eCAFE: Course and Faculty Evaluations

Instructor: Scott Robertson

Available Survey Results

ICS 111, Fall 2012
ICS 111, Spring 2011
ICS 464, Spring 2011
ICS 111, Spring 2010
ICS 664, Spring 2010
ICS 111, Fall 2009
ICS 111, Spring 2009
ICS 691, Spring 2009
ICS 111, Fall 2008
ICS 111, Spring 2008
ICS 665, Spring 2008

Scott Robertson: ICS 111, Fall 2012

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Information& Computer Sciences
Course:	ICS 111 - Intro to Computer Science I	Crn (Section):	76089 (001)     76090 (002)     79259 (003)

1. Class Level (pick one)

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Freshman   Sophomore   Junior   Senior   Grad   Other   2.03 68 1.2 Freq(%) 31 (46%) 16 (24%) 12 (18%) 7 (10%) 1 (1%) 1 (1%)

2. Course

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Elective   Required   1.87 46 0.36 Freq(%) 6 (13%) 40 (87%)

3. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.61 67 0.7 Freq(%) 1 (1%) 0 (0%) 2 (3%) 18 (27%) 46 (69%)

4. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.63 65 0.57 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (5%) 18 (28%) 44 (68%)

5. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.63 67 0.57 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (4%) 19 (28%) 45 (67%)

6. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.33 66 0.81 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 2 (3%) 8 (12%) 22 (33%) 34 (52%)

7. I developed the ability to solve real problems in this field.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.28 67 0.92 Freq(%) 1 (1%) 3 (4%) 6 (9%) 23 (34%) 34 (51%)

8. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.27 67 0.96 Freq(%) 2 (3%) 1 (1%) 9 (13%) 20 (30%) 35 (52%)

9. I developed plans to take additional related courses.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.27 66 1.05 Freq(%) 1 (2%) 5 (8%) 8 (12%) 13 (20%) 39 (59%)

10. I learned a lot in this course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.54 67 0.68 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) 4 (6%) 20 (30%) 42 (63%)

11. I developed skills needed by professionals in this field.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.34 67 0.84 Freq(%) 1 (1%) 2 (3%) 4 (6%) 26 (39%) 34 (51%)

12. Which aspects of the course were most valuable?

Coding Learning about classes and constructors probably. But it's honestly really hard to say. I think in programming everything can be important and will be used at some point. Labs were very helpful in trying the things that Dr. Robertson shows in the lectures. If we had any trouble, the TA (Robert), helped us get through it. We were encouraged to try our best and even if it seems impossible we will get through it. Developing skills that are useful in industry. Having the opportunity to sit and program in lab with guidance. The most valuable aspects of the course was the lab because it let us apply what we learned. He was very knowledgeable of the course material. I feel like i learned a lot in this course. The lab for the class. Effectively learning the basic concepts of java and integrating those concepts into real world situations solving a magnitude of problems. The knowledge of how to code in java. This newly learned skill will be used throughout the rest of my college career. Pretty much everything. He was supposed to teach us the basics of computer programming and he did. it taught the basics of java Lab was very helpful. Learning to code. When Prof Robertson goes through a problem or a line of code and asks for input it helps to one, engage the class in whats going on and two, helps to slow things down if not everyone is on the same page. He would also go over problems from previous tests which allowed me to understand some of the mistakes I had made as well as information to clarify why I got it wrong. Finally I would say writing the code was a huge help in understanding the parts of a method signature, what type of variables these are, and all the different ways of writing a code and why some are more effective then others. The labs and lab assistance really helped out a lot. Learning to code, the lab was a great help. Every aspect of the course was valuable. Since computer science is my major, everything taught was important. Everything from the beginning is necessary to know in order to proceed along my intended courses. Learning about classes, variables, loops, multiple classes, