POL 230,
It has been a distinct pleasure getting to know all 38 of you over the course of this semester. In this final post, I want to provide you guys with some feedback and food for thought.
We've covered a lot in this class. I introduced you to international relations theory and we've covered everything from the deep history of the field, to the so-called "great debates", and more realism than any of you guys wanted. I know you all read quite a bit (or should have), but that is what is required of an advanced level academic course.
In addition to learning about IR theory, you all should have developed core reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. These translatable skills will help you in whatever you do in the future.
In reflecting on this blog, I will note that about 1/3 of you guys wrote excellent posts, 1/3 of your guys wrote decent posts, and the other 1/3 were well...they could have better. This is a tool to reflect on what you've read and sharpen your writing and analytical skills. Although it may have seemed onerous, I'm positive that it was a beneficial exercise for you all.
I read the vast majority of your posts - I intend to finish reading the last few soon! - and commented on them. I hope that the feedback I've provided has been benificial to you all.
In reflecting on the class in general, I think it turned out quite well. Even though it was a chore to wake up and be on time for an 8am class, you guys managed to do quite well. Although I would have loved for even higher engagement, I recognize that early morning classes can be tough. That being said, I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.
As many of you now head off for the summer to refuel and recharge, I wish you all the best in your future lives and academic endeavors. Below is some final data that may be of interest to you all. All data is current as of May 13, 2015:
It has been a distinct pleasure getting to know all 38 of you over the course of this semester. In this final post, I want to provide you guys with some feedback and food for thought.
We've covered a lot in this class. I introduced you to international relations theory and we've covered everything from the deep history of the field, to the so-called "great debates", and more realism than any of you guys wanted. I know you all read quite a bit (or should have), but that is what is required of an advanced level academic course.
In addition to learning about IR theory, you all should have developed core reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. These translatable skills will help you in whatever you do in the future.
In reflecting on this blog, I will note that about 1/3 of you guys wrote excellent posts, 1/3 of your guys wrote decent posts, and the other 1/3 were well...they could have better. This is a tool to reflect on what you've read and sharpen your writing and analytical skills. Although it may have seemed onerous, I'm positive that it was a beneficial exercise for you all.
I read the vast majority of your posts - I intend to finish reading the last few soon! - and commented on them. I hope that the feedback I've provided has been benificial to you all.
In reflecting on the class in general, I think it turned out quite well. Even though it was a chore to wake up and be on time for an 8am class, you guys managed to do quite well. Although I would have loved for even higher engagement, I recognize that early morning classes can be tough. That being said, I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.
As many of you now head off for the summer to refuel and recharge, I wish you all the best in your future lives and academic endeavors. Below is some final data that may be of interest to you all. All data is current as of May 13, 2015:
- The first blog post was posted by me on January 30, 2015.
- Our blog essentially lasted 3-months.
- Out of the 658 blog posts, 47 were done by me. The majority of those posts were referrals to interesting news items.
- You all posted 611 blog posts.
- The required number of posts per student was 20. The actual average was 16.1 posts per student.
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