The validity of Student Course Evaluations

Read these comments first:
Student Course Evaluations Get An 'F'.
Student evaluations of teaching are not only unreliable, they are significantly biased against female instructors.

CST8207 16F Course Survey Report

This page contains three parts:

Combined sections 010 and 020

Section 010 alone

Section 020 alone

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Student Course Feedback Survey - Fall 2016
Fall 2016

Algonquin College - Student Course Feedback Website
AC

Merged Courses:	CST8207 10 - GNU/Linux Operating Systems I CST8207 20 - GNU/Linux Operating Systems I	Department:	COMP
Responsible Faculty:	IAN D ALLEN	Responses / Expected:	83 / 159 (52.20%)
Focus:	Overall Results

The Course		CST8207 - 10-20
		Responses					Course
		SA	A	U	D	SD	N	Mean
Q1	Course learning activities (e.g lectures, discussions, practical work, group work, etc) are varied.	34	31	11	4	3	83	4.1
Q2	Course learning activites are linked to the course learning requirements.	46	30	5	1	1	83	4.4
Q3	All of the course learning requirements are covered in the course.	50	25	4	3	1	83	4.4

Responses: [SA] Strongly Agree=5 [A] Agree=4 [U] Undecided=3 [D] Disagree=2 [SD] Strongly Disagree.=1

The Course		CST8207 - 10-20
		Responses					Course
		E	VG	G	S	NS	N	Mean
Q4	Overall, please rate the quality of this course	32	31	13	2	5	83	4.0

Responses: [E] Excellent=5 [VG] Very Good=4 [G] Good=3 [S] Satisfactory=2 [NS] Not Satisfactory=1

Question:	What did you like most about this course?
Response Rate:	80.72% (67 of 83)

1	the weekly linux assignments were actually a lot of fun. They were kind of like adventures for me. Here is a task, with a gentle hand to guide you through the task, and hey you are learning at the same time. Good stuff.
2	the part that I can do my labs at home
3	the content of the course , assignments , midterms like almost all whole program structure is good.
4	professor has a fun personality
5	nothing
6	lit lit dab on em
7	i mean i dont like linux but i think the way the course is set up is pretty cool.
8	i didnt
9	course content is well structured.
10	assignments
11	Working hard and gaining more computer experience
12	When it's make sense and the bonus assignment
13	Very interactive and hands on course, lots of learning to be had.
14	They way that he made it fun to learn at not all at once and the worksheets are great to to help with the assignments.
15	The professor is very good at explaining and demonstrating the material and is always willing to explain further for anybody who does not understand.
16	The practice midterm exam.
17	The one lab because that's where I actually learned stuff about Linux.
18	The kooky, unpredictable nature of the prof. Definitely one of the most fun profs I have ever had, he was stern when he needed to be but I think that was necessary. Generally speaking he could always get a laugh out of the class and keep our attention during lectures. It made him easy to listen to and even study sessions outside of regular class hours were provided which were very helpful. He was understanding that not all students prefer to work in lab and allowed students to email him ahead of time if they weren't going to be present. This was definitely a selling feature for me, as someone who prefers to work from home. The content was involved and really got me into the program, all in all a great course!
19	The general content and the teaching style of the professor were very much enjoyable.
20	The feeling when u accomplish a task
21	The eclectic professor and thorough instructions for assignments hammer in the information
22	The course is full of valuable information.
23	The attacks on the server.
24	The assignments provided a good balance between giving you enough information in order for you to know what you need to do, while keep enough out that you still needed to lookup, practice and learn what is being asked of you. And the ability to do it anywhere was also very beneficial. And the fact that the teacher has his own website for the course, rather than relying on Blackboard was also nice as Blackboard was very unreliable, and it meant that we could also look at previous terms to get an idea of what is required and helped with studying for tests.
25	The assignments and the enthusiasm Ian brought to learning
26	The assignments are really challenging. I liked this!
27	The amount of content is large but varied. Always interesting.
28	The Teacher's enthusiasm was very encouraging. I found it helped out with learning and completing assignments.
29	The Professor. Very helpful, and enthusiastic. He obviously enjoys teaching Linux.
30	That commands were explained and then they were demonstrated in class
31	Teacher is super awesome and make me understand everything to the very depth.
32	Prof is energetic and knowledgeable. Course notes have everything you need as well as extra if you wish to persue a topic farther.
33	Linux is interesting
34	Linux is an entirely unfamiliar operating system to me, and I was worried this would be the course I'd struggle with most this semester. However, the materials and lessons provided by the professor were incredibly helpful in easing my worries. All of the learning materials are available on the open internet, which is nice in case I need to come back if I forget something. The professor makes sure to list all of the commands we're going to learn in advance. The assignments for this course, especially later ones, are all challenging but serve us well in testing our knowledge. Our professor helped me realize the very real security threat posed by attackers, and his tests reflect that with quite a few tricky questions that would be similar to what a hacker might attempt to do to your Linux machine.
35	Learning linux
36	Jesus christ its so hard.
37	It's one of the most interesting and important IT core courses. I like Linux and I understand it's importance in our IT world, so I liked the whole course and enjoyed being in the class.
38	It was actually a tough course.
39	It was a good nap class. during lectures the prof shows students how to use commands what commands do, which is helpful.
40	Interesting course and need deep understanding of concepts but one thing is amusing that all work we have done on server.
41	Idallen
42	Ian
43	Ians a cool guy
44	Ian was always animated and energetic to have us learn and would perform live demos of the lecture material
45	Ian is very eccentric and fun. He talks about all the practical application of everything we learn in class. His notes are tangible and he refers to key points multiple times. He shows you real time application of everything he is teaching and breaks down each individual step
46	Ian D. Allen great teacher!
47	I would like most, class which was held on preparation for exam. These classes provide better understanding about different commands.
48	I most enjoyed the lecture classes and wish I had Professor Allen for lab classes in addition to lectures.
49	I love the hands-on approach of this course and the level of detail Ian goes into
50	I like the very hands on learning of the course through the practical assignments that lets us practice how to be a linux system admin.
51	I like that it is very hands on with a lot of in class practice.
52	I just like typing the different commands on the CLS.
53	I find the course really interesting. It's something I have never used before and that's what I find so interesting about it. The best part of the course for me personally is getting to learn all the commands, and seeing the progress throughout the semester on much better you get on the CLS.
54	I enjoyed learning about a new operating system that I was not 100% familiar with.
55	I enjoyed the challenging assignments, for the most part; found the assignments productive.
56	I enjoyed the hands on nature of the labs.
57	I did not know anything about the course but the professor made it interesting to learn and know more concepts about the subject.
58	I actually happened to enjoy the midterms. I like all of the brain games to solve.
59	Great resource of information online on personal website; puts great detail into work and provides many examples. Love the practice midterms!
60	Everything was explained clearly and done in a fun way. Great way to learn and an awesome teacher! thank you
61	Course introduces all students to the UNIX/Linux operating system in a command line environment. IT was an entirely new type of operating system I have never dealt with before. The course provides a good background in using a command line.
62	Challenging
63	Being able to understand linux level 1 finally
64	Attendance wasn't taken in lab
65	Assignments
66	Assignments put theory to practice and helped with learning of content
67	Assignments

Question:	How could the course be improved to be of benefit to future students?
Response Rate:	72.29% (60 of 83)

