Enrollment:  27 students, ranging from first-years to seniors

Number of Evaluations:  25

5=excellent / 4=good / 3=adequate / 2=fair / 1= poor

Course

Average	# of 5's	4's	3's	2's	1's
4.29	9	12	4	0	0

Select Comments:
"Not only was the content of this course interesting and educational, it is very relevant and imperative to discuss not only because of the current religious debates but all debates in general.  This class teaches us how to better our thinking." (rated course 5)
"very interesting, well-organized" (rated course 5)
"I think the course covered a lot of good information.  I learned a lot through the readings as well as the discussions." (rated course 4)
"You get wide exposure to the several scholarly arguments within the religious context and are forced to analyze them intellectually." (rated course 4)
"The variety of readings was good, but I felt that we spent too much time on early texts and not quite enough on later ones." (rated course 3)
 

Instructor

Average	# of 5's	4's	3's	2's	1's
4.36	12	10	3	0	0

Select Comments:
"Carrie was very knowledgeable and encouraging.  She didnít force her opinions on you, but was helpful in clarifying issues and leading discussions." (rated instructor 5)
"really tried to make students think" (rated instructor 4)
"Very personable and helpful.  Great attitude." (rated instructor 5)
"well prepared, enthusiastic about the class, sometimes inconsistent, moody" (rated instructor 3)
"good organization, very knowledgeable, very approachable and accessible; enthusiastic" (rated instructor 4)
"knowledgeable; knew how to direct the class discussion in the right direction" (rated instructor 4)
ìShe knew her materials but she didnít convey this as often as she could." (rated instructor 3)
 

Intellectual Stimulation

Average	# of 5's	4's	3's	2's	1's
4.24	11	9	5	0	0

Select Comments:
"encourages critical thinking" (rated intell. stim. 4)
"Everything I thought/said was challenged by readings and or class mates." (rated intell. stim. 4)
 

Demand Level
5=very high  / 4=high  / 3=moderate  / 2=low / 1=very low

Average	# of 5's	4's	3's	2's	1's
3.64	3	11	10	1	0

Materials
(no numeric ratings; selected comments)
"Most of the readings were valuable to covering the general subject of the course.  They were well-chosen and definitely relevant."
"The readings were very interesting and educating, but I thought they sometimes got off the subject."
"The materials were very diverse and very interesting.  At times they were overbearing but overall they were great."
 

Evaluation Methods
(no numeric ratings; selected comments)
"Fair"
"It might have been good to have tests, quizzes, etc., because at times it was sorely obvious that people werenít reading."
"Liked paper proposal -- made me focus"
"Too much weight placed on class participation."

Classroom Dynamics
(no numeric ratings; selected comments)
"Class was extremely open to discussion, and Carrie did a good job of focusing the topics we addressed."
"Typical seminar that wasnít equalized so everyone had participation."
"Given the size of the class, I was very impressed by the level of discussion."
"Great!  More conversations would have been nice (smaller class)"

What Adjective Best Describes this Course?
above average, but not exceptional
challenging (2)
controversial (in a good way)
discussion prompting
enjoyable
enlightening (2)
essential
full of debate
good
illuminating
interesting
intriguing
long
multi-perspective
perspective
reflective
stimulating (2)
thought-provoking (5)
 

For more information or verification, please contact Sandra Woods in the Department of Religion, Duke University, 919-660-3510.