Teaching Evaluations

Adam J. Jones

Following is the full text of the three teaching evaluations I have received at Langara College, Vancouver. The evaluations were conducted by instructors within and outside the departments of Inter-Disciplinary Studies (for Latin American Studies) and Political Science. I have edited out the names of the signatories; copies of the documents are available on request.

Latin American Studies 100

9 October 1992

Mr. Jones was in the classroom early to draw diagrams on the blackboard to conceptualize the topic: The Background to the Rise of Protestantism, by illustrating two case studies (Brazil and Nicaragua).

The lesson was very well planned. It began with a follow-up discussion of a film seen in the previous class. Mr. Jones questioned the students on what they had learned from the film. Then most of the hour was spent lecturing on the topic, but good use was made of the blackboard to summarize important points and clarify names etc. that the students might not be familiar with. The lesson ended with a discussion of the two case studies. Students were also given several handouts.

The topic was difficult and a high level of understanding was expected from the students; they seemed interested and involved in the subject matter. Mr. Jones' own energy and enthusiasm and his thorough knowledge of the subject matter helped stimulate student interest.

There was good interaction between Mr. Jones and the class. The discussion was lively; students were encouraged to participate. Mr. Jones was sensitive when criticizing students' answers. He was friendly, but serious.

The pacing of the lesson was good. Instead of rushing to finish the lesson, further discussion of the case studies was left for the following day.

At the end of the hour Mr. Jones took attendance.

Adam Jones has done a great amount of preparation for this course and made every effort to make the material interesting and relevant. His manner is natural, but professional. All in all he is an excellent teacher.

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Latin American Studies 101

16 February 1994

Mr. Jones arrived early and wrote key names on the blackboard to help students follow his lecture. After briefly clarifying the agenda for the next week he began to lecture on the recent history of Peru, with particular emphasis on the background to, and emergence of, the Sendero Luminoso.

The presentation was clear, lively and well organized and the pace appropriate for notetaking. The instructor linked the new material to the already familiar by drawing parallels between Peru and Guatemala. He is obviously enthusiastic about this subject and very well prepared. He has a pleasant voice and manner, is clearly audible from the back of the room, and has a good rapport with his students.

While he spent most of the hour lecturing, he also included more interactive techniques, for example, eliciting student input on Maoist policies. He allowed time for questions and gave helpful answers. In one instance he undertook to investigate a topic and discuss it more thoroughly in a future class.

The lecture was well tailored to the time available and came to a logical conclusion just before the bell.

Judging by this class, Mr. Jones is extremely competent at both preparing and delivering his lectures and at handling a group. This was an excellent example of teaching, a pleasure to attend.

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Political Science 250

6 October 1997

Having already set up a world map at the front of the classroom, Mr. Jones spoke easily with students prior to the commencement of the class. After outlining briefly the topics to be dealt with over the course of the week, Mr. Jones addressed the subject of today's lecture, military regimes. He began by describing the traditional role of the military in First World states and enumerated several reasons for the more frequent intervention of the military in politics in the Third World. Referring to material in the textbook, Mr. Jones explained the differences between two forms of military intervention in politics, "veto coups" and "breakthrough coups." Both cases were clearly explained and illustrated by reference to well-chosen examples. Mr. Jones then turned his attention to the problem faced by military regimes of establishing legitimacy. Two strategic responses to this problem, "nation-building" and "coalition-building," were discussed at some length, again illustrated effectively through appropriate examples. The lecture concluded at this point, to be continued the following day.

Throughout the lecture, Mr. Jones spoke clearly, fluently, and with confidence. The lecture was well organized and easy to follow, with links being made to a video shown the previous week and to points made in earlier lectures. Mr. Jones wrote key terms on the blackboard during the course of the lecture and made use of the wall map to indicate the location of states and regions to which reference was made. At the outset of the lecture, it would have been advisable for Mr. Jones to have provided a more explicit definition of military regimes as some students evinced uncertainty on this point when asked to provide examples of Third World states not having a tradition of military rule. However, Mr. Jones soon clarified this issue in his able responses to comments elicited from students. Indeed, Mr. Jones encouraged student participation to good effect throughout the lecture; at the same time, he was able to impart a great deal of information in the allotted 55 minutes.

The only aspect of the class which caused some concern was the unusually large number of students who arrived late. While Mr. Jones, to his credit, was undaunted by these interruptions, they may have proved distracting to other students. For this reason, Mr. Jones should perhaps take a less indulgent attitude in future toward late-comers.

To conclude, the lecture was informative and insightful and was delivered in a dynamic and engaging manner. Mr. Jones clearly has a thorough knowledge of his subject and possesses the qualities of an outstanding teacher.

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