I really enjoyed the online course

Student Comments

This set of unedited comments that came from one of my recent online classes. I am hoping to give you some insight as to the course and contents from recent users.

Question:

Let me know what you liked and didn't like about the class. How about the web-labs? How could I improve the format? I really appreciate both negative and positive feedback.

I really enjoyed the online course. I thought it was well planned and layed out, easy for me to follow. The work load(h.w. & test)was just enough, so i could finish everything with enough time, learn about the topics and not feel over loaded and rushed.

Overall I really like this class because all lectures, assignments, and tests are straight forward. A couple things I dislike about the class are that there should be more opportunities for extra credit and it would be awesome if the final was an objective essay about what we have learned in this class or what we like about the class. I believe that I have more knowledge about ocean, weather, and marine lives and hopefully, I can use them in real life.

The course was everything you said it would be, fun but a lot of work. And it was! I enjoyed the web-labs because they were a lot of fun and easy to understand. And the answers were usually somewhere in the text. I also liked the assignments that required us to get online. Sometimes articles aside from the reading book gave me a better idea and understanding of the subject for that week. What I disliked was the short essay question because I found it difficult to explain certain concepts without introducing in some way, Ideas from the course notes or book (keeping in mind plagiarism). I never expected to learn so much from an online class; I now see the ocean life in a whole new way. I know I could have done better, but in the end I learned that an online class could be as much work or more than a regular class. However, I still enjoyed it very much.

I really enjoyed this class and the format it was presented in. For me, I learn and retain much more through an online class due to the fact you can do the course as an ¡§open book.¡¨ This really makes me search for the answer and in return, I retain more information. I found it relaxing to be able to turn the work on the assignments and test at my leisure and when I had the time. I liked the fact you were very clear that more internet research may be necessary for some assignments To be honest, there is nothing that I disliked about the course. I will definitely be taking another online course from you!

To be honest , this was my first online class. I am looking forward to taking more online classes. The experience of this class has being nothing but positive. I thought the coarse outline/power point was extremely helpful. The homework, quizzes and test were reasonable. I would have enjoyed experiencing a field trip to Carlsbad or Oceanside, my only suggestion would be to have more days available for those who cannot make it on the specific time/day. Maybe a field trip later in the day? Or another weekend? I have to say this class made me more aware of current event dealing with the ocean and weather. I also did something for the first time as a north county resident, I participated in the annual grunion run in Carlsbad. Lots of fun!!! Enjoy the summer Mr.T.

I really liked learning about the tide pools and local labs. Originally I enrolled in this class because I am not from CA or even a coastal areas ( I am from WI) so I thought it would be good to learn a little about the waves, swells and currents as I venture into the water a little more the longer I have lived here. I had no idea the depth of the earth’s oceans or the importance of them. I really liked the online option of this class because I am a very busy person (2 jobs and college). The only thing that was a little confusing at first was all the different resources. In the beginning I had a hard time finding the answers to questions because I wasn’t sure where to look. The book, Notes, PowerPoint presentations, web-labs, the cd with the book… Just was a little much but as the semester progressed I got the feel of it and benefited from all the information.

I will say I learned quite a bit in this course, I also enjoyed myself…. So that says something. The assignments were very beneficial to the entire learning process. However, I felt the tests were a bit unexpected, (some material was not discussed thoroughly enough.) If there was one thing that I would recommend to help the class it would be an accompanying audio lecture to the power points. I feel like this would have cleared up some of the points that I had neglected to focus on. Some food for thought, so thank you for an incredible class.

I really liked the flexibility of this course. It worked well with busy scheduling, and the expectations were clear and upfront. One draw back was that if you didn't understand a lab, or the data from the lab that was provided, it was difficult to eventually find the answers from the weblab. However, I thougth the weblabs were very interestign and very realistic and up to date. I thought the class notes that followed each chapter were very well detailed and the book supported the chapters very well to.

I really enjoyed taking your course. Even though this is not a major or subject I am pursuing, I really enjoyed getting to know more about oceanography. You were very good at telling your students when things were due and where to find all the material needed to correctly answer the questions you asked. They only thing I really had a problem with was sometimes understanding it, and or relaying to you that I understood the questions at hand. Also, I needed to better manage my time, instead of leaving things to the last minute, but that was in no way something you did wrong.

I thought the class was pretty good I actually think I have learned a lot from this class. This was my first online class and I thought your homework and tests really made me think and search for the answers making me learn more. I also liked how you related a lot of the topics to our coastline and area of San Diego. The only thing I can criticize was that I felt that the homework’s did prepare me for the test very well even though I did well on most of the tests I really would have liked to have a study guide for at least the final other then that I thought this online class was organized very well.

