Fall 2013 Course Evaluation Report for TH02302_2014F EXPLORING CATHOLICISM I - David Turnbloom

Response Table
Fall 2013 Raters Responded Invited Response Ratio Students 39 39 100%

Course Related Questions for TH02302_2014F EXPLORING CATHOLICISM IDistribution of Responses

1. The course was well organized. 2. The course generally followed the syllabus.

Statistics Mean Median Mode Standard Deviation

Value 4.82 5.00 5 +/-0.39

Statistics Mean Median Mode Standard Deviation

Value 4.87 5.00 5 +/-0.34

3. Class attendance was necessary for learning course material.

4. The course was intellectually challenging.

Statistics Statistics Mean Median Mode Standard Deviation Value 4.87 5.00 5 +/-0.34 Mean Median Mode Standard Deviation

Value 4.64 5.00 5 +/-0.54

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Course Related Questions for TH02302_2014F EXPLORING CATHOLICISM I- Distribution of Responses (continued)
Compared to similar courses (ie core, major, etc), this course required:

Statistics Mean Median Mode Standard Deviation

Value 3.23 3.00 3 +/-0.54

How would you rate this course overall?

Statistics Mean Median Mode Standard Deviation

Value 4.33 4.00 5 +/-0.77

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Instructor Questions for (David Turnbloom)- Distribution of Responses

1. The instructor was prepared. 2. The instructor was available for help outside of class.

Statistics Mean Median Mode Standard Deviation

Value 4.90 5.00 5 +/-0.31 Statistics Mean Median Mode Standard Deviation Value 4.90 5.00 5 +/-0.31

3. The instructor returned assignments/tests conscientiously.

4. The instructor showed enthusiasm about the subject matter.

Statistics Mean Median Mode Standard Deviation

Value 4.90 5.00 5 +/-0.31

Statistics Mean Median Mode Standard Deviation

Value 4.95 5.00 5 +/-0.22

5. The instructor stimulated interest in the subject 6. The instructor's explanations were clear. matter.

Statistics Statistics Mean Median Mode Standard Deviation Value 4.79 5.00 5 +/-0.47 Mean Median Mode Standard Deviation

Value 4.76 5.00 5 +/-0.43

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Instructor Questions for (David Turnbloom)- Distribution of Responses (continued)

7. The instructor treated students with respect.

Statistics Mean Median Mode Standard Deviation

Value 4.92 5.00 5 +/-0.27

How would you rate this instructor overall as a teacher?

Statistics Mean Median Mode Standard Deviation

Value 4.62 5.00 5 +/-0.59

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Course Questions for TH02302_2014F EXPLORING CATHOLICISM I Benchmarks

1. The course was well organized.

2. The course generally followed the syllabus.

3. Class attendance was necessary for learning course material.

4. The course was intellectually challenging.

Compared to similar courses (ie core, major, etc), this course required:

How would you rate this course overall?

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Instructor Questions for (David Turnbloom) - Benchmarks

1. The instructor was prepared.

2. The instructor was available for help outside of class.

3. The instructor returned assignments/tests conscientiously.

4. The instructor showed enthusiasm about the subject matter.

5. The instructor stimulated interest in the subject matter.

6. The instructor's explanations were clear.

7. The instructor treated students with respect.

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Instructor Questions for (David Turnbloom) - Benchmarks (continued)

How would you rate this instructor overall as a teacher?

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Comments for TH02302_2014F EXPLORING CATHOLICISM I - David Turnbloom

