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How could the department improve upon the mandatory GSI courses?
#Response DateOther (please specify)
1Aug 20, 2009 5:24 AMDon't know/NA
2Aug 20, 2009 5:27 AMI liked the course and the instructor. He tried to make it as helpful as he could without getting in our way with silly homework assignments. It turned out well, even though it was annoying to have to go.
3Aug 20, 2009 5:31 AMBoth of the above. 301 was absolutely the worst part of my fall semster - I got nothing out of it, even though I really care about teaching. Discussions were off track and consistently involved nothing more than people complaining about their students. I also see the claim that we need to raise the number of hours if units are raised (as the univ. wants) as specious: other departments have 300/301s that meet for fewer hours and are worth more units. 301 would be a lot more useful if it actually taught skills about teaching, rather than serving as some sort of group therapy. Also, I think increased attention needs to be brought to informing GSIs how to deal with sexism in project groups and what to do if students come to them with such problems. I know of two instances this year where female undergrads talked to their GSIs about experience sexism in project groups and wanting help, and they were both told to just deal with it themselves.
4Aug 20, 2009 5:31 AMAll of the above.
5Aug 20, 2009 5:55 AMn/a
6Aug 20, 2009 6:19 AMNever took yet
7Aug 20, 2009 7:02 AMNA
8Aug 20, 2009 7:19 AMI found it totally worthless in its current structure; it needed to be grad-student only and much more focused, as opposed to the 'group therapy' feel it had.
9Aug 20, 2009 7:29 AMMake it voluntary
10Aug 20, 2009 8:27 AMget rid of the undergrads in the class
11Aug 20, 2009 2:32 PMI took the CS301 course, which was very helpful in giving me preparation and support.
12Aug 20, 2009 3:13 PMTeach us, rather than just making us watch othe students present.
13Aug 20, 2009 3:17 PMMore improv acting sessions!
14Aug 20, 2009 4:02 PMI haven't taken the course, so I don't really know.
15Aug 20, 2009 5:38 PMMake you take the course before you are a GSI, instead of concurrently.
16Aug 20, 2009 5:44 PMDon't know
17Aug 20, 2009 10:24 PMmake it one weekend to get over with rather than extend the pain through the semester there should be waivers for people who taught similar classes...
18Aug 21, 2009 3:08 AMI don't know, Never did that
19Aug 21, 2009 7:15 PMI don't even really know what GSI means.
20Aug 21, 2009 11:39 PMnot useful
21Aug 22, 2009 6:27 PMDon't know. New Admit.
22Aug 23, 2009 6:16 AMall of the above, and make the class shorter. it was useful to hear experiences from other students, but a weekly 2 hr class is just too much
23Aug 25, 2009 10:03 PMGet rid of them.
24Aug 25, 2009 10:09 PMDon't know; haven't been a GSI yet.
25Aug 25, 2009 10:30 PMGet rid of it
26Aug 25, 2009 10:55 PMn/a
27Aug 25, 2009 11:18 PMIt may be useful to have a short primer course (e.g. GSI techniques, Bspace tutorial, teaching advice) in the semester prior to teaching and then the normal EE301 course during the first semester of teaching.
28Aug 26, 2009 2:22 AMBoth. Clearly, GSIs need help at the beginning of the semester, not at the end. Also, the course should be taught by a teaching expert (such as Babak Ayazifar). I took it with Ron Fearing, and was not pleased. He had more questions than answers. He may have been going for the Socratic method, but when you have to teach a class, you need answers. Babak's one guest lecture, on the other hand, was quite helpful.
29Aug 26, 2009 2:33 AMDo not know yet
30Aug 26, 2009 2:42 AMI think that the faculty and students involved are already moving the course in the right direction by having a meeting before the semester and focusing on practical issues.
31Aug 26, 2009 2:55 AMadd structure to it and make it shorter (like 7 weeks)
32Aug 26, 2009 5:07 AMshorten, restructure, and the make it voluntary. Probably no one will come. If they do, you can ask them what they want.
33Aug 26, 2009 5:34 AMMake it voluntary.
34Aug 26, 2009 5:38 AMI never had to take them, so I don't know.