you got to see that area expand.
I loved how passionate my instructor was about the subject. It, in result, made me excited to learn about it.
I like how he made himself available to all students who needed help.
Escobar not only instructed in an enthusiastic manner, but also made a tough subject relatable to us today. The structure of his class was organized and we knew what was expected from us and when it was due. I knew every class that we would be taking notes from 1:00 pm to 2:20 pm, and there was never a lull in the information.
that we were able to retake quizzes over and over. and that those questions were different each time. really got my brain to work
The Lectures were fun and interesting, and also sometimes funny
This class was an eye opener for me. I learned a lot about slavery that I had no idea occurred. Overall, I learned about events and people that I had thought differently about. As a kid you get taught completely different; so, I appreciate the knowledge I accumulated during this term.
Initially, when I signed up for History 201 I was simply taking it as a credit towards my major. However, once I was into week 3 in the class I found myself thoroughly enjoying United States colonial history. The book was refreshing and had a large amount of useful information that I did not know before. Professor Escobar is enthusiastic about what he teaches, grades exceptionally fairly, and provides a constructive learning environment where the student not only can learn the useful information that is gleaned from documentaries and editorials, but also learn to enjoy history and the many ironies and facts that we can relate to contemporary times. Because of this class I am excited to sign up for history 202 next term. If I require further credits in history I will go for history 203 as well. I enjoyed the class and look forward to learning more about the history of our nation in the future!
I really like how his grading system works. With every chapter quizzes, forums, attendances, mid terms and finals all being worth 20%. I thought it gave students a chance to get a good grade without only depending on the major exams.
Fast paced Good mix of a variety of media during class and on line Instructor is engaging and clearly passionate and knowledgeable about the subject
I'm a big fan of the short documentary clips embedded in the lectures, and I like that you make a point of showing us different historian's views.
I liked the class a lot especially it being a hybrid course because it forces you to study and also it makes you stay on top of your work in class. Joe is a very professional teacher and I really like that he does make jokes in class which is good, but I also like to hear his perspective on how he views things in history. I also like all the video clips as well,
I really appreciate your passion to teach the subject. U.S. History in High School was so boring, you made it fun to learn and as well looked at different perspectives of history. As well as statistics which made a lot of sense.
I liked how straightforward it was. I knew the expectations of me from the beginning and I knew that my success completely revolved around how much I applied myself, which I like. Escobar is a great teacher who is really insistent on giving all of the facts. He provided us with all of the info we needed and didn't give us anything unexpected.
The instructor encourage students to think. The instructor is knowledgeable in the subject. correcting some bias.
what i really enjoyed about the class was the way professor Escobar taught with the urge to get students to step out of their frame of thinking and see other sides to information that we are constantly exposed to. I also liked how he brought up and used many different credible sources in his teachings.
I enjoyed being able to take the quizzes and tests on my own time and it not take up any class time and made it easier to prepare for it.
Forum discussions, movies and Youtube video which are presented in the class. It is my first time to study USA history also, I found that I extremely love it and wanna evaluate to my major in the future. USA history class is amazing and incredible for me apart from my Vietnamese history- it was really boring and it did not encourage me to discover more, in fact there was a tons of untruth historical events in my country history book.
Escobar feels very much like a 'no bullcrap' teacher. He wants his students to get the facts and only the facts. He's one of the few instructors I've had that will point out flaws and possible biases in assigned readings. He'll show us older versions of websites that are more historically accurate and how they've changed. Overall, comes off as someone who genuinely and deeply cares about both history and his students. He's exactly what you want in a teacher.
The instructor was very passionate about the subject, it made class interesting and fun. I love history and enjoyed being taught by a professor who enjoyed the subject as much as me.
You cover the material really well in class
Everything, great class! Very knowledgeable instructor.
I enjoyed the hybrid aspect of this class and how the teacher actually cared to teach
How knowledgeable and enthusiastic the professor was
Very enthusiastic about the subject. He knows his history and also included personal experiences related to the subject.
I liked the grading system overall and the lectures were interesting. Definitely a class that made me feel interested.
