Communication and English Teaching Team
Overview of student feedback in the 2010/11 academic session
This post has been put together to give an overview of feedback given by learners studying on the Communication and English curriculum areas. The information within this post has been collated solely from students.
The information was gathered from a variety of sources, such as end of Unit evaluation questionnaires, blogs, Wikis, letters, cards and e mails.
The names of lecturers are omitted from the document and the information is based on accurate qualitative comments from a variety of cohorts.
When studying Communication and English, learners are assessed on the following aspects, depending on their level of study and the Unit they are enrolled onto – reading, writing, talking, listening, group working, summarising, analysing, self and peer evaluation, creativity, critical thinking and critical evaluation of literary texts.
English (incorporating Creative Writing)
Delivery and feedback
Thanks very much for this year, your influence has taken my life in a new direction and for that I can’t thank you enough.
I just wanted to get in contact to let you know that I'm happy with how my exam went. I'm confident of at least a 'C' but crossing fingers for a 'B' pass. I felt the exam this year was somewhat easier than many of the previous ones - which helped me no end as I studied enough not, tut tut - although I musn’t count my chickens really! I’m quietly confident...quietly confident.
It was a genuine pleasure to have met you and I enjoyed your class very much. Thank you! You really are a lovely person.
Thank you so much for this year. You have filled in a lot of gaps in my education. I feel so much desire to get on with studying now. You have made me believe in myself again.
Thank you for everything you’ve done.
As a second language student, studying Int 2 English has been difficult for me. But I am glad that I have had an expert lecturer who helped make this course easier for me. Many thanks to her.
My lecturer was one of the most patient I've ever seen.
By doing the Int 2 course, I now feel more confident going onto Higher.
I enjoyed everything about this course.
I was shown what I was spelling wrong which has made me realise it is something that I really need to work on.
The teaching methods were excellent and really helped me to progress.
HN Communication
Delivery and feedback
It was easier to keep motivated in this class more than any others.
The lecturer has a very good style and he kept things relevant and interesting.
We were always given detailed feedback and the lessons were interesting.
I am Spanish and I think my written skills improved by working in groups and listening to the advice of the teacher throughout the unit.
The lecturer was helpful and above the normal level of effort for a teacher I thought.
The teacher explained things really well and had tons of examples for us to follow.
Don’t change anything, you did a great job!
I liked learning about different aspects of communication and realise that I am quite good in some areas!
Writing skills definitely improve after going through an HN Communication Unit,
I like the laid back approach of the lecturer, it was stress free, for me anyway! Clear instruction given and excellent feedback too.
What a nice teacher!
I feel more confident in myself, especially with my report writing.
I liked being able to understand how to analyse answers (for the report analysis part).
I thought the running order of the assessments were quite good – analysis, researching and writing a formal report, then doing the meeting at the end to see what my friends were doing their reports on. We were given the chance to make comment on what we found difficult as well which was good.
I liked being able to research on a topic that I really enjoyed. As it was an Events course, I chose the Ryder Cup.
I have a lot of experience of meetings, and I am glad this is in the unit. Everybody should have this skill as it is so important.
I found the unit really easy, but when I look back on what I actually did, it looks quite tricky!!!
The teacher was dedicated to us (both groups actually, I know this) and this gave us confidence.
I feel fulfilled after taking this class.
I have enjoyed this class and the lecturer is a lovely teacher. She is very professional.
I found the writing and report work to be very helpful.
I am more aware now of the importance of reading different types of articles.
I liked the fact we had a good lecturer who knew their stuff.
The guidance and sessions we had on report writing and research were helpful.
I am an infill students and I thought I might be isolated, but I had a really enjoyable experience and will join more taught classes next year, definitely. I thought the materials produced were excellent and relevant to the unit / assessments.
My writing skills have improved and I am 100% happy with things.
We had a great teacher who explained everything to us. I enjoyed the subject this year, unlike last year.
The stories and experiences of our lecturer were really good!
I was supported through this unit and feel that I have improved my English skills.
The teacher was very helpful which made things easier for me. I think he had more confidence in me than I did at times!
I had a great experience by attending this class. The lecturer is friendly, has very good experience regarding the subject and she has a great passion for teaching. I enjoyed this.