Overall I enjoyed the course. I liked that everything was straight forward. There never was any confusion on assignments, which is always a plus with online courses. I’ve taken online courses where assignments would be confusing and the teacher was slow to respond to emails. The one thing that I disliked was that you were not able to look at an assignment after the due date. If you weren’t able to turn in the assignment on time you weren’t able to look at the assignment to try to turn it in late. Despite that, I enjoyed the course.

Oceanography online was a great experience for me. I was very interested in the ocean systems and mechanics and this class filled all my expectations. The parts of the class that I enjoy the most were the ones of the second half of the semester when we started talking about ocean’s dynamics because it was a more tangible subject than theories, physics and chemical subjects which we treat in the first half. I also enjoyed a lot doing the Virtual Labs. I wish we had more since it was such a great learning experience. I felt like a learned better the whole concept and it was easier than just reading it from the book. In my case, I was taking 6 more classes and if it wasn’t for the easy accessibility that this online class gave me I wouldn’t be able to take it in first place.

It was actually my most enjoyable course. It had the most work to do by far and that is what in turn made it most enjoyable. I was forced to learn and I love learning so that¡¦s why it was my favorite. I took geology unknowingly so the first couple weeks I had identical homework assignments and that was cool. I would always rather be out having fun but of course the workload required that I commit some time to finishing it. I wish I hadn¡¦t gotten a bad start because I did fall behind on my reading and once you¡¦ve done that it¡¦s over. But I do plan to finish reading the book. The parts I have read are marked up like crazy so I won¡¦t be re-reading anything. I don¡¦t have a car and am in the reserves so I wan¡¦t able to attend the fieldtrips and had to work on some of those weekends anyway. I guess some extra credit that didn¡¦t require driving far away would have been nice. Also in my other online class the instructor sent out a message at the end about the grading scale and said we could stop when we received the grade we were shooting for. I was wondering about the grading system in this class too because sometimes if you have a B in a class and there is no way you could get an A or a C no matter what you do then stopping might be the easier way. Well, in any case it¡¦s good to know and I never heard of that approach before but it makes sense. I guess it all worked out in the end.

I am not a science person by any means and I generally groan at the thought of having to take a science class but I would recommend this class to anyone. It was straight forward, organized, and I thought that the labs were actually very interesting, rather than confusing. I had a bit of trouble remembering test due dates but I appreciated that homework was due on an easy schedule. I don’t know that I have any recommended changes for you because I think you have run your class very fairly.

The class was very detailed and organized. At times, I wish I had taken in a traditional manner because of the complexity of some of the topics. However, overall, I found it effective and I enjoyed it.

I liked being able to access info anytime of the day. I actually didn’t become as interested in the subject after all. I did have trouble with the speed of the course webpage, I have a high speed connection and I always had trouble with the webpage being too slow. I would have liked more extra credit opportunities.

Mr. Turbeville….I have really enjoyed this class. I decided to take a couple of classes last semester for several reasons. The main one came from my then 5th grade son bringing home pre-algebra homework that I could not remember how to do having been out of college for almost 14 years. I thought it would be a good idea to brush up. I enjoyed that first semester very much and thought why not add a class this semester along with my math. I have always enjoyed science so that was what I started looking into. My first choice was filled before I could register so I had to go back and re-evaluate my choices and Oceanography sounded like fun so that is how I ended up here. I must say that I learned so many things that I would probably never have known had I not taken this class. I think my favorite part of the class was towards the end when we worked through the web labs. I wish I had the time to take an actual lab because I really would enjoy all that hands on stuff!! I think the hardest part of the class for me is the fact that there is no interaction (in person) with you or other students (a major down fall of online classes). My grades were ok but how are they really. I never felt that I was doing a good job. It meant a lot to me though when I got the letter you had recommended me to be a tutor. Wow I guess I did do ok!! Even though I am not able to do it since I already work full time and my three kids keep me busy it made me feel great. Thank you!! I do not know what classes I am taking in the fall yet but maybe you will see me around again!! Thanks again!!

I very much enjoyed the biological aspects of the class, specifically the various species of marine life and their interaction and place in the food chain. My least favorite parts of the class were the math-heavy sections. Overall I feel I learned a lot in the course.

This was a very interesting course for me. I am not a big science person, but I found myself wishing that I would have taken this for my lab instead of biology. I though that the course was well prepared and organized, it was structured and easy to follow. The labs were very informative and I have truly learned a lot in this class. The online materials are a great aid to the book. Thanks and have a great summer!

I liked the assignments that connected the subject matter to relevant, contemporary issues: global warming, phytoplankton and primary production, etc.. I’m not sure what I would change about the course. Maybe some supplemental reading on issues concerning oceanography. I know there’s a lot going on as far as the political scene is concerned.

