Early American History (HIST 151)
Spring 2007

Student Comments

My favorite part of the course was:

• The favorite part of this course was watching the movie for Module 5 and reading what other students pick as their movie.

• The study of the Constitution Party's platform. I also enjoyed the way that Dr. Berg encouraged people to think. Many times people have views and opinions but have no firm base on which to stand. Arguments with holes thru them, that can not be defended, are common and Dr. Berg really encouraged people to support what they believed, even if it was the same (or different!) belief than what he holds.

• The way you incorporated many different assignments and learning techniques. Great use of videos. It helped to make things interesting.

• The oppertunity to discuss with other classmates. I feel that it really helped me get a better grasp on things I might have missed. Different perspectives always help.

• Learning how big of a part John Smith played in the survival of the first colonists.

• In this class i was encouraged to have eletronic acedemic converstions. This is not always the easiest thing to do. I found the professor indicated which way he would like to see the direction of discussion and for the most part the student complied. I felt the professor was more than reasonble when in came to letting the students know the expectations of class, as well as there was room to disagreement. As previously indicated he was available to check our work and identified the days and times he was unavailable. In,conclusion i would recommend this professor and this course to any history person.

• Being able to take the quizzes anytime. I was able to fit them into my schedule and just as long as they weren't late it was ok.

• Well, with experiencing Jamestown in person and now with taking a US History class and learning about it again...this had to be one of my favorite times. I love learning about the times before the settlers onto land and discovered VA. Very good and very interesting. I also loved learning about Pocahontas and her village/meetings with the English Settlers.

If I were going to recommend a modification in the course before Dr. Berg teaches it again, it would be:

• The discussion boards. I would recomend giving a starting question or topic for each week. In most other classes I have taken teachers have done that to get the discussion started. I found it hard to get the discussion going. Maybe it was just the group of students?

  I also found it hard to determine what you were looking for. I did well in the class, but I struggled to be sure I was following all of your instructions. It seemed like I had to look in different places instead of them all being together. Maybe I was just missing something.

• Make the directions on the learning modules a little bit clearer.

• Not put such an emphesis on U-Tube's, I had a hard time playing them on my system.

• More clarity on the rubic. It was difficult at times, to post intelligent responses including peer reviewed articles, to students comments. There were a few times when a student would not post their required entry until 11pm the night it was due. It made it difficult then, to post a response to them, before that module closed. I found it easier to just post something new, than to try to comment on others responses. i do not think that this was the intent.

  I would also remove the Scott Atkins thesis. That was long and combersome. The students responses (in my opinion) demonstrated that they did not get it. Their responses were therefore limited, hard to follow, and really hard to comment on.

• To make the discussions all due on the same day of the week, it was really hard keeping on top of the due dates because they changed so often. Also I would try to post/send e-mails reminding students of the quizes. They are not posted on the blackboard page so they might get lost in the mix.

• I would recommend the reading of Common Sense by Thomas Paine as a supplementary reading. I found it interesting and informative.

• Start on the final exam ahead of time, be ready to read/watch videos quite a bit, and manage you time well!

• the recommendations for your postings on the dicussion board. I thought it was silly to have to come up with all the stuff the rubric required, like a internet site, a public journal, and all the others. One or two maybe but it just seemed like too much and I found myslef repeating some things.

Other comments I have about Dr. Berg or the course are:

• I really loved how you e-mailed us so freaquently about what was going on with you, wether it be travel days or grading tiems, it was helpful to know that you cared enough to keep us informed.

• Very good teacher. Although some of the modules were overwhelming, I felt that I have learned a lot though this whole semester. Thanks Dr. Berg!

• It was well managed on the time and it was very easy to fit it into my schedule. It was my first on-line class and I was very impressed. Thanks :-)

• Dr. Berg,

  You were a very good teacher!!! If I need any classes next fall that has to do with History, I will pick the class that you'll teach!!!

• Just that I wish I would have take the course in the fall or winter semesters, I think I would have learned alot more.

• Overall I thought you did a wonderful job. I would recomend your class to other students, though I would warn that they have to read and follow your directions. I think that was key in your class. It has been a pleasure.

• I know this is an on-line course, but i miss the paper's being returned with comments. It's nice to get an A on a paper, but it is encouraging and educational to know why. The on-line course eliminates the side notes that a professor adds to papers, like "excellent point here" or "This section could have been developed better".

  Also, i understand that the course is set up to be a student lead discussion, but I personally missed Dr. Berg's input as we were discussing things. Please understand, he did comment several times. However, the on-line formatting, and the vast amount of work this must pose for Dr. Berg, makes his personal comments on our converstaion, limited.

Steven L. Berg, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English and History
Schoolcraft College, 18600 Haggerty
Livonia, MI 48152
734-462-4400
sberg@schoolcraft.edu

This page was last updated on 7 July 2007.