I have really improved my English reading skills doing this unit.
I really enjoyed this class as the lecturer was really helpful and her class was well organised. As I am an international student whose first language is not English, I found the concept of this class easy to understand.
The different ways that we were taught were really good and made lessons less boring and more interactive. Our lecturer always gave us feedback and encouragement and this was good as she helped me a lot.
Thank you for helping me to get through my communications. I really enjoyed the class and think you’re a great teacher. Thanks again :)
In my opinion, the presentation unit is very important. I learned a lot and have improved my skills greatly. There was also the opportunity to work in groups.
I loved the presentation class as the teacher always gave us detailed feedback that was honest and helpful.
The lessons were very well organised and interesting,
Analysing talks was really interesting as we did this in groups. I really enjoyed learning from other members of the group.
The topics for the talks were very interesting and I always felt I learned something new.
A great unit taught in a relaxed manner.
Something I enjoyed most in my HNC course was your communication class, and thanks to you I have really improved my communication skills and these are engraved in my memories. Thank you very much again for teaching us with such dedication and professionalism.
NC Communication
Delivery and feedback
The lecturer ensured I knew what I was doing and kept me up to date, which was a great help.
I had a great lecturer who helped me.
I have developed confidence and the ability to write effectively.
I like the yearbook as we all had a chance to tell people what we’re about.
Writing two reports helped my writing skills.
I now have a better understanding of how to communicate to clients.
My skills have been refreshed by taking this unit.
I liked the discussions the best about the unit.
The tutor has been great. She really explained everything so well, thank you.
Doing the unit helped me to enable myself to rearrange my writing and also to be able to write a letter.
I enjoyed the class talks the best.
Doing the talk helped me, as I was so worried and scared, but in the end I began to think why?
I liked ‘the chat’ the best, there was always a nice feeling in the classroom.
The unit helped me with my essay writing and ability to analyse reading passages.
I found the class easy to understand.
Delivery of the talk was my favourite part of the unit.
I think the unit clarified a few gaps in my knowledge.
The teaching was good. I liked the things that we did, how the lessons went and the help I got was great too.
My report writing skills have improved doing this unit.
I liked being able to choose a film as a group and then write about it.
The yearbook was pretty cool and I still read it sometimes.
I liked the way that there was real relevance to the topics we were studying.
I liked being able to write an article on bipolar and doing research as well as the stuff I already knew.
Presentations gave me more confidence.
The lecturer was easy to get on with.
I’m better at communications now and I have learned lots.
I enjoyed writing a magazine article lots.
Doing personal research on a topic of my choosing was good.
I wanted a pass at Int 2 and got it, thank you.
Having a teacher who understands.
I wanted to get more confidence and the teacher helped me do this. We did lots of different things when we talked about all the things we covered in a year.
Blog feedback
I found your class both interesting and entertaining. You managed to bring the subject alive. In the beginning I was quite scared by “Communication and Oral Presentation Skills”, as you maybe can imagine it has a frightful ring to it, to a non-native speaker anyway. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to pass all the assessments after I have understood what the subject is all about. And pretty fast I should learn that I am perfectly capable of doing all those exercises and got more and more confident in dealing with tasks. I suppose this is one of the things I learned from your course; whatever the objective, whatever the topic, it is possible to tackle. And thanks to you I know that now.
I liked the way you did structure the classes. If you say you might do it differently the coming year this must be due to reasons only a teacher understands, because I as a student can’t see how it could have been done any better. There was a lot to get through and never did I have the feeling of being overburdened by the load. It was neatly spread and at all times manageable. But then I like a challenge and I know some people want an easy ride. In the end it is up to you.
I find it important that students learn how to get the best out of their classes above all. And this includes such little things like showing up on time. I am impressed by the way you immediately made it clear that being late was not something you take lightly. A shame you had to backtrack in the end, due to popular demand I suppose. It is a sign of respect; not only for you, but for fellow students as well. I reckon it is hard to communicate to the student that as a teacher your class is planned, more or less to meet deadlines and achieve certain goals, and that it is not a drop-in session. But I don’t need to tell you how being late affects everybody, not only the people not caring enough to show up on time or figuring out a way to manage their time. I call it the tyranny of the careless, which thrives on the diligence of people who do care (Believe me I am an expert, after all, there is a reason why I am doing this now, when I am 32). In any case your message came across to me clearly and it transcended into other classes and I was keen on not being late, I succeeded quite alright. It is possible, you know. Without it I might have taken it easy as well, after all I adapt too.