1	stay the current path since its relevant.
2	slower pace would be helpful
3	slow down in lectures
4	read all the words
5	needs to provide more examples to use commands.
6	n/a
7	more worksheets for some of the lecture material
8	midterm reviews in class and being able to see ALL assignments for the course instead of releasing them gradually
9	make the lessons more concise not giant walls of text
10	assignments are always the bane of my existence, most of the time i find myself confused and I get frustrated and only try to pass instead of getting a decent grade. midterms were tough. other than that its alright. im pretty sure im failing though
11	To benefit future students I think the course should offer more and more accessible help for students on the assignments, I had questions all the time as to why or how to do something and could never get the help I needed and just spent way longer trying to find the answers on the internet.
12	This course moves very fast and it is easy to get behind if you don't understand a portion of the material. If the course would move slower and offer more time for students to grasp the new language.
13	The prof needs to use the board more and explain the material instead of reading of the notes.
14	The problem i have with this course is first of all my lab teacher is not very good in english and i find she has dificulties explaining herself sometimes. The course definitely hard and requires a little more time than i would like to since for a lot of people its the first time doing linux i feel he rushes a little much at the beginning. I think overall its very well designed just maybe make it a little easier at the beginning so people can really grasp it before you throw them on loops with the tough questions.
15	The only way that I would maybe improve the course I his website there are a lot and I mean a lot of hyper links in his website that lead here and there and every where then back to where you started very confusing to navigate and also ***definitely some more time on the tests I know that 1 minute a question is standard but I just find it a crunch to get the test done and done well.****
16	The course itself is fine.
17	The course could be improved by making the notes shorter because the notes are very repetitive and there are too many links that are sometimes hard to follow. The notes are straight forward but each section sometimes is already repeated.
18	Tests and Exams could be a little less strenuous. 180 Questions in 180 Minutes is simply outrageous.
19	Students should be informed why it is so important to know at least Linux basics. They are not aware how Linux and Unix / BSD systems are widespread. I mean they don't know that Linux is everywhere, in networking Cisco, Juniper, F5... In the security - Checkpoint, Snort. In production and the Internet, like data centers, web, DB, caching and proxy. The course study materials site needs SEARCH option - it is well organized only when you reading page by page. The assignments are written no so clear, sometimes it took more time to understand what you're asked for in one particular paragraph than to make the whole assignment. It's related to the native English speakers as well. There is no need to make simple things complicated, there are enough complicated things. I would prefer more difficult assignments where I need to think what to do, but not to think what do you mean asking this. The midterms - I have no problems with midterms except the time. This questions require more time to think, especcially when you under exam pressure. If the idea is to check the knowlege then provide more time. If this is a survival game, like the last man standing then this is the right way. Final exam - 180 questions, 180 minutes. Seriously? This is not knowledge or material check! People get tired and unfocused during non stop 3 hours of question answering. They can't leave for a washroom, probably without losing time. (Please don't say - answer fast and save time for washroom!) Solutions: more time for the exam or 120 questions for 120 minutes. Maybe let's invite all the Linux teachers to join us on the exam and let's check if they will stay focused and fresh during all 180 minutes and will make 180 from 180? They know the material well so it will be the stress test, because if they couldn't answer all the questions correct, probably the average student couldn't as well. Despite the fact that I like this course and Linux, I see it as more survival course than educational, many students will be afraid of Linux due to this survival mode mentality. However, if the idea is to prepare 20 - 30 students from 170, it will work.
20	Strive to improve lab periods
21	Some of the questions on tests and exams are absurdly tricky, to the point where only a little over half my class passed the second midterm. To me, trick questions don't really serve much of a purpose until after when you realize how you've been tricked or avoided getting tricked, but I suppose every professor has their own way of getting stuff into students' brains. Still, it'd be nice if the number of trick questions on exams could be reduced.
22	Smaller class sizes even for lectures would be beneficial. More productive lab classes. Labs often are not given to reinforce lessons from the lecture. Are typically provided only as a two hour period to work on assignments and ask professor questions only as necessary.
23	Smaller assignments that can be more manageable to do
24	Slightly more time for midterms to lessen nerves
25	Read all the words !!!
26	Practicals could more interactive and immersive in regards to our course material instead of being a help/work session He could teach the course through a GUI or Windows interface Notepad mode would also be highly entertaining
27	One major thing that i think will help students in the future is to allow more time (or less questions in the same time frame) on the Midterm/Final exams. Some of the questions take time and understanding to answer, especially when your trying to learn and understand a new complex Operating System.
28	Nothing
29	More time on exams just to read over some question
30	More practical assessments (teacher/TA tells student to do a task to note if they are capable) throughout the semester
31	Maybe simplify the course material a little more.
32	Less help in the lab assignments instructions at the beginning. I basically just followed the instructions at first. Once I tried not to look at the step by step on how to complete a task, but rather started to try and figure out how by myself I found I retained much more of the information.
33	Less confusing
34	Less boring lectures
35	Lab sections could me more interesting and different from covering just topics related to assignments.
36	It's very difficult but I don't think it could be made easier.
37	Increasing amount of time for assignments since there are several that are extensive and require a fair amount of time to complete.
38	Ian could be a little less loud when screaming "Good morning linux people!" at 8 o'clock in the morning.
39	I would not change anything.
40	I personally found the due dates on some of the later assignments in the course to be a little short. I had trouble doing work on other classes as I was trying to complete work for this one. This is the only issue I've had with this course and it's probably just a problem with my own time management skills. The only suggestion I have is giving more time to complete the more difficult assignments later in the course.
41	I do not have any ideas as to what could be improved about the course.
42	He reflected on some bad test results and said they proved lectures are futile, which made me sad. I hope he realizes that the students who truly care to be there are taking in the knowledge and do find the lectures helpful, don't let the masses get you down those are the ones that might be finding out they chose a program that's not for them.
43	Have students follow the steps the teacher is presenting in class. This material is best absorbed by doing. The best approach would be to have the students perform the same tasks as the teacher during a lecture and when the task is complete the teacher could then explain the significance of the material.
44	Have practical assignments that have a use/purpose.
45	Have more practical examples of commands be done in lecture and theory.
46	Get rid of all of the theory classed and turn them into labs while reducing number of people in each lab. Linux is a course where we are taught how to do things by doing them; not by being lectured how to do them. Linux should be more hands on.
47	Four hours a week Labs for each section.
48	For future students, it is very important to use very simple langue which is easily understandable for every students, specially, for those whose English is second language . the Language is used In the assignments is full of riddle and frustrated, students lose their interest in the assignment because of strange langue, assignment' langue is completely strange not for second langue students, but also for first langue students as well. In the lab I think, you need to solve class work sheet, which is smaller to the assignment of the week , that thing much more helpful for the students to understand how commands work . Its give you a good result ,because memorizing without understanding is not a good idea and you can't get a good result. Memorize without logical couldn't work, and lab are play important role in this manner. Before assignment You also place online logical quiz (5,10) which is about to the assignment of the week. Fast lecture's pace and boring labs classes unable to provide success.
49	First and foremost, the information provided by the instructor is very convoluted and extensive, to the point of confusion. It's like learning to speak English for the first time....and then being asked to write an 10 page thesis on the importance of the semi-colon. Your kind of left standing wondering what the heck is happening. The way the information in class, isn't even close to the same level as it is on "paper" (webpage). We go from the instructor explaining how things work - to assignments that rely heavily on trying to break down what the instructor has written. The course information is written almost in a way that the students already KNOW Linux - rather than students who (for the most part) have no prior experience with it. Compared to every other IT class - this class is by far the hardest to understand. Communication OUTSIDE of the classroom with the professor is painful, at the best. The way the instructor speaks to the students is pretentious and even "*****y" (snobby). You are literally spoken DOWN too. Now, this is similar to teaching a child to walk for the first time - and then scoffing and laughing when that child falls. Rather than help the students up, you get the sense that the professor is more standing over you...shaking his head in disgust. I have tried on two separate occasions to email the professor - and both times, I felt my requests for help....were almost an annoyance to him, as if he had better things to do and bothering him was a waste of HIS time. I refused to make a third attempt to ask for help for the rest of the course. I feel the test are less based on knowledge of the commands and more knowledge of some sort of mathematical question - you've never been asked. The best way I can put this, is if you are taught to count from 1 to 12. And then 6 weeks later, you're given a test that ask's you quadratic equations. Your assignments weren't based on this......you were never shown or given scenario's based around these test parameters - yet, here you are....with sometimes 1 minute or LESS per question - not really a great STARTING point for people who have just began learning such an extensive system, do ya think? When the students brought this point up in class - it was met with condensation and almost ridicule - as the instructor (who has how many years of experience) proceeded to show the students how he could do exam questions in less than 1 minute. Congratulations - YOU can do the questions just fine.....but you're not writing the final, we are. Inappropriate words were found and removed from this response.
50	Explain / emphasize how important the practice midterm exam is. Knowing how to do the labs is not close to knowing enough.
51	Everything is fine
52	Everything about this course screams drop out
53	Do not say "Read all the words" when in just one assignment there is 1000+ words. There is too much to read, and half of it isn't necessary. If the student doesn't understand something, they can go back to the course notes to figure it out. Assignments would be better understood if there was less words, and more point form straight to the point. It would also make assignments less intimidating.
54	Divide up assignments to be shorter but more frequent. So we could begin the smaller assignments after each lectured instead of getting half way threw assignments to content we have not been lectured on yet.
55	Change the way assignments are explained on the Course Linux Server. Often questions would leave me stumped for hours and although help is provided by the teacher, the best use of my time isn't asking the teacher what the answer is several times for each assignment. Change the way exams are to be delivered. I prepared for the midterms all that I could while balancing studying for all the other midterms for different courses, and I found myself stuck on numerous questions. The exam time is very constricted, maximum 1 minute per question, and I often did not have enough time to figure out a question and having to skip it completely so I don't go into more time and fail the exam.
56	Can't really think of anything
57	Can't really think of anything.
58	Better Lab Proffessor, READ ALL THE WORDS
59	An explanation of the unix/linux practical application and how its used in the industry.
60	A more condensed resource pool.