I really like this course. I just wish I would have actually taken a class where I need to be in class. I think that it would have been a lot more interesting. Since I got an F, I will probably be taking it over, if possible and this time I am actually going to take the class and sit in a seat in the class room.

I felt like some of the material was a little difficult to understand. The downside of this class was not being able to sit in a classroom environment and speak with an instructor to ask questions and receive feedback. Although I had the option of email, I would need an answer at that time and did not have the option of waiting (since I was only able to use weekends to log on and complete classwork).

The part of the class I really liked was having the flexibility of logging on at my convenience to do homework. I am generally a night owl and being able to log on at 11 or 12 at night was great for me!! I also like the course notes given by the instructor. They were easy to follow and very informative.

I really enjoyed this class !!! .... Especially the virtual labs. I think it would be cool and interesting to maybe have some videos relating to oceanography. I can’t really think of anything else that I would change ..you’ve been great !!! Thanks : )

I actually really enjoyed this course. I appreciate the effort put into the course and the notes. I know that most on line professors have many options to actually avoid such work or even jeopardize the learning of the student. This was my first online course and I would like to thank you for the great experience. I know I had one issue with an assignment but that was just a really un avoidable situation on my part. Hopefully it didn't destroy my chance for a good grade in the course since I worked very hard the entire semester. Anyways, this was an awsome course and I will advise online courses for my fellow students that have tight schedules.

It was a very straightforward class, which was good for me because I have never taken an online class before. Although once figuring out there was a separate test section (long after the first test was taken) I was (and still am) fearful of not obtaining a C in this class although that was my own fault for not being observant.

I am interested in oceanography for a few reasons for one I live near the ocean and it affects my daily life. I used to surf (but cant anymore because of an ear or thyroid problem) but my brother still does so I am often aware of the current conditions. I especially like the ocean for its life, which I have my own small 55 gallon ocean in my room. Understanding the ocean better helps me to be able to take better care of my fish and causations. I especially liked the web lab assignments. They were straightforward and had a lot of good information and pictures. I also enjoyed them because a lot of the data was taken from beaches or tide pools that I frequently visit.

Lets start with what I liked shall we. I liked the tests because they were given with a substantial amount of time to do them. I liked that all the homework as well was given with a substantial amount of time. I liked that if I had a question you would answer within a quick time frame unlike some of my other teachers. This defiantly helped. Lastly, I enjoyed the quick grading. I have had some classes where it takes forever for me to get my assignments graded so I know how good or bad I did. What I didn’t like as much was some of this final! I don’t know but for me some of this material I can’t find in the book. I didn’t like etudes in the respect that it does not warn you when a test, etc. is coming up. It should warn you when you go on to the homepage of the classroom. So there are some ups and downs but overall I really enjoyed this class and would recommend you as a teacher. Thanks for a great semester and see you around!

This is my second online course ever and I would have to say I really enjoyed it. The weblabs were great and I thought the course notes were very informative and supplemental to the readings. The pictures and graphs in the labs really helped me get an idea of what I was studying. I think the simplicity of this course and the way you designed it online really work well to help students process the information and maintain it. The assignments in the beginning of the semester were relatively long, but I thought everything was very fair and the questions were well presented. The only thing I disliked about this course was the beginning of the semester the dates for assignments were different than the rest of the year. Some were due mid week and then the rest were due on Sundays. I think you’re grading is very well done and I really enjoyed taking Oceanography!! This was an opportunity I was not given at my current four year university. Thanks again Mr. Turbeville!

I enjoyed the material that was covered in the class. I took this class because Oceanography was something I knew absolutely nothing about. Having said that, I expected the means by which concepts were presented and expected to be understood to be far simpler than they were. For a class that is supposed to be an introduction to oceanography I often felt as though there was a prerequisite class that I had missed. The book was vague at best on some topics so I had to look to various other sources to have the answers I needed for homework and test questions. I found the experience of having to search for and compile information from multiple sources extremely daunting; especially in an online class where access to the instructor is limited at best.

I thoroughly enjoyed this class and have gained much knowledge. The only minor complaint I would have would be in regards to the formation of many questions. Sometimes I felt they were not thorough enough laving me unsure if I understood the question or would be able to answer it sufficiently. Over all though I had a lot of fun in this class.

I liked that John gave us extra credit for writing organization and extra problems. I liked that the instructor has quick response. I liked that course notes and power point are really useful, they make it easier to understand text book and includes more information which sometimes does not show on text. I liked that even if you turn in homework late, you do not lose all scores and you have still 1 week more.

This course was pretty challenging yet it was fun to take the lab simultaneously to apply the knowledge gained by the lecture.