Course Content Surveys

Here's the raw material from your responses to the course content surveys.

What aspect or assignment in this course has been the most difficult for you. Explain briefly.

Trying to formulate acceptable concrete definitions of philosophy, art, craft, and science. Then, determining how all human activity falls into those categories.

The thought of there being some sort of set definitions of the terms philosophy art craft and science

trying to grasp the concepts of what was being asked of me. Keeping myself up so that I did not fall behind due to events that were happening. [I'm not sure here whether "events" refers to activity in class or to events in the student's personal life.]

Writing the essay.

Writing the research essay > could be less than 3 pages. [Could -- or could be more than 3K!]

The blog. I am very bad at remembering to maintain and update things like blogs and journals.

Keeping up with the blog. It's not that I have nothing to say it's just finding a half-hour to hour to get my thoughts out.

N/A [2 students responded with this: Wow! Cool! This must be an EASY course!]

I guess it was the initial theory, grasping the extremely loose definitions into which all human activity fell...

Following lectures can be difficult when there's no structure. When the teacher gets lost, I get lost. [Lost? Me not lost. Teepee lost.]

ummm Just grasping what everyone is talking about in class but it isn't that bad.

Trying to define the "self".

What aspect or assignment has been the least difficult? Explain briefly.

Having class discussions helps me understand the concept for writing in my blog.

Comprehending PACS to human activities, it makes sense.

examples of terms, situational examples, etc.

In class discussion.

Formulating theories based on research and class discussion. This is generally done on my blog.

Homework because we really don't have any. [Hey, now. Blog?]

Listening to [the instructor's] philosophical discourse in class.

Writing the paper. I also like how the class is being [run] open-ended.

Using "blog" is fun. I can easily relate my idea (from blog) with the lecture.

The class isn't so difficult. I listen and respond - that's really all I think [the instructor] is looking for. [Well, no, I am also looking for cosmic harmony and the perfection of being, but yeah, listening and responding is good, too.]

The c1ass time. Just listening to lecture.

1. getting to class.
2. taking the initiative to come up with some of my own ideas.

What did you think you were going to learn that you haven't learned?

I thought I was going to learn something that didn't fit into PACS, but the more I examine it, the more I find the theory to be true. [I almost cried when I read this. It was a very near thing. This is for me a really validating comment. Thanks. MA]

I was unsure as to what exactly the course was about and didn't come to it with any expectations concerning what I was going to learn.

N/A (five students responded with this or a variation)

I didn't realise that this was a predominantly philosophical course; I thought we would have references to historical artists in context to scientific discoveries, in conjunction to philosophical beliefs that were being put forth a the time, relative to the economic condition in which all of this transpired to present a cohesive idea about the nature of sociological and historical progress. [That would be a good course. We would call that "History".]

I feel it's too soon to say anything. Everything is still very open. Maybe more understanding of why we classify and not just how we classify. [That would be interesting to explore, too. It would be, perhaps, a business of epistemology.]

This class is about what I expected. I'm not let down.

I thought there would be more discussion and variations on the terms.

I have no idea I was coming into the class with what I read about the class.

What are you learning that you didn't expect to learn?

I amlearning to "think outside the box".

The relation[ships] of art, craft, science, and philosophy to human actions and how human actions can be categorized int PACS.

Random, varied tangents that the teacher goes on interesting stories, trivia, info, etc. [Yeah, yeah, tangents, schmangents. That reminds me of the time I was in Bavaria...]

A new theory on all human actions and random anecdotes - other off the top of Achtermann's head [ew!] information that loosely pertains (analogies and what not).
A lot more about human action than I expected. How this theory is a step by step process.

How the "self" views the world and where possible boundaries between self and the outer world exist.
Just about everything. [SURPRISE!!!]

A LOT! ll inds of grand revolutions about the world have been revealed.

That all human activitiy can be categorized into four sections. But I am not fully convinced yet. [Good, good. Don't believe anything you have not tested for yourself!]

different terms on PACS the many different permutations

Next up: my official, formal response to the course content surveys.

demands of the class

Last week in our Thursday evening session, I asked students to identify the three points most needed in the next few weeks: the direction that the substance of the course should take.

here are the responses:

Final working definition of PACS
moving beyond defining PACS
more class dialog/discussion [sic.]

have more: examples, clear explanations --- other than that, I like how the class operates [this writer reports].

make a handout of a loose definition of the categories [PACS]
the discussions in class are good
perhaps a few hands-on demonstrations? [I'm sorry, hands-on demonstrations in philosophy have been forbidden since that whole ugly dinner-party scene with Alcibiades and Socrates -- MEA]

More class wide discussions
going back and forth conversations

finish compiling class definitions -- particularly for Craft
since this is a working thery, what [do] you have in mind as the research part of the research paper -- what kind of sources?
an agreed-upon model of the relationship between P, A, C, & S

more on top of blogs (so we feel like [we're] not wasting time)
more in-depth look at outline activities
maybe a bit more structure? if it works out

perhaps more examples of relationship/ presence of PACS in certain actions?
perhaps talk more about PACS and the "Outer/inner world" and/or self?
perhaps just go over characteristics/ definitions of PACS more?

Everything is going fine.

looking at actions and discussing why they are PACS
going over definitions
review

I like the blogs because we can reflect on class discussions
still confused on definitions of PCAS

I guess we should all have good understanding of what you want us to know about the terms philosophy, art, craft, and science.

Dissecting human actions in class via the PACS relationships
Blog feedback online or in class the more the better; helps me be prepared for class discussion

I could use a little more direction with the essay
more detailed descriptions of philosophy, art, craft, science -- how human actions break up into those categories
how to work through a question/subject, how to come to a point when enough is enough, if there is a moment

definitions for the paper -- I feel as though everything is too vague when I am writing
analysis of handout on text book definitions for test
define more what self and outer world are

It seems to me that the major points are the need for fully defining the situations of philosophy, art, craft, science and their relationships and a consideration of the relationship between PACS and the outer world/inner world. The other points given are all well worth acting upon; yet I will place my special emphasis on definitions and the position of PACS in the world.

Links to Blogs

Well, here we are better than a month into the course, some folks blogging every week ("'though sometimes it's awful hard to tell" as Robert Plant sang).

Tiffany Anderson's http://TiffanyLikesBlogs.blogspot.com
Kristin Belanchik's http://ImproperDinnerConversation.blogspot.com
Matt Chapman's http://machapman.blogspot.com
KangHee Cho's http://kangheecho.blogspot.com
Chelsea Farrell's http://chelseaf-farrellc.blogspot.com
Laura Gardner's http://EarlGreyTld.blogspot.com
Ashley Graham's http://agmds404.blogspot.com
Chad Hake's http://chadHakePhilosophy.blogspot.com
Heather Hoh's http://pacsReflections.blogspot.com
Christopher Moss's http://thisIsAlsoMandatory.blogspot.com
Danielle Smith's http://drs-therocks.blogspot.com
Gavin Sullivan's http://grsmd404.blogspot.com
Jennifer Sykes's http://JSykesPhilosophyArtCraftScience.blogspot.com
Maggie Thompson's http://ThingsMyMomWishesIWouldForgetSometime.blogspot.com
Rebekah Tomredle's http://RebekahT.blogspot.com