Student Course Feedback Survey - Fall 2016
Fall 2016

Algonquin College - Student Course Feedback Website
AC

Merged Courses:	CST8207 10 - GNU/Linux Operating Systems I CST8207 20 - GNU/Linux Operating Systems I	Department:	COMP
Responsible Faculty:	IAN D ALLEN	Responses / Expected:	83 / 159 (52.20%)

The Professor		ALLEN, IAN D
		Responses					Individual
		E	VG	G	S	NS	N	Mean
Q1	Overall, please rate the effectiveness of your course professor	47	20	10	2	3	82	4.3

Responses: [E] Excellent=5 [VG] Very Good=4 [G] Good=3 [S] Satisfactory=2 [NS] Not Satisfactory=1

Faculty:	ALLEN, IAN D
Question:	What did you like most about the course professor?
Response Rate:	86.75% (72 of 83)

1	slow down in the lectures
2	really good professor. unlike other professors, he actully email and let the student know if he/she falling back in any give task.
3	personality
4	one of the great professor i have ever seen in my life.
5	humour
6	his love for linux
7	his knowledge and passion for the course material
8	great passion and efforts to attract students.
9	funny guy, tries to make learning fun
10	everything
11	didnt
12	Yelled when the class started probably to wake sleeping people up.
13	Was enthusiastic about the course material.
14	Very knowledgeable about Linux, who was very good at demonstrating the material he was teaching and when people asked questions as well.
15	Very knowledgeable
16	Very enthusiastic. You could tell he loves Linux, and really knows his stuff. Inspired confidence in the students that if they had a question about Linux, anything at all, he probably had the answer for you. He also had a little fun with his lectures. In particular his lectures were very effective because he didn't just stand up there and talk, he demonstrated live on the CLS the results of commands and such, and when a student asked "what would happen if you did this?" he tried it and showed us the results live. Very effective indeed.
17	Very disciplined to the time and also put a lot of efforts in the course.
18	The review sessions because that is were he actually teaches the material
19	The amount of passion he has for the subject. Answers questions even when in the middle of talking, creating a very fast-paced learning environment.
20	The ability to transmit the knowledge and great way of explaining .
21	That he's funny
22	Professor's personality, and attitude towards showing/teaching the content
23	Lectures were funny and informative.
24	Its got to be his Pants! Amazing hair style as well. Great energy and passion. He made the class fun and interesting.
25	Ian was generous with his time. Coming in the extra hours for midterm prep was very helpful.
26	Ian is very comical which makes the lecture less boring. He also captures the attention of the students because he is very loud. I also like the fact that he is always early, on time and prepared when he comes to his classes.
27	Ian is a very interesting character. He's very energetic and is very clearly passionate about his work, which I appreciate. He always makes sure people are using their laptops for their intended purpose, learning, but also says that if you do want to slack off you should just go to the back row where you won't be distracting anyone. I think this is a very reasonable policy and more professors should adopt this sort of attitude. Ian is always enthusiastic about helping people with their questions and makes sure we've read the required material over properly before he gives out answers, so that we can do the learning ourselves rather than being spoon-fed the answers.
28	Ian is a funny guy. He has the unique personality, that really kept me awake during classes. especilly his catch phrase once he enters class 'Linux people'.
29	I wasn't looking forward to Linux before I started this course....and sadly, I have less desire now to continue it. My lack of enjoyment in this course is alarming to me.
30	I think Ian is a great teacher and lecturer and really keeps people engaged or atleast tries.
31	I really like the teacher, he keeps class fun and entertaining. This allows me to actually pay attention more rather then falling asleep listening to a monotone professor reading from a power point document. When introducing new material he not only demonstrates how it is used and the different options it has, but he is attentive to the class while doing it. Anytime a hand goes up, the Prof will stop and make sure the question is answered, allowing everyone to fully understand what is being taught. This is a really tough course if you don't put in the time to learn the material, the Prof is a major reason for the success of the students that do their work and truly want to succeed.
32	I like his in-class explanations; they are very easy to understand. The course material is delivered in clear and easily understandable forms. The atmosphere in the classroom and lab is good. He is a good teacher and he really tries to make his best.
33	I found the professor to be highly engaging. Clearly experience in more than just this area of the course.
34	I enjoyed how Ian presents himself. Very energetic and very enthusiastic.
35	His use of props and kooky nature made him easy to listen to, great job Ian!
36	His lectures are engaging, easy to remember the material. And his enthusiasm is pleasant in my opinion.
37	His humour and willingness to help. His instructions are always thorough.
38	His hardworking , sincerity, his involvement in his profession and his students,
39	His general enthusiasm as well as his knowledge with the source material he covers.
40	His enthusiasm to teach and make it fun and not feel like learning.
41	His enthusiasm
42	His enthusiasm and energy that he brought to every lecture and lab.
43	His dedication to the students
44	His behavior and way of teaching. Never gets bored in his class.
45	Highly Energetic and eager to teach making the lecture fun and interactive.
46	He's funny
47	He was funny and also was very helpful when required to teach us and give us extra help during labs.
48	He was funny.
49	He seems pretty passionate, he's a nice guy and willing to help people
50	He knows his stuff
51	He kept saying Linux was better than Windows, he really is dedicated to his jokes.
52	He is very good at keeping his lectures entertaining and educational as well as making it a very enjoyable place to be.
53	He is very funny and knows well how to keep the students' attention.
54	He is organized and helpful
55	He is always on time to greet Good Morning Linux People..!!! He always gives positive vibes, and sooooooooo enthusiastic about the subject which makes us build the interest and get involved in the subject. Thanks for making me love this black screen environment 'Linux'. He is the motivation...
56	He is active and energetic.
57	He is a very cool and down to earth professor and he cares about the students learning.
58	He finds ways to make coding fun and not so tedious. He knows the material exceptionally well and I have never seen him read off a slide. Always helpful even outside of class.
59	He clearly enjoys teaching ad using Linux. It is always more fun and exciting when the Professor is also having fun!
60	He chill
61	Great teacher! Keep doing what you do.
62	Good character never a dull moment around him.
63	Funny
64	Fun and engaging, always ready to help, but not to just give away the answer. Goes out of his way to provide midterm prep for students.
65	Friendly nature
66	Fair and straight-forward, very clear and easy to understand.
67	Ethusiact and wants to see students do well
68	Enthusiastic and not afraid to challenge people
69	Enough energetic professor for take away the stress of my night shift work
70	Energy and style make rememering key details easyer
71	Eccentricity His enthusiasm for the ONE GOD of Linux He shuns you when you are late He makes frequent jokes and is not hesitant to point out students not paying attention in class and the back row
72	Could make a boring subject sum what interesting (His presentation style is captivating).

