Christopher X J. Jensen
Associate Professor, Pratt Institute

An analysis of my course evaluations (Spring 2019)

Posted 18 Jun 2019 / 2

It has been awhile since I took the time to chronicle my analysis of my course evaluations. I always take a very deep look at my evaluations, and have been updating my overall history of course evaluations on a regular basis. But actually sitting down to write about my analysis — and sharing what I Read More

A Major Post, Assessment Methods, Course Evaluations, Higher Education, MSWI-260C, Evolution, MSWI-270C, Ecology, Environment, & the Anthropocene, Teaching

What in Darwin’s name was I thinking? (#001)

Posted 13 Jan 2017 / 0

I am not afraid to play around when it comes to my teaching. I have been teaching for what seems to me a long time — eight years as a middle school teacher, several instructor gigs in graduate school, and now nearly ten years as a professor at Pratt — and I never feel as Read More

A Major Post, Course Evaluations, Higher Education, MSCI-260, Evolution, MSCI-270, Ecology, MSCI-271, Ecology for Architects, Teaching

An analysis of my course evaluations for Spring 2016

Posted 18 Aug 2016 / 0

For the most part I am like most of my colleagues: there are about a hundred things — some less than glorious — that I would rather do than analyze my semesterly course evaluations. But for whatever reason, I feel compelled to do so, especially given that in recent years my course evaluations have been Read More

A Major Post, Assessment Methods, Course Evaluations, Higher Education, MSCI-260, Evolution, MSCI-270, Ecology, MSCI-271, Ecology for Architects, Teaching

Are there better ways of using course evaluations?

Posted 17 Aug 2015 / 0

The Chronicle of Higher Education “Student Evaluations Aren’t Useless. They’re Just Poorly Used.” As a person who thinks a lot about the meaning of my course evaluations, this was an important perspective for me to read. Overall I agree with what is said here, although the ought to be used argument is not that persuasive Read More

A Minor Post, Course Evaluations, Higher Education

An analysis of my course evaluations for Spring 2015

Posted 07 Aug 2015 / 2

They are in: recently I received the email containing my course evaluations for the Spring 2015 semester, and I am ready to analyze them in their full glory. As I indicate on my Course Evaluations page, I have a somewhat-tortured relationship with student evaluations. Let me just start out by saying that I would be Read More

A Major Post, Assessment Methods, Course Evaluations, MSCI-260, Evolution, MSCI-271, Ecology for Architects

My decision to make my course evaluations public

Posted 26 Jul 2013 / 0

At the end of every semester there is an important ritual that I participate in. In my department, this ritual is initiated by Margaret, our indispensable Assistant to the Chair. She sends out a message requesting that all untenured professors schedule a ten-minute period during each of their classes during which course evaluations can be completed by Read More

A Major Post, Assessment Methods, Course Evaluations, Higher Education, Pratt Institute, Teaching