What I got out of your class is confidence, and a lot of it. I now know it is perfectly possible to stand up in front of people and talk. Speak my mind in English. I am able to put my thoughts into words and while I was insecure about it all nine months ago, now it is different. There is no lack of self-esteem and this is due to your class. Maybe that is all what communication and OPS is about; to give people the confidence to put their opinions and views into word and letter and not be afraid to do it. I can truly say I am ready for university and this is to a large part due to you, the lecturer. You taught me that being late is not an option and that what I could do was a good position to develop my skills to feel good enough for university. And that is only the beginning...
Thank you for a great year; I owe you a lot.
It's hard to believe our class of 2010-11 has come to an end. I, for one, feel a little nostalgic already.
In September the Access to Languages Course stretched out in front of us and here we are, reminiscing, or rather, reflecting, already.
What did I expect from the Communication 4 and OPS class? To be honest, I wasn't too sure but I was excited about it and rearing to go. I enjoyed the atmosphere in the classes and found myself totally immersed in the various interpreting, reading, listening and presentation challenges.
I remember in particular the news paper articles and Will Self's amusing piece on 'the Kindle'.
Every lesson was always well prepared by you and the course was nicely paced. I enjoyed the fact we could always follow everything on your blog and got plenty of warning about assessments, class changes etc. The TED talks were very good too and learning to formulate answers to the set questions has definitely improved my interpretive and communicative skills.
The Power Point presentations were a particular highlight and learning how to do them will be a useful skill to have. Like everyone else, I didn't relish having to present a topic in front of the class but surprisingly, it really wasn't that bad and it got easier with practice. It was useful too, to research topics on the internet and find illustrations. Quite good fun really. Learning from other students was another highlight. Not just through presentations, though they were an eye-opener, but through discussion and working together as well.
The yearbook deserves a special mention. A delightful memory of our Stevenson year to re read occasionally. The result really was a cracker, so well done to the lecturer for organising it and doing most of the work to bring it all together. Well done too, getting all the reluctant bloggers to get their features in on time!
I don't think I personally would change the format of the course. If it ain't broke, why fix it?
Alternating assignments is probably quite good. It keeps things fresh and possibly gives students a chance to improve their weaker sides. It's been quite an achievement by all the lecturers, to keep such a diverse group so well together.
I have loved this year and this particular class too. My own confidence has grown, I have learned to always dig that little bit deeper and try to convey my thoughts and opinions that little bit clearer. I have got to know some amazing people, learned to trust in and develop my abilities and have also been reminded of the importance of good spelling and sign posting.... AND I have a conditional for the course I am keen to do, so, the future is looking good.
Thank you to all you supportive lecturers and fellow students!
I found these units extremely satisfying. What seemed like a daunting unit to begin with quickly became one of the most enjoyable. At the beginning of the course I was getting work back to correct and improve and now I am glad to say that I haven't had to make any corrections lately.
That is a testament to the structure and the logical progression of the unit. Also, of all the units that have run throughout the year I have finished this one first, not because it's the easiest but because of the way it was structured.
Can't say much more and struggle to see the room for improvement.
No point in change for the sake of change. Thanks.
Thanks so much for all your help and instruction during this course. I have really enjoyed your classes and you brought my Communication skills from the worst to much, much better. Thanks for your tremendous optimism and always positive attitude. You have really helped me to build up my confidence and become a better presenter. Thanks for all your support.
Common themes coming out of questionnaires (and post Unit delivery conversations)
• Organisation of lessons very good.
• Teaching methods very good.
• Feedback very good.
• Pool system and lack of IT facilities a huge concern (for students and lecturers alike).
• Wide variety of assessments and student choice.
• Film use is welcomed at core skills level (for review purposes).
• Positivity of members of the teaching team has not gone unnoticed by our learners.
• Many skills have been developed through our teaching.
• Students enjoyed yearbooks and magazines and this gave them a sense of community.