Faculty:	ALLEN, IAN D
Question:	What, if anything, could the professor do differently to be of benefit to future students?
Response Rate:	74.70% (62 of 83)

1	website is a bit confusing, the list of commands by week section would be more helpful if the command name was a link to where it is located on the site. some items are not easily found goes through items a bit too quick
2	slow down the lectures and give inclass online multiple choice at the end of class to see if they understood
3	professor is perfect.
4	nothing everything is satisfactory
5	naw m8
6	n/a
7	make the content of the course easier to understand. more time on tests instead of 1min / question. not expect people to read his whole website and big walls of text with 2 other course with alot of reading should be able to summarize and make it move obvious of what he wants to teach
8	make the course a little easier at first and build its way up to have harder assignments some of the earlier assignments not including the really simple ones should .
9	make the assignments less confusing, most or all have very unclear instructions
10	make lab season different from regular classes
11	he gives every opportunity for students to ask for help, including hosting classes before the exams for anyone with questions about possible mid term questions. The only thing that I feel would benefit people would be to add time to the exams, or have less questions in the same time frame.
12	cp lecture/ian .
13	You are doing a great work sir... Thanks for teaching me.
14	While extremely helpful in class, his out of school help such as help through emails was lacking.
15	Warn them that this will be hell
16	Use a different teaching method because this one isnt working
17	Too many information in a lecture. We are not robot!
18	There is a funny double standard “15-minute rule / suggestion”. Ask the teacher or other students. I actually have tried it twice but never got from Ian any kind of helpful answer. So I'd like to ask to provide normal answers, or not to suggest using of 15-minute rule. The answer like "read the words" after trying to understand what you are asked for, after two hours of question reading sounds like a double waste of time, mine and his. My personal feeling It's better not to ask Ian when you’re outside the classroom.
19	The only thing I would say is maybe do add a bit more time to tests. I would say 5-10 minutes more, to me that would be reasonable.
20	Slow down. Take into account that there are people in the class who are not familiar with linux or its applications. Its a huge learning curve if your aren't experienced in the IT industry.
21	Slow down when teaching during lectures, might be to fast for future students.
22	Slow down on the lectures
23	Organize the website a little better. This especially true when it comes to commands, even though there is page which lists which week they were taught, it does not link to them (even though the rest of his pages are filled with them), and as some are barely a footnote, it can make it difficult to search for them.
24	Nothing
25	Nothing
26	Not get sad when the class gets terrible marks :)
27	Not a whole lot really. Did a good job
28	No comments, just in general a good professor.
29	More one-on-one assessments (Perhaps during lab times) where he goes around, asking students to accomplish a task in the CLS. Allows him to see student's capability and can be graded or non-graded, but a learning opportunity in a classroom environment.
30	More hours of labs for each section may help to get done labs on time.
31	Maybe don't trash windows users until later in the term when they transform into Linux users. It didn't bother me but others may have found it offensive.
32	Make the notes easier to read on his site.
33	Make his website a little easier to navigate and *****definitely some more time on the tests I know that 1 minute a question is standard but I just find it a crunch to get the test done and done well.***
34	Make the assignment a little easier
35	Less pompous
36	Just give a few more minutes for midterms. Even 5 extra minutes can make a world of difference
37	It can sometimes be frustrating to be pointed to the notes when you have a question. I understand that it encourages students to read the notes fully and to find answers for themselves. Maybe the balance should be tweaked a little.
38	Install Windows 10 on your laptop
39	In class hes great for answering questions and all, but I did most of the work on my own time cause it would take me significantly longer and whenever I'd email him for help he was never really helpful and just kinda made me feel dumb in his responses.
40	Ian's assignments, I found, were worded abnormally. It was difficult to answer a fair amount of the questions without having to ask him what he meant, which delays the time it takes to do the work if you are not in a lab period.
41	Ian is the master of linux there's no doubt about that but he is very fast, sometimes when he shows and runs a command in the lecture, he types so fast and executes the command quickly and then moves on to the next. New people that haven't seen a linux command before will be confused because the command just flashes on the screen. Please slow down.
42	I think he could go a little slower with the explanations.
43	I can't really think of anything that Ian could improve on, he does an amazing job as is. Keep up the great work Ian!!
44	He shuns you when you are late It would be nice if he does not put students who did not do as well on the spot in class He could be condescending at times to slower students but I also do not understand how it would take a minute per question
45	He is doing his job very well, I can't think of any improvements he can make.
46	He has a very fast pace during his lecture, and midterm Quiz classes students couldn't reach that why they didn't understand what he tired to teach them. Students those are new in this course, or those who have without any computer background or some of those whose English second langue. He is so experience and he has complete command over his subject so, he couldn't slow but he need to understand that his students are beginner.
47	He could try to talk with the people who aren't doing very well in the course a little more, instead of waiting for them to always come to him.
48	Have students follow the steps the teacher is presenting in class. This material is best absorbed by doing. The best approach would be to have the students perform the same tasks as the teacher during a lecture and when the task is complete the teacher could then explain the significance of the material.
49	Hardworking tasks
50	Give more time for certain assignments due to the lenght.
51	For newer students to Linux, perhaps a component of the course could include basic desktop usage. Similar to the Network Operating Systems I course with the Windows 7 desktop.
52	Explain topics more thoroughly and provide more reading materials on these topics.
53	Encourage more questions
54	Don't explain to the students DAILY the importance of what they are learning. Remember - this is the STEPPING STONE to Linux. We are all aware of the cyber world outside of Algonquin College. As I said earlier, many students have ZERO experience with Linux......so thrusting more information and stress on their importance of learning the 'echo' command is kind of counter-productive. The instructor most certainly knows his stuff.....but I think he shouldn't be teaching an entry level Linux course - maybe a level 3 or 4? The instructor doesn't seem to have the restraint or ability to deal with students who are in the VERY early stages of such a complex and in depth program. A good example of this is simply by view the Lynda.com videos - that the professor advocates. Those videos are a VERY good indicator of how beginner information should be relay to new students - not the way the students who are just learning to "walk". Sadly, this instructor has VERY concrete teaching methods - that is very clear. Criticism or concerns of the learning material, are met with condescension. It makes one wonder - who are the ones that are actually suppose to be learning? When the general consensus of a task or assignment is fragmented and unclear, it's the students who are the issue - no the material being taught. That being said, I'm sure my comments will simply be brushed off as "one upset student" - again, it's the students that are the problem....not the teacher. I've played this game many, MANY times in my life - which is normally why I don't even bother filling out the critiques. I am not upset and I don't feel my comments where unjust. I have simply relayed what I have witnessed and experienced first hand. Would I recommend this course to a friend, the way it's been taught to me? God no! I pity future students - and I use that phrase loosely, considering I'm probably going to be a future student....since I'm already failing this course. From the view point of the course-to-instructor standpoint - this instructor doesn't compare remotely to any others in the program....at least from a starting point. Every other instructor is warm and informative in the communications both within and outside of class. Assignments are clear - without having to worry about looking for part of the assignments in 4 different locations. I know what I wrote - and I stand by what I have submitted.
55	Create less confusing questions on tests.
56	Clam down a bit. Most students are very new to Linux and Linux based OS so we have trouble with it. Your eccentric nature does not help it very much.
57	Cant think of anything
58	Can't really think of anything.
59	Be a little more new user friendly.
60	All courses should have a week where all material is stagnated so that students have a chance to catch up, they courses do not need to have it done the same week, it can be any time. Also if we hand in an assignment past due why should it not be evaluated.
61	A little more understanding at the beginning of the term that some students have no experience at all with Linux. Needs to reinforce the basic commands at the beginning of the course before building them up.
62	-sometimes goes overboard with the way things are done (like the amount of words he has on his website) -try teaching a little slower so students can understand better

Student Course Feedback Survey - Fall 2016
Fall 2016

Algonquin College - Student Course Feedback Website
AC

Course:	CST8207 10 - GNU/Linux Operating Systems I	Department:	COMP
Responsible Faculty:	IAN D ALLEN	Responses / Expected:	35 / 79 (44.30%)
Focus:	Overall Results

The Course		CST8207 - 10
		Responses					Course
		SA	A	U	D	SD	N	Mean
Q1	Course learning activities (e.g lectures, discussions, practical work, group work, etc) are varied.	12	12	6	3	2	35	3.8
Q2	Course learning activites are linked to the course learning requirements.	16	14	4	0	1	35	4.3
Q3	All of the course learning requirements are covered in the course.	18	12	2	2	1	35	4.3

Responses: [SA] Strongly Agree=5 [A] Agree=4 [U] Undecided=3 [D] Disagree=2 [SD] Strongly Disagree.=1