I enjoyed how the instructor made it very clear how important it was to understand the difference between what's more true in history and what might've been altered. I don't believe I've ever had a teacher so strict on something like that.
I liked how the teacher connected the past dates and events to things that related in our own time today to help us get a better understanding of what was going on.
We took multiple notes and the quizzes helped me with learning the material better.
The lectures are very enjoyable. Mr. Escobar presents the material with enthusiasm which makes his lectures very easy to follow.
All the resources needed to succeed in the class were made available and clear, and the structure of the class and policies were consistent and fair. If you do the work, it's very simple to get a good grade. Grades were always on moodle quickly, so there was no confusion or speculation as to your progress in the class. It's clear the the instructor values the time and resources of the students and wants them to succeed in the class.
I liked how he used videos, power points, and his own experiences with visiting different areas into his teaching. You could tell he enjoys what he teaches and continues to be informed about current events relating to the class. He forces you to think outside the box and adds to the information from what's from the textbook.
This class is amazing. I did not know a lot about U.S history, but I do understand little right now. The professor is a great teacher. I do like the way he teaches.
Escobar was great. Awesome teacher. Knows his stuff and does a great job of being available to help.
I really liked how passionate my teacher was about U.S. history. I really think that the videos on Moodle and in class that he showed were helpful with memorization of events and helped along with taking lecture notes.
Joe was very enthusiastic in teaching. He obviously loves History and teaching it. He also made the lectures interesting because though it was learning about old stuff he did a sufficient job of tying it into todays history.
The class in general was set up well. The instructor made everything easy and gave general specifications on how to pass the class with a good grade.
video clips

4

How could this class be improved? Add any comments about the class and/or instructor that you feel might be helpful or useful.
Response
Nothing really, I really enjoyed the class.
I really didn't like how the weekly quizzes were graded. I thought that you should be able to get points even if you didn't get a 75%. I also didn't like how hard the midterm was. It was nothing what I expected.
forums could be more of a participation in information rather than active posts throughout the week
Possibly you could have a time where you actually meet peers around you, so you won’t feel as though you are alone and unsocial.
I would much rather do the discussions and quizzes in class, but I guess that's a function of the hybrid class system.
Yes it is. On the other survery, 68% of the students prefer the hybrid class versus 32% who would want the traditional format with the extra hour in class each week.
As it stands, I do not see much from my point of view on how you could improve the class. You offer alternative times people can come in and the homework is not too much (I am just bad with online courses, even hybrid ones). Keep up the great work, thank you.
Although I liked having the opportunity to take quizzes at home whenever, quizzes during class would be helpful. By taking class quizzes, the class can review what they got wrong and that will hopefully help the student understand the subject a lot better.
I don't think there needs to be an improvement.
more in depth on certain topics. lots of general overview.
I didn't find the forums particularly interesting or helpful, but I understand that the purpose was to allow for more lecture time and less in-class discussion.
Just to be clear, this 4 credit hybrid course had 1 LESS hour, per week, of in-class time for lecture.
Less forums and more in class discussion on forum topics. Meaning: having the same kind of form structure but in person and in class and we research together.
I think this class could be improved by at least one more in class partner activity that involves brain storming and critical thinking, but which can be done in a few minutes, so that the class can learn as much of the material as possible, but also put into perspective what they might have done in the time period in question.
My only gripe with the class was the sheer amount of reading which I understand the necessity of; however, for me reading long sections can be difficult
I think that you could have spent more time actually teaching us information instead of constantly pointing out what you thought was wrong about the textbook.
You must have missed all of the classes where I pointed out what the textbook authors did "right".  I know some students don't really read the provided syllabi, but one of the main class objectives clearly stated "Develop the ability to analyze and interpret historical data from multiple (sometimes conflicting) sources and develop multiple perspectives."
remove forums, they are somewhat tedious and overly time consuming, and to be blunt I do not care what my other classmates have to say on a subject, instead maybe brief papers can be turned in online as an alternative.
I loved the class and wouldn't change a thing.
A day to review before the midterm. More interactive ways to learn the material
I felt, for me personally, that the forums were rather tough because we were required to make arguments for subjects that I necessarily didn't have an opinion in.
the chapters were to long but that's history for ya.