Overview of student feedback in the 2010/11 academic session
This post has been put together to give an overview of feedback given by learners studying on the Communication and English curriculum areas. The information within this post has been collated solely from students.
The information was gathered from a variety of sources, such as end of Unit evaluation questionnaires, blogs, Wikis, letters, cards and e mails.
The names of lecturers are omitted from the document and the information is based on accurate qualitative comments from a variety of cohorts.
When studying Communication and English, learners are assessed on the following aspects, depending on their level of study and the Unit they are enrolled onto – reading, writing, talking, listening, group working, summarising, analysing, self and peer evaluation, creativity, critical thinking and critical evaluation of literary texts.
English (incorporating Creative Writing)
Delivery and feedback
Thanks very much for this year, your influence has taken my life in a new direction and for that I can’t thank you enough.
I just wanted to get in contact to let you know that I'm happy with how my exam went. I'm confident of at least a 'C' but crossing fingers for a 'B' pass. I felt the exam this year was somewhat easier than many of the previous ones - which helped me no end as I studied enough not, tut tut - although I musn’t count my chickens really! I’m quietly confident...quietly confident.
It was a genuine pleasure to have met you and I enjoyed your class very much. Thank you! You really are a lovely person.
Thank you so much for this year. You have filled in a lot of gaps in my education. I feel so much desire to get on with studying now. You have made me believe in myself again.
Thank you for everything you’ve done.
As a second language student, studying Int 2 English has been difficult for me. But I am glad that I have had an expert lecturer who helped make this course easier for me. Many thanks to her.
My lecturer was one of the most patient I've ever seen.
By doing the Int 2 course, I now feel more confident going onto Higher.
I enjoyed everything about this course.
I was shown what I was spelling wrong which has made me realise it is something that I really need to work on.
The teaching methods were excellent and really helped me to progress.
HN Communication
Delivery and feedback
It was easier to keep motivated in this class more than any others.
The lecturer has a very good style and he kept things relevant and interesting.
We were always given detailed feedback and the lessons were interesting.
I am Spanish and I think my written skills improved by working in groups and listening to the advice of the teacher throughout the unit.
The lecturer was helpful and above the normal level of effort for a teacher I thought.
The teacher explained things really well and had tons of examples for us to follow.
Don’t change anything, you did a great job!
I liked learning about different aspects of communication and realise that I am quite good in some areas!
Writing skills definitely improve after going through an HN Communication Unit,
I like the laid back approach of the lecturer, it was stress free, for me anyway! Clear instruction given and excellent feedback too.
What a nice teacher!
I feel more confident in myself, especially with my report writing.
I liked being able to understand how to analyse answers (for the report analysis part).
I thought the running order of the assessments were quite good – analysis, researching and writing a formal report, then doing the meeting at the end to see what my friends were doing their reports on. We were given the chance to make comment on what we found difficult as well which was good.
I liked being able to research on a topic that I really enjoyed. As it was an Events course, I chose the Ryder Cup.
I have a lot of experience of meetings, and I am glad this is in the unit. Everybody should have this skill as it is so important.
I found the unit really easy, but when I look back on what I actually did, it looks quite tricky!!!
The teacher was dedicated to us (both groups actually, I know this) and this gave us confidence.
I feel fulfilled after taking this class.
I have enjoyed this class and the lecturer is a lovely teacher. She is very professional.
I found the writing and report work to be very helpful.
I am more aware now of the importance of reading different types of articles.
I liked the fact we had a good lecturer who knew their stuff.
The guidance and sessions we had on report writing and research were helpful.
I am an infill students and I thought I might be isolated, but I had a really enjoyable experience and will join more taught classes next year, definitely. I thought the materials produced were excellent and relevant to the unit / assessments.
My writing skills have improved and I am 100% happy with things.
We had a great teacher who explained everything to us. I enjoyed the subject this year, unlike last year.
The stories and experiences of our lecturer were really good!
I was supported through this unit and feel that I have improved my English skills.
The teacher was very helpful which made things easier for me. I think he had more confidence in me than I did at times!
I had a great experience by attending this class. The lecturer is friendly, has very good experience regarding the subject and she has a great passion for teaching. I enjoyed this.