What are the strengths of this course?
Comment Well organized lectures, presented information so as to make it interesting It was very organized and clear. The information was interesting. The material is so interesting. The readings are all very enjoyable. The lectures are engaging and the discussions are very interesting as well. This is by far my favorite class. I look forward to it every day. The class is so organized and the material flows perfectly. I learned so much during the semester. Great overview of catholic theology. Covers a lot of big topics. Taught the basics about theology and caused you to think critically. Very informative and interesting It is well organized This course was stimulating and very interesting. The professor brought many real life examples to class to aid in the understanding complex subjects. Expectations were made clear. The strengths were the explanations given by the Professor in lecture. I've always been Catholic and I felt I still learned a lot The material is really interesting and I was able to learn a lot about Catholicism. The review sheet is GREATLY appreciated (even though a slightly shorter one would be nice) in helping put all the information into perspective. The teacher is always available for help outside of the class. He is very interested in the material and keeps the class interested as well. He also encourages student's participation. The course has helped me learn about my religion and why I believe the values I do and has helped me vocally express these beliefs in small groups in the class which can be difficult to talk about to my friends. We knew the potential prompts before the exam, so our studying could be focused. Professor Turnbloom made this class very fun to take. He came prepared with powerpoint presentations that contained enough information for us to follow along, but less enough information for us to remain engaged and actively participate. interesting subject matter VERY interesting. I didn't think theology would be interesting at all, but it was great! Professor Turnbloom is a wonderful person and also a great professor. He is super approachable and friendly and always available if you need help. I wasn't expecting to enjoy the course nearly as much as I did. I most likely wouldn't have taken this class if I didn't need to fulfill core requirements, but I ended up truly enjoying it and learning a lot. The course made me think in new ways and I am so happy that I took it. One of my favorite non-Major classes so far. I think this course was well organized and the professor explained everything clearly. With this introductory course, I learned a lot about Catholicism. This course was very interesting. Definitely my favorite class this semester. The lectures were easy to relate to. This course way exceeded my expectations. My favorite parts of the course were the discussions each Friday, which gave us the opportunity to really reflect on what we've learned and relate it to our own lives. Every week, my group took the discussions seriously and we all really connected over the personal stories and thoughts we shared. Also, Professor Turnbloom was genuinely concerned with our learning of the material and made class so much fun. He delivered the material really well, and I've heard only praise about this class from classmates as well. He made an effort to connect the material with his own life, and instead of talking at us during lecture, often involved us asking for answers or thoughts. He was available outside of class and was extremely understanding and helpful. I couldn't believe it when he told us this was his first time teaching alone. Professor Turnbloom's explanations were so easy to understand. He attached new terms and concepts to real-life situations. Participation in active converaation about faith with peers The professor was very enthusiastic about the subject. He was very helpful and approachable.

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This course takes a much deeper look into Catholicism than any course that I have taken. Readings are to the point and easy to read. The format of the class encourages discussion and causes you to consider Catholicism and the Professor is always looking for class participation. The teacher was very knowledgable and the class was well structured. Professor Turnbloom does an excellent job of starting from the very beginning--everything in the class builds on what was previously learned. You could easily come into this class with little to no knowledge of Catholicism and he would be able to get you up to speed both with his lectures and with the readings he assigns. The readings he assigns are dense but fascinating. The quizzes he gives are fairly graded, but have enough presence to necessitate doing the readings. Engaging lectures, enjoyed discussions on Fridays with my small group Professor Turnbloom is very passionate about the subject, which motivates students to do well. this course really helped me to take a closer look at my faith while at the same time it strengthened it Hands down the best course I have taken at BC, probably the best teacher I have encountered in my academic career. Turnbloom laid the class out through the syllabus well, was a fair grader, available to talk to, and easily approachable. It seemed as though he has a genuine interest in his students doing well. At the same time the class definitely is very challenging and requires you to fully grasp the curriculum. Amazing teacher. He really got me interested in theology and learning more. Great foundation for learning more about catholicism. I liked how the lectures were very well organized and I liked having discussion on Fridays

How could the instructor improve the course?

Comment I thought some of the readings were long/difficult. Also, even if I read really carefully, sometimes I still wouldn't understand the quiz questions. They were a little hard. He can't. It is great. Be more descriptive about catholic practices. The course covers a lot of great catholic topics but does not discuss WHY it matters or what catholics practice or how it applies. It's just presented as material that catholics believe. Less group discussion Less pop quizzes The discussions could have been more structured By reducing the readings a bit. Some were very heavy and took an abnormally long time to get through in order to feel like I was prepared for a quiz. There is no way to improve the course. The readings can be difficult to understand at times Lectures in class should be more organized and more material should be put on the lecture slides, rather than just quotes. more interesting readings I liked the way he taught the class! Everything was fine to me. The weekly quizzes were really helpful in keeping us on top of the readings and they are also very reasonable. I think that at times, the instructor expected specific answers to the exam questions. Also, I sometimes did not like the questions on the quizzes because they were very specific questions sometimes an even though I spend time reading and studying them I did not know the answers to the questions he asked. Nonetheless, I liked the course and I think it was really well organized. The instructor did a wonderful job. Sometimes it was hard to catch the main point of the different topics when taking notes. Not a huge fan of the quizzes, but I know a lot of people thought they were helpful. Maybe blackboard posts would be a less stressful way to get people focused on the readings. I honestly have no criticisms. It was probably in the top 5 of classes I've taken here. He cannot