The Course		CST8207 - 10
		Responses					Course
		E	VG	G	S	NS	N	Mean
Q4	Overall, please rate the quality of this course	12	11	6	2	4	35	3.7

Responses: [E] Excellent=5 [VG] Very Good=4 [G] Good=3 [S] Satisfactory=2 [NS] Not Satisfactory=1

Question:	What did you like most about this course?
Response Rate:	77.14% (27 of 35)

1	the part that I can do my labs at home
2	the content of the course , assignments , midterms like almost all whole program structure is good.
3	professor has a fun personality
4	nothing
5	lit lit dab on em
6	i didnt
7	Working hard and gaining more computer experience
8	When it's make sense and the bonus assignment
9	The kooky, unpredictable nature of the prof. Definitely one of the most fun profs I have ever had, he was stern when he needed to be but I think that was necessary. Generally speaking he could always get a laugh out of the class and keep our attention during lectures. It made him easy to listen to and even study sessions outside of regular class hours were provided which were very helpful. He was understanding that not all students prefer to work in lab and allowed students to email him ahead of time if they weren't going to be present. This was definitely a selling feature for me, as someone who prefers to work from home. The content was involved and really got me into the program, all in all a great course!
10	The feeling when u accomplish a task
11	The eclectic professor and thorough instructions for assignments hammer in the information
12	The Teacher's enthusiasm was very encouraging. I found it helped out with learning and completing assignments.
13	Linux is an entirely unfamiliar operating system to me, and I was worried this would be the course I'd struggle with most this semester. However, the materials and lessons provided by the professor were incredibly helpful in easing my worries. All of the learning materials are available on the open internet, which is nice in case I need to come back if I forget something. The professor makes sure to list all of the commands we're going to learn in advance. The assignments for this course, especially later ones, are all challenging but serve us well in testing our knowledge. Our professor helped me realize the very real security threat posed by attackers, and his tests reflect that with quite a few tricky questions that would be similar to what a hacker might attempt to do to your Linux machine.
14	Jesus christ its so hard.
15	It's one of the most interesting and important IT core courses. I like Linux and I understand it's importance in our IT world, so I liked the whole course and enjoyed being in the class.
16	It was a good nap class. during lectures the prof shows students how to use commands what commands do, which is helpful.
17	Ian is very eccentric and fun. He talks about all the practical application of everything we learn in class. His notes are tangible and he refers to key points multiple times. He shows you real time application of everything he is teaching and breaks down each individual step
18	I just like typing the different commands on the CLS.
19	I enjoyed learning about a new operating system that I was not 100% familiar with.
20	I enjoyed the challenging assignments, for the most part; found the assignments productive.
21	I enjoyed the hands on nature of the labs.
22	I actually happened to enjoy the midterms. I like all of the brain games to solve.
23	Great resource of information online on personal website; puts great detail into work and provides many examples. Love the practice midterms!
24	Course introduces all students to the UNIX/Linux operating system in a command line environment. IT was an entirely new type of operating system I have never dealt with before. The course provides a good background in using a command line.
25	Being able to understand linux level 1 finally
26	Attendance wasn't taken in lab
27	Assignments

Question:	How could the course be improved to be of benefit to future students?
Response Rate:	77.14% (27 of 35)

1	stay the current path since its relevant.
2	read all the words
3	needs to provide more examples to use commands.
4	n/a
5	make the lessons more concise not giant walls of text
6	assignments are always the bane of my existence, most of the time i find myself confused and I get frustrated and only try to pass instead of getting a decent grade. midterms were tough. other than that its alright. im pretty sure im failing though
7	To benefit future students I think the course should offer more and more accessible help for students on the assignments, I had questions all the time as to why or how to do something and could never get the help I needed and just spent way longer trying to find the answers on the internet.
8	The prof needs to use the board more and explain the material instead of reading of the notes.
9	The course itself is fine.
10	Tests and Exams could be a little less strenuous. 180 Questions in 180 Minutes is simply outrageous.
11	Students should be informed why it is so important to know at least Linux basics. They are not aware how Linux and Unix / BSD systems are widespread. I mean they don't know that Linux is everywhere, in networking Cisco, Juniper, F5... In the security - Checkpoint, Snort. In production and the Internet, like data centers, web, DB, caching and proxy. The course study materials site needs SEARCH option - it is well organized only when you reading page by page. The assignments are written no so clear, sometimes it took more time to understand what you're asked for in one particular paragraph than to make the whole assignment. It's related to the native English speakers as well. There is no need to make simple things complicated, there are enough complicated things. I would prefer more difficult assignments where I need to think what to do, but not to think what do you mean asking this. The midterms - I have no problems with midterms except the time. This questions require more time to think, especcially when you under exam pressure. If the idea is to check the knowlege then provide more time. If this is a survival game, like the last man standing then this is the right way. Final exam - 180 questions, 180 minutes. Seriously? This is not knowledge or material check! People get tired and unfocused during non stop 3 hours of question answering. They can't leave for a washroom, probably without losing time. (Please don't say - answer fast and save time for washroom!) Solutions: more time for the exam or 120 questions for 120 minutes. Maybe let's invite all the Linux teachers to join us on the exam and let's check if they will stay focused and fresh during all 180 minutes and will make 180 from 180? They know the material well so it will be the stress test, because if they couldn't answer all the questions correct, probably the average student couldn't as well. Despite the fact that I like this course and Linux, I see it as more survival course than educational, many students will be afraid of Linux due to this survival mode mentality. However, if the idea is to prepare 20 - 30 students from 170, it will work.
12	Some of the questions on tests and exams are absurdly tricky, to the point where only a little over half my class passed the second midterm. To me, trick questions don't really serve much of a purpose until after when you realize how you've been tricked or avoided getting tricked, but I suppose every professor has their own way of getting stuff into students' brains. Still, it'd be nice if the number of trick questions on exams could be reduced.
13	Slightly more time for midterms to lessen nerves
14	Practicals could more interactive and immersive in regards to our course material instead of being a help/work session He could teach the course through a GUI or Windows interface Notepad mode would also be highly entertaining
15	More time on exams just to read over some question
16	More practical assessments (teacher/TA tells student to do a task to note if they are capable) throughout the semester
17	Maybe simplify the course material a little more.
18	Less confusing
19	Ian could be a little less loud when screaming "Good morning linux people!" at 8 o'clock in the morning.
20	I personally found the due dates on some of the later assignments in the course to be a little short. I had trouble doing work on other classes as I was trying to complete work for this one. This is the only issue I've had with this course and it's probably just a problem with my own time management skills. The only suggestion I have is giving more time to complete the more difficult assignments later in the course.
21	He reflected on some bad test results and said they proved lectures are futile, which made me sad. I hope he realizes that the students who truly care to be there are taking in the knowledge and do find the lectures helpful, don't let the masses get you down those are the ones that might be finding out they chose a program that's not for them.
22	Have students follow the steps the teacher is presenting in class. This material is best absorbed by doing. The best approach would be to have the students perform the same tasks as the teacher during a lecture and when the task is complete the teacher could then explain the significance of the material.
23	Four hours a week Labs for each section.
24	First and foremost, the information provided by the instructor is very convoluted and extensive, to the point of confusion. It's like learning to speak English for the first time....and then being asked to write an 10 page thesis on the importance of the semi-colon. Your kind of left standing wondering what the heck is happening. The way the information in class, isn't even close to the same level as it is on "paper" (webpage). We go from the instructor explaining how things work - to assignments that rely heavily on trying to break down what the instructor has written. The course information is written almost in a way that the students already KNOW Linux - rather than students who (for the most part) have no prior experience with it. Compared to every other IT class - this class is by far the hardest to understand. Communication OUTSIDE of the classroom with the professor is painful, at the best. The way the instructor speaks to the students is pretentious and even "*****y" (snobby). You are literally spoken DOWN too. Now, this is similar to teaching a child to walk for the first time - and then scoffing and laughing when that child falls. Rather than help the students up, you get the sense that the professor is more standing over you...shaking his head in disgust. I have tried on two separate occasions to email the professor - and both times, I felt my requests for help....were almost an annoyance to him, as if he had better things to do and bothering him was a waste of HIS time. I refused to make a third attempt to ask for help for the rest of the course. I feel the test are less based on knowledge of the commands and more knowledge of some sort of mathematical question - you've never been asked. The best way I can put this, is if you are taught to count from 1 to 12. And then 6 weeks later, you're given a test that ask's you quadratic equations. Your assignments weren't based on this......you were never shown or given scenario's based around these test parameters - yet, here you are....with sometimes 1 minute or LESS per question - not really a great STARTING point for people who have just began learning such an extensive system, do ya think? When the students brought this point up in class - it was met with condensation and almost ridicule - as the instructor (who has how many years of experience) proceeded to show the students how he could do exam questions in less than 1 minute. Congratulations - YOU can do the questions just fine.....but you're not writing the final, we are. Inappropriate words were found and removed from this response.
25	Everything about this course screams drop out
26	Do not say "Read all the words" when in just one assignment there is 1000+ words. There is too much to read, and half of it isn't necessary. If the student doesn't understand something, they can go back to the course notes to figure it out. Assignments would be better understood if there was less words, and more point form straight to the point. It would also make assignments less intimidating.
27	Change the way assignments are explained on the Course Linux Server. Often questions would leave me stumped for hours and although help is provided by the teacher, the best use of my time isn't asking the teacher what the answer is several times for each assignment. Change the way exams are to be delivered. I prepared for the midterms all that I could while balancing studying for all the other midterms for different courses, and I found myself stuck on numerous questions. The exam time is very constricted, maximum 1 minute per question, and I often did not have enough time to figure out a question and having to skip it completely so I don't go into more time and fail the exam.