I have really improved my English reading skills doing this unit.
I really enjoyed this class as the lecturer was really helpful and her class was well organised. As I am an international student whose first language is not English, I found the concept of this class easy to understand.
The different ways that we were taught were really good and made lessons less boring and more interactive. Our lecturer always gave us feedback and encouragement and this was good as she helped me a lot.
Thank you for helping me to get through my communications. I really enjoyed the class and think you’re a great teacher. Thanks again :)
In my opinion, the presentation unit is very important. I learned a lot and have improved my skills greatly. There was also the opportunity to work in groups.
I loved the presentation class as the teacher always gave us detailed feedback that was honest and helpful.
The lessons were very well organised and interesting,
Analysing talks was really interesting as we did this in groups. I really enjoyed learning from other members of the group.
The topics for the talks were very interesting and I always felt I learned something new.
A great unit taught in a relaxed manner.
Something I enjoyed most in my HNC course was your communication class, and thanks to you I have really improved my communication skills and these are engraved in my memories. Thank you very much again for teaching us with such dedication and professionalism.
NC Communication
Delivery and feedback
The lecturer ensured I knew what I was doing and kept me up to date, which was a great help.
I had a great lecturer who helped me.
I have developed confidence and the ability to write effectively.
I like the yearbook as we all had a chance to tell people what we’re about.
Writing two reports helped my writing skills.
I now have a better understanding of how to communicate to clients.
My skills have been refreshed by taking this unit.
I liked the discussions the best about the unit.
The tutor has been great. She really explained everything so well, thank you.
Doing the unit helped me to enable myself to rearrange my writing and also to be able to write a letter.
I enjoyed the class talks the best.
Doing the talk helped me, as I was so worried and scared, but in the end I began to think why?
I liked ‘the chat’ the best, there was always a nice feeling in the classroom.
The unit helped me with my essay writing and ability to analyse reading passages.
I found the class easy to understand.
Delivery of the talk was my favourite part of the unit.
I think the unit clarified a few gaps in my knowledge.
The teaching was good. I liked the things that we did, how the lessons went and the help I got was great too.
My report writing skills have improved doing this unit.
I liked being able to choose a film as a group and then write about it.
The yearbook was pretty cool and I still read it sometimes.
I liked the way that there was real relevance to the topics we were studying.
I liked being able to write an article on bipolar and doing research as well as the stuff I already knew.
Presentations gave me more confidence.
The lecturer was easy to get on with.
I’m better at communications now and I have learned lots.
I enjoyed writing a magazine article lots.
Doing personal research on a topic of my choosing was good.
I wanted a pass at Int 2 and got it, thank you.
Having a teacher who understands.
I wanted to get more confidence and the teacher helped me do this. We did lots of different things when we talked about all the things we covered in a year.
Blog feedback
I found your class both interesting and entertaining. You managed to bring the subject alive. In the beginning I was quite scared by “Communication and Oral Presentation Skills”, as you maybe can imagine it has a frightful ring to it, to a non-native speaker anyway. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to pass all the assessments after I have understood what the subject is all about. And pretty fast I should learn that I am perfectly capable of doing all those exercises and got more and more confident in dealing with tasks. I suppose this is one of the things I learned from your course; whatever the objective, whatever the topic, it is possible to tackle. And thanks to you I know that now.
I liked the way you did structure the classes. If you say you might do it differently the coming year this must be due to reasons only a teacher understands, because I as a student can’t see how it could have been done any better. There was a lot to get through and never did I have the feeling of being overburdened by the load. It was neatly spread and at all times manageable. But then I like a challenge and I know some people want an easy ride. In the end it is up to you.
I find it important that students learn how to get the best out of their classes above all. And this includes such little things like showing up on time. I am impressed by the way you immediately made it clear that being late was not something you take lightly. A shame you had to backtrack in the end, due to popular demand I suppose. It is a sign of respect; not only for you, but for fellow students as well. I reckon it is hard to communicate to the student that as a teacher your class is planned, more or less to meet deadlines and achieve certain goals, and that it is not a drop-in session. But I don’t need to tell you how being late affects everybody, not only the people not caring enough to show up on time or figuring out a way to manage their time. I call it the tyranny of the careless, which thrives on the diligence of people who do care (Believe me I am an expert, after all, there is a reason why I am doing this now, when I am 32). In any case your message came across to me clearly and it transcended into other classes and I was keen on not being late, I succeeded quite alright. It is possible, you know. Without it I might have taken it easy as well, after all I adapt too.