I don't feel like the class needs improvement. I feel like as a student, I should have spoke up and mentioned to other students about forming a study group. I think because this class has so much information in a short amount of time, that at times I felt overwhelmed and having a study group would have been nice.
The one thing that I felt could perhaps be changed in the class were the forum assignments. They took a little getting used to as I primarily write essays for my other classes. However it is a small critique and the forums provide a means to see how other students are approaching the material in class.
The mid-terms and finals are both 100 questions long. I think that is a little too long for a mid term especially. It was very overwhelming for me. I would assume it would overwhelm anyone who gets anxiety while taking an exam.
Sometimes a little too fast to allow for effective note-taking
I can't think of any improvements, and look forward to taking History 202 with you in the winter term.
I don't really think that any adjustments need to be made to the class, the class is structured the best way possible for a hybrid course one thing I would possibly consider is maybe in class workshop time for chapter reading or even taking quizzes but that is just my thoughts.
I think the class is great the way it is maybe some sort of class discussions.
I think the forums are demanding, but it's nothing that is unattainable. He provides us with the resources we need in order to know how to succeed so as long as students apply themselves and put in effort there is no reason they shouldn't do well. Overall, great course with a great and passionate instructor.
The one thing i would say that could be improved on is finding a way to spread out the material better. What i mean is, there is a LOT of information that we learn and is hard to memorize, and when i try to study and the test comes around i find myself overwhelmed by the amount of information.
At times when taking notes you went through the slides a little quick but it didn't happen often. I honesty liked/enjoyed the way you talk the class.
we should have about 2-5 minutes break to relax our minds and let our brain feel comfortable a little bit.
Being that he cares so much about making sure we develop a similar interest in historical studies, he wants us to have in-depth discussions about it through Moodle's forums. However, this caused me to worry about forums more than even the midterm. I had to post multiple times during the week with each post having to be factual, well thought-out, long, and having to do with a specific subject WITH quotes from either the textbook or an assigned reading. And because he doesn't let us know how much each post is worth (again, because he wants us to care about history and doesn't want us to get the minimum points needed and stop), I would constantly worry if the post I just spent an hour carefully wording and fact checking was even good. The forums were absolute hell for me and while I understand his reasoning for every rule that came with them, it didn't make them any less stressful.
I don’t like forums
You are not alone, however the other survey revealed that while 36% of the class would eliminate the forums, only to have exams, quizzes, and attendance count for MORE of the class grade, the majority of the students preferred the current breakdown WITH forums.
Perhaps a bit more discussion of the forums themselves for a better understanding of expectations and maximum points.
i would say some hard extra credit for the ones who missed deadlines off of procrastination. something that would defiantly make students work for the mistakes but because sometimes if a student misses a deadline they in return wont do the assignment which doesnt help them learn the material.
Man, those tests are hard
Class should stay as is.
A few of the questions in the quizzes felt like they were strangely worded to be one answer but were instead another (and I even checked back in the book). I don't know if that's just me though. It's also not the biggest issue since the quizzes only needed 70% completion since some questions are from sections we didn't have to read.
This class overall was really good and can't think of anything needed for improvement.
Grade the forums differently, or require less of it. It’s hard to respond to multiple people and have different opinions and facts. Especially when you have to respond to 6 plus people to get a full grade.
That is not true.  There was absolutely NO LIMIT to the number of posts and replies that any student could make during the week.  You were NOT required to reply to six other students.  In the end, it is simply about putting in the work.  Your forum grade was entirely dependent on your OWN efforts, not on the work (or lack thereof) of your group members.
Also, more about the topic, slow down to allow people to write all the notes. It’s hard when you change the slide when you just clicked on the last one.
I cant think of anything.
I can honestly say I felt Mr. Escobar gave all the right tools and material needed to succeed at this class. As long as you're ready to put in the work, you'll receive a good grade.
Asking students to engage more.
Honestly nothing was wrong about this class.
I dont think this class could be improved at all it was very very good
Overall this class was well put together if the student fails then its on them because the instructor gave specific instructions of what and when assignments are due and there was given enough time to do everything to have a good grade in the class.