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The slide shows in class could get a little boring. Use the "we" and "us" term less. Not that it offends me, I'm Catholic myself, I just that I think it is important to allow students to be able to study Catholicism with a little more objectivity. I don't think so much of the grade should revolve around the final project. I literally can't think of a way he could improve the course. I'm a sophomore, and this has been the most meaningful class I've taken at BC. Possibly less nightly readings The quizzes could ask less detailed questions. n/a I think the course could be improved by having more basic questions on reading quizzes

Would you recommend this course to other students, majors, etc.? Why or why not?
Comment It was a great class and I loved my professor but I think the weekly quizzes make it more difficult than other theology core classes so I don't know if I'd recommend it. I still liked it a lot though. Absolutely. It has really helped me to find myself. This class has changed my outlook on Catholicism and my life as a Catholic. Professor Turnbloom teaches it perfectly. I don't know if I would have been as inspired as I am now if I didn't have him. He is the best teacher I have ever had. Yes. Good foundation in catholic theology especially for students who have no foundation at all in religious studies Yes, interesting and the teacher shows a lot of interest. Yes! It fulfills core and Prof. Turnbloom is the sweetest guy. He makes the class interesting Depends on the student. I would absolutely recommend this course to others. I loved the subject material and the professor. Honestly I took this thinking it would be a lay up and it has not been, but I would still recommend it because I feel that I learned a lot about my faith Yes because it is a good class to take in order to fulfill the core requirement. Yes, because it is a very interesting theology core class. Yes, the course has really helped me understand more about Catholicism. Initially I wanted to take a Religious Quest class, but I am very happy that I took this class and do not regret it all. I would recommend this class becuase I thought it was interesting, infomative and not extemely challenging. Yes, it was a great introduction to the concepts. yes Yes! Prof. Turnbloom is wonderful; so helpful and great at explaining things. the class goes by quick. Yes! Even if you are not very religious, I think this course would be very meaningful and make you appreciate things around you more. Yes, I think I learned a lot from the course. Yes Yes, absolutely. Professor Turnbloom is an excellent teacher and I can't imagine having enjoyed this course as much as I did if I took it with anyone else. Absolutely. The course has made me legitimately interested in the concepts of theology. Yes, I recomend this class to anyone interested in the Catholic faith. Yes, the professor is very passionate about what he does and the class is very enlightening. Yes, professor Turnbloom does a good job of making clear what can sometimes be vague subject. Yes I would recommend this class to other students because I learned a lot in this course and it is a great class to take to fill the core requirement. Absolutely! It's a great course, again because you start from scratch, so it's not one of those courses where you need background knowledge. Even if you are not a practicing Catholic, it is absolutely fascinating. Yes, very good overview of Catholicism and the teachings of the Church

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Yes, the material we learn is interesting and not difficult. i have recommended it, i truly enjoyed it Absolutely Definitely I would definitely recommend this course to students who are looking to fulfill their theology core or who have an interest in the subject.

Additional Comments:
Comment Amazing, amazing class. Awesome class! Professor Turnbloom is a wonderful person and did an amazing job teaching regardless of it being his first time. Professor Turnbloom is awesome. He really cares about his students. David Turnbloom is a phenomenal instructor, and I'm lucky I ended up in his class. Professor Turnbloom is the greatest professor I've ever had. He explains everything with such clarity, it's unbelievable. This class changed my life and the way I see the world. It also confirmed my Catholicism for myself. I never realized how Catholic I actually was, because up until taking this class, I didn't even understand my own faith. Now I do and my faith has grown exponentially just over the course of this semester.

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Responses to Customized Questions for TH02302_2014F EXPLORING CATHOLICISM I - David Turnbloom

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