Student Course Feedback Survey - Fall 2016
Fall 2016

Algonquin College - Student Course Feedback Website
AC

Course:	CST8207 10 - GNU/Linux Operating Systems I	Department:	COMP
Responsible Faculty:	IAN D ALLEN	Responses / Expected:	35 / 79 (44.30%)

The Professor		ALLEN, IAN D
		Responses					Individual
		E	VG	G	S	NS	N	Mean
Q1	Overall, please rate the effectiveness of your course professor	19	5	7	1	3	35	4.0

Responses: [E] Excellent=5 [VG] Very Good=4 [G] Good=3 [S] Satisfactory=2 [NS] Not Satisfactory=1

Faculty:	ALLEN, IAN D
Question:	What did you like most about the course professor?
Response Rate:	82.86% (29 of 35)

1	really good professor. unlike other professors, he actully email and let the student know if he/she falling back in any give task.
2	personality
3	one of the great professor i have ever seen in my life.
4	funny guy, tries to make learning fun
5	didnt
6	Yelled when the class started probably to wake sleeping people up.
7	Was enthusiastic about the course material.
8	Very knowledgeable
9	The review sessions because that is were he actually teaches the material
10	That he's funny
11	Ian was generous with his time. Coming in the extra hours for midterm prep was very helpful.
12	Ian is a very interesting character. He's very energetic and is very clearly passionate about his work, which I appreciate. He always makes sure people are using their laptops for their intended purpose, learning, but also says that if you do want to slack off you should just go to the back row where you won't be distracting anyone. I think this is a very reasonable policy and more professors should adopt this sort of attitude. Ian is always enthusiastic about helping people with their questions and makes sure we've read the required material over properly before he gives out answers, so that we can do the learning ourselves rather than being spoon-fed the answers.
13	Ian is a funny guy. He has the unique personality, that really kept me awake during classes. especilly his catch phrase once he enters class 'Linux people'.
14	I wasn't looking forward to Linux before I started this course....and sadly, I have less desire now to continue it. My lack of enjoyment in this course is alarming to me.
15	I like his in-class explanations; they are very easy to understand. The course material is delivered in clear and easily understandable forms. The atmosphere in the classroom and lab is good. He is a good teacher and he really tries to make his best.
16	I enjoyed how Ian presents himself. Very energetic and very enthusiastic.
17	His use of props and kooky nature made him easy to listen to, great job Ian!
18	His humour and willingness to help. His instructions are always thorough.
19	His general enthusiasm as well as his knowledge with the source material he covers.
20	His enthusiasm
21	His enthusiasm and energy that he brought to every lecture and lab.
22	His behavior and way of teaching. Never gets bored in his class.
23	He's funny
24	He was funny and also was very helpful when required to teach us and give us extra help during labs.
25	He is organized and helpful
26	He chill
27	Fun and engaging, always ready to help, but not to just give away the answer. Goes out of his way to provide midterm prep for students.
28	Ethusiact and wants to see students do well
29	Eccentricity His enthusiasm for the ONE GOD of Linux He shuns you when you are late He makes frequent jokes and is not hesitant to point out students not paying attention in class and the back row

Faculty:	ALLEN, IAN D
Question:	What, if anything, could the professor do differently to be of benefit to future students?
Response Rate:	85.71% (30 of 35)

1	professor is perfect.
2	nothing everything is satisfactory
3	naw m8
4	n/a
5	make the content of the course easier to understand. more time on tests instead of 1min / question. not expect people to read his whole website and big walls of text with 2 other course with alot of reading should be able to summarize and make it move obvious of what he wants to teach
6	make the assignments less confusing, most or all have very unclear instructions
7	While extremely helpful in class, his out of school help such as help through emails was lacking.
8	Warn them that this will be hell
9	Use a different teaching method because this one isnt working
10	There is a funny double standard “15-minute rule / suggestion”. Ask the teacher or other students. I actually have tried it twice but never got from Ian any kind of helpful answer. So I'd like to ask to provide normal answers, or not to suggest using of 15-minute rule. The answer like "read the words" after trying to understand what you are asked for, after two hours of question reading sounds like a double waste of time, mine and his. My personal feeling It's better not to ask Ian when you’re outside the classroom.
11	The only thing I would say is maybe do add a bit more time to tests. I would say 5-10 minutes more, to me that would be reasonable.
12	Slow down when teaching during lectures, might be to fast for future students.
13	More one-on-one assessments (Perhaps during lab times) where he goes around, asking students to accomplish a task in the CLS. Allows him to see student's capability and can be graded or non-graded, but a learning opportunity in a classroom environment.
14	More hours of labs for each section may help to get done labs on time.
15	Maybe don't trash windows users until later in the term when they transform into Linux users. It didn't bother me but others may have found it offensive.
16	Make the assignment a little easier
17	Just give a few more minutes for midterms. Even 5 extra minutes can make a world of difference
18	It can sometimes be frustrating to be pointed to the notes when you have a question. I understand that it encourages students to read the notes fully and to find answers for themselves. Maybe the balance should be tweaked a little.
19	In class hes great for answering questions and all, but I did most of the work on my own time cause it would take me significantly longer and whenever I'd email him for help he was never really helpful and just kinda made me feel dumb in his responses.
20	Ian's assignments, I found, were worded abnormally. It was difficult to answer a fair amount of the questions without having to ask him what he meant, which delays the time it takes to do the work if you are not in a lab period.
21	I can't really think of anything that Ian could improve on, he does an amazing job as is. Keep up the great work Ian!!
22	He shuns you when you are late It would be nice if he does not put students who did not do as well on the spot in class He could be condescending at times to slower students but I also do not understand how it would take a minute per question
23	He is doing his job very well, I can't think of any improvements he can make.
24	He could try to talk with the people who aren't doing very well in the course a little more, instead of waiting for them to always come to him.
25	Have students follow the steps the teacher is presenting in class. This material is best absorbed by doing. The best approach would be to have the students perform the same tasks as the teacher during a lecture and when the task is complete the teacher could then explain the significance of the material.
26	Hardworking tasks
27	For newer students to Linux, perhaps a component of the course could include basic desktop usage. Similar to the Network Operating Systems I course with the Windows 7 desktop.
28	Don't explain to the students DAILY the importance of what they are learning. Remember - this is the STEPPING STONE to Linux. We are all aware of the cyber world outside of Algonquin College. As I said earlier, many students have ZERO experience with Linux......so thrusting more information and stress on their importance of learning the 'echo' command is kind of counter-productive. The instructor most certainly knows his stuff.....but I think he shouldn't be teaching an entry level Linux course - maybe a level 3 or 4? The instructor doesn't seem to have the restraint or ability to deal with students who are in the VERY early stages of such a complex and in depth program. A good example of this is simply by view the Lynda.com videos - that the professor advocates. Those videos are a VERY good indicator of how beginner information should be relay to new students - not the way the students who are just learning to "walk". Sadly, this instructor has VERY concrete teaching methods - that is very clear. Criticism or concerns of the learning material, are met with condescension. It makes one wonder - who are the ones that are actually suppose to be learning? When the general consensus of a task or assignment is fragmented and unclear, it's the students who are the issue - no the material being taught. That being said, I'm sure my comments will simply be brushed off as "one upset student" - again, it's the students that are the problem....not the teacher. I've played this game many, MANY times in my life - which is normally why I don't even bother filling out the critiques. I am not upset and I don't feel my comments where unjust. I have simply relayed what I have witnessed and experienced first hand. Would I recommend this course to a friend, the way it's been taught to me? God no! I pity future students - and I use that phrase loosely, considering I'm probably going to be a future student....since I'm already failing this course. From the view point of the course-to-instructor standpoint - this instructor doesn't compare remotely to any others in the program....at least from a starting point. Every other instructor is warm and informative in the communications both within and outside of class. Assignments are clear - without having to worry about looking for part of the assignments in 4 different locations. I know what I wrote - and I stand by what I have submitted.
29	Clam down a bit. Most students are very new to Linux and Linux based OS so we have trouble with it. Your eccentric nature does not help it very much.
30	-sometimes goes overboard with the way things are done (like the amount of words he has on his website) -try teaching a little slower so students can understand better