What I got out of your class is confidence, and a lot of it. I now know it is perfectly possible to stand up in front of people and talk. Speak my mind in English. I am able to put my thoughts into words and while I was insecure about it all nine months ago, now it is different. There is no lack of self-esteem and this is due to your class. Maybe that is all what communication and OPS is about; to give people the confidence to put their opinions and views into word and letter and not be afraid to do it. I can truly say I am ready for university and this is to a large part due to you, the lecturer. You taught me that being late is not an option and that what I could do was a good position to develop my skills to feel good enough for university. And that is only the beginning...
Thank you for a great year; I owe you a lot.
It's hard to believe our class of 2010-11 has come to an end. I, for one, feel a little nostalgic already.
In September the Access to Languages Course stretched out in front of us and here we are, reminiscing, or rather, reflecting, already.
What did I expect from the Communication 4 and OPS class? To be honest, I wasn't too sure but I was excited about it and rearing to go. I enjoyed the atmosphere in the classes and found myself totally immersed in the various interpreting, reading, listening and presentation challenges.
I remember in particular the news paper articles and Will Self's amusing piece on 'the Kindle'.
Every lesson was always well prepared by you and the course was nicely paced. I enjoyed the fact we could always follow everything on your blog and got plenty of warning about assessments, class changes etc. The TED talks were very good too and learning to formulate answers to the set questions has definitely improved my interpretive and communicative skills.
The Power Point presentations were a particular highlight and learning how to do them will be a useful skill to have. Like everyone else, I didn't relish having to present a topic in front of the class but surprisingly, it really wasn't that bad and it got easier with practice. It was useful too, to research topics on the internet and find illustrations. Quite good fun really. Learning from other students was another highlight. Not just through presentations, though they were an eye-opener, but through discussion and working together as well.
The yearbook deserves a special mention. A delightful memory of our Stevenson year to re read occasionally. The result really was a cracker, so well done to the lecturer for organising it and doing most of the work to bring it all together. Well done too, getting all the reluctant bloggers to get their features in on time!
I don't think I personally would change the format of the course. If it ain't broke, why fix it?
Alternating assignments is probably quite good. It keeps things fresh and possibly gives students a chance to improve their weaker sides. It's been quite an achievement by all the lecturers, to keep such a diverse group so well together.
I have loved this year and this particular class too. My own confidence has grown, I have learned to always dig that little bit deeper and try to convey my thoughts and opinions that little bit clearer. I have got to know some amazing people, learned to trust in and develop my abilities and have also been reminded of the importance of good spelling and sign posting.... AND I have a conditional for the course I am keen to do, so, the future is looking good.
Thank you to all you supportive lecturers and fellow students!
I found these units extremely satisfying. What seemed like a daunting unit to begin with quickly became one of the most enjoyable. At the beginning of the course I was getting work back to correct and improve and now I am glad to say that I haven't had to make any corrections lately.
That is a testament to the structure and the logical progression of the unit. Also, of all the units that have run throughout the year I have finished this one first, not because it's the easiest but because of the way it was structured.
Can't say much more and struggle to see the room for improvement.
No point in change for the sake of change. Thanks.
Thanks so much for all your help and instruction during this course. I have really enjoyed your classes and you brought my Communication skills from the worst to much, much better. Thanks for your tremendous optimism and always positive attitude. You have really helped me to build up my confidence and become a better presenter. Thanks for all your support.
Common themes coming out of questionnaires (and post Unit delivery conversations)
• Organisation of lessons very good.
• Teaching methods very good.
• Feedback very good.
• Pool system and lack of IT facilities a huge concern (for students and lecturers alike).
• Wide variety of assessments and student choice.
• Film use is welcomed at core skills level (for review purposes).
• Positivity of members of the teaching team has not gone unnoticed by our learners.
• Many skills have been developed through our teaching.
• Students enjoyed yearbooks and magazines and this gave them a sense of community.
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