Student Course Feedback Survey - Fall 2016
Fall 2016

Algonquin College - Student Course Feedback Website
AC

Course:	CST8207 20 - GNU/Linux Operating Systems I	Department:	COMP
Responsible Faculty:	IAN D ALLEN	Responses / Expected:	48 / 80 (60.00%)
Focus:	Overall Results

The Course		CST8207 - 20
		Responses					Course
		SA	A	U	D	SD	N	Mean
Q1	Course learning activities (e.g lectures, discussions, practical work, group work, etc) are varied.	22	19	5	1	1	48	4.3
Q2	Course learning activites are linked to the course learning requirements.	30	16	1	1	0	48	4.6
Q3	All of the course learning requirements are covered in the course.	32	13	2	1	0	48	4.6

Responses: [SA] Strongly Agree=5 [A] Agree=4 [U] Undecided=3 [D] Disagree=2 [SD] Strongly Disagree.=1

The Course		CST8207 - 20
		Responses					Course
		E	VG	G	S	NS	N	Mean
Q4	Overall, please rate the quality of this course	20	20	7	0	1	48	4.2

Responses: [E] Excellent=5 [VG] Very Good=4 [G] Good=3 [S] Satisfactory=2 [NS] Not Satisfactory=1

Question:	What did you like most about this course?
Response Rate:	83.33% (40 of 48)

1	the weekly linux assignments were actually a lot of fun. They were kind of like adventures for me. Here is a task, with a gentle hand to guide you through the task, and hey you are learning at the same time. Good stuff.
2	i mean i dont like linux but i think the way the course is set up is pretty cool.
3	course content is well structured.
4	assignments
5	Very interactive and hands on course, lots of learning to be had.
6	They way that he made it fun to learn at not all at once and the worksheets are great to to help with the assignments.
7	The professor is very good at explaining and demonstrating the material and is always willing to explain further for anybody who does not understand.
8	The practice midterm exam.
9	The one lab because that's where I actually learned stuff about Linux.
10	The general content and the teaching style of the professor were very much enjoyable.
11	The course is full of valuable information.
12	The attacks on the server.
13	The assignments provided a good balance between giving you enough information in order for you to know what you need to do, while keep enough out that you still needed to lookup, practice and learn what is being asked of you. And the ability to do it anywhere was also very beneficial. And the fact that the teacher has his own website for the course, rather than relying on Blackboard was also nice as Blackboard was very unreliable, and it meant that we could also look at previous terms to get an idea of what is required and helped with studying for tests.
14	The assignments and the enthusiasm Ian brought to learning
15	The assignments are really challenging. I liked this!
16	The amount of content is large but varied. Always interesting.
17	The Professor. Very helpful, and enthusiastic. He obviously enjoys teaching Linux.
18	That commands were explained and then they were demonstrated in class
19	Teacher is super awesome and make me understand everything to the very depth.
20	Prof is energetic and knowledgeable. Course notes have everything you need as well as extra if you wish to persue a topic farther.
21	Linux is interesting
22	Learning linux
23	It was actually a tough course.
24	Interesting course and need deep understanding of concepts but one thing is amusing that all work we have done on server.
25	Idallen
26	Ian
27	Ians a cool guy
28	Ian was always animated and energetic to have us learn and would perform live demos of the lecture material
29	Ian D. Allen great teacher!
30	I would like most, class which was held on preparation for exam. These classes provide better understanding about different commands.
31	I most enjoyed the lecture classes and wish I had Professor Allen for lab classes in addition to lectures.
32	I love the hands-on approach of this course and the level of detail Ian goes into
33	I like the very hands on learning of the course through the practical assignments that lets us practice how to be a linux system admin.
34	I like that it is very hands on with a lot of in class practice.
35	I find the course really interesting. It's something I have never used before and that's what I find so interesting about it. The best part of the course for me personally is getting to learn all the commands, and seeing the progress throughout the semester on much better you get on the CLS.
36	I did not know anything about the course but the professor made it interesting to learn and know more concepts about the subject.
37	Everything was explained clearly and done in a fun way. Great way to learn and an awesome teacher! thank you
38	Challenging
39	Assignments
40	Assignments put theory to practice and helped with learning of content

Question:	How could the course be improved to be of benefit to future students?
Response Rate:	68.75% (33 of 48)

1	slower pace would be helpful
2	slow down in lectures
3	more worksheets for some of the lecture material
4	midterm reviews in class and being able to see ALL assignments for the course instead of releasing them gradually
5	This course moves very fast and it is easy to get behind if you don't understand a portion of the material. If the course would move slower and offer more time for students to grasp the new language.
6	The problem i have with this course is first of all my lab teacher is not very good in english and i find she has dificulties explaining herself sometimes. The course definitely hard and requires a little more time than i would like to since for a lot of people its the first time doing linux i feel he rushes a little much at the beginning. I think overall its very well designed just maybe make it a little easier at the beginning so people can really grasp it before you throw them on loops with the tough questions.
7	The only way that I would maybe improve the course I his website there are a lot and I mean a lot of hyper links in his website that lead here and there and every where then back to where you started very confusing to navigate and also ***definitely some more time on the tests I know that 1 minute a question is standard but I just find it a crunch to get the test done and done well.****
8	The course could be improved by making the notes shorter because the notes are very repetitive and there are too many links that are sometimes hard to follow. The notes are straight forward but each section sometimes is already repeated.
9	Strive to improve lab periods
10	Smaller class sizes even for lectures would be beneficial. More productive lab classes. Labs often are not given to reinforce lessons from the lecture. Are typically provided only as a two hour period to work on assignments and ask professor questions only as necessary.
11	Smaller assignments that can be more manageable to do
12	Read all the words !!!
13	One major thing that i think will help students in the future is to allow more time (or less questions in the same time frame) on the Midterm/Final exams. Some of the questions take time and understanding to answer, especially when your trying to learn and understand a new complex Operating System.
14	Nothing
15	Less help in the lab assignments instructions at the beginning. I basically just followed the instructions at first. Once I tried not to look at the step by step on how to complete a task, but rather started to try and figure out how by myself I found I retained much more of the information.
16	Less boring lectures
17	Lab sections could me more interesting and different from covering just topics related to assignments.
18	It's very difficult but I don't think it could be made easier.
19	Increasing amount of time for assignments since there are several that are extensive and require a fair amount of time to complete.
20	I would not change anything.
21	I do not have any ideas as to what could be improved about the course.
22	Have practical assignments that have a use/purpose.
23	Have more practical examples of commands be done in lecture and theory.
24	Get rid of all of the theory classed and turn them into labs while reducing number of people in each lab. Linux is a course where we are taught how to do things by doing them; not by being lectured how to do them. Linux should be more hands on.
25	For future students, it is very important to use very simple langue which is easily understandable for every students, specially, for those whose English is second language . the Language is used In the assignments is full of riddle and frustrated, students lose their interest in the assignment because of strange langue, assignment' langue is completely strange not for second langue students, but also for first langue students as well. In the lab I think, you need to solve class work sheet, which is smaller to the assignment of the week , that thing much more helpful for the students to understand how commands work . Its give you a good result ,because memorizing without understanding is not a good idea and you can't get a good result. Memorize without logical couldn't work, and lab are play important role in this manner. Before assignment You also place online logical quiz (5,10) which is about to the assignment of the week. Fast lecture's pace and boring labs classes unable to provide success.
26	Explain / emphasize how important the practice midterm exam is. Knowing how to do the labs is not close to knowing enough.
27	Everything is fine
28	Divide up assignments to be shorter but more frequent. So we could begin the smaller assignments after each lectured instead of getting half way threw assignments to content we have not been lectured on yet.
29	Can't really think of anything
30	Can't really think of anything.
31	Better Lab Proffessor, READ ALL THE WORDS
32	An explanation of the unix/linux practical application and how its used in the industry.
33	A more condensed resource pool.

Student Course Feedback Survey - Fall 2016
Fall 2016

Algonquin College - Student Course Feedback Website
AC

Course:	CST8207 20 - GNU/Linux Operating Systems I	Department:	COMP
Responsible Faculty:	IAN D ALLEN	Responses / Expected:	48 / 80 (60.00%)

The Professor		ALLEN, IAN D
		Responses					Individual
		E	VG	G	S	NS	N	Mean
Q1	Overall, please rate the effectiveness of your course professor	28	15	3	1	0	47	4.5

Responses: [E] Excellent=5 [VG] Very Good=4 [G] Good=3 [S] Satisfactory=2 [NS] Not Satisfactory=1

Faculty:	ALLEN, IAN D
Question:	What did you like most about the course professor?
Response Rate:	89.58% (43 of 48)

1	slow down in the lectures
2	humour
3	his love for linux
4	his knowledge and passion for the course material
5	great passion and efforts to attract students.
6	everything
7	Very knowledgeable about Linux, who was very good at demonstrating the material he was teaching and when people asked questions as well.
8	Very enthusiastic. You could tell he loves Linux, and really knows his stuff. Inspired confidence in the students that if they had a question about Linux, anything at all, he probably had the answer for you. He also had a little fun with his lectures. In particular his lectures were very effective because he didn't just stand up there and talk, he demonstrated live on the CLS the results of commands and such, and when a student asked "what would happen if you did this?" he tried it and showed us the results live. Very effective indeed.
9	Very disciplined to the time and also put a lot of efforts in the course.
10	The amount of passion he has for the subject. Answers questions even when in the middle of talking, creating a very fast-paced learning environment.
11	The ability to transmit the knowledge and great way of explaining .
12	Professor's personality, and attitude towards showing/teaching the content
13	Lectures were funny and informative.
14	Its got to be his Pants! Amazing hair style as well. Great energy and passion. He made the class fun and interesting.
15	Ian is very comical which makes the lecture less boring. He also captures the attention of the students because he is very loud. I also like the fact that he is always early, on time and prepared when he comes to his classes.
16	I think Ian is a great teacher and lecturer and really keeps people engaged or atleast tries.
17	I really like the teacher, he keeps class fun and entertaining. This allows me to actually pay attention more rather then falling asleep listening to a monotone professor reading from a power point document. When introducing new material he not only demonstrates how it is used and the different options it has, but he is attentive to the class while doing it. Anytime a hand goes up, the Prof will stop and make sure the question is answered, allowing everyone to fully understand what is being taught. This is a really tough course if you don't put in the time to learn the material, the Prof is a major reason for the success of the students that do their work and truly want to succeed.
18	I found the professor to be highly engaging. Clearly experience in more than just this area of the course.
19	His lectures are engaging, easy to remember the material. And his enthusiasm is pleasant in my opinion.
20	His hardworking , sincerity, his involvement in his profession and his students,
21	His enthusiasm to teach and make it fun and not feel like learning.
22	His dedication to the students
23	Highly Energetic and eager to teach making the lecture fun and interactive.
24	He was funny.
25	He seems pretty passionate, he's a nice guy and willing to help people
26	He knows his stuff
27	He kept saying Linux was better than Windows, he really is dedicated to his jokes.
28	He is very good at keeping his lectures entertaining and educational as well as making it a very enjoyable place to be.
29	He is very funny and knows well how to keep the students' attention.
30	He is always on time to greet Good Morning Linux People..!!! He always gives positive vibes, and sooooooooo enthusiastic about the subject which makes us build the interest and get involved in the subject. Thanks for making me love this black screen environment 'Linux'. He is the motivation...
31	He is active and energetic.
32	He is a very cool and down to earth professor and he cares about the students learning.
33	He finds ways to make coding fun and not so tedious. He knows the material exceptionally well and I have never seen him read off a slide. Always helpful even outside of class.
34	He clearly enjoys teaching ad using Linux. It is always more fun and exciting when the Professor is also having fun!
35	Great teacher! Keep doing what you do.
36	Good character never a dull moment around him.
37	Funny
38	Friendly nature
39	Fair and straight-forward, very clear and easy to understand.
40	Enthusiastic and not afraid to challenge people
41	Enough energetic professor for take away the stress of my night shift work
42	Energy and style make rememering key details easyer
43	Could make a boring subject sum what interesting (His presentation style is captivating).

Faculty:	ALLEN, IAN D
Question:	What, if anything, could the professor do differently to be of benefit to future students?
Response Rate:	66.67% (32 of 48)

1	website is a bit confusing, the list of commands by week section would be more helpful if the command name was a link to where it is located on the site. some items are not easily found goes through items a bit too quick
2	slow down the lectures and give inclass online multiple choice at the end of class to see if they understood
3	make the course a little easier at first and build its way up to have harder assignments some of the earlier assignments not including the really simple ones should .
4	make lab season different from regular classes
5	he gives every opportunity for students to ask for help, including hosting classes before the exams for anyone with questions about possible mid term questions. The only thing that I feel would benefit people would be to add time to the exams, or have less questions in the same time frame.
6	cp lecture/ian .
7	You are doing a great work sir... Thanks for teaching me.
8	Too many information in a lecture. We are not robot!
9	Slow down. Take into account that there are people in the class who are not familiar with linux or its applications. Its a huge learning curve if your aren't experienced in the IT industry.
10	Slow down on the lectures
11	Organize the website a little better. This especially true when it comes to commands, even though there is page which lists which week they were taught, it does not link to them (even though the rest of his pages are filled with them), and as some are barely a footnote, it can make it difficult to search for them.
12	Nothing
13	Nothing
14	Not get sad when the class gets terrible marks :)
15	Not a whole lot really. Did a good job
16	No comments, just in general a good professor.
17	Make the notes easier to read on his site.
18	Make his website a little easier to navigate and *****definitely some more time on the tests I know that 1 minute a question is standard but I just find it a crunch to get the test done and done well.***
19	Less pompous
20	Install Windows 10 on your laptop
21	Ian is the master of linux there's no doubt about that but he is very fast, sometimes when he shows and runs a command in the lecture, he types so fast and executes the command quickly and then moves on to the next. New people that haven't seen a linux command before will be confused because the command just flashes on the screen. Please slow down.
22	I think he could go a little slower with the explanations.
23	He has a very fast pace during his lecture, and midterm Quiz classes students couldn't reach that why they didn't understand what he tired to teach them. Students those are new in this course, or those who have without any computer background or some of those whose English second langue. He is so experience and he has complete command over his subject so, he couldn't slow but he need to understand that his students are beginner.
24	Give more time for certain assignments due to the lenght.
25	Explain topics more thoroughly and provide more reading materials on these topics.
26	Encourage more questions
27	Create less confusing questions on tests.
28	Cant think of anything
29	Can't really think of anything.
30	Be a little more new user friendly.
31	All courses should have a week where all material is stagnated so that students have a chance to catch up, they courses do not need to have it done the same week, it can be any time. Also if we hand in an assignment past due why should it not be evaluated.
32	A little more understanding at the beginning of the term that some students have no experience at all with Linux. Needs to reinforce the basic commands at the beginning of the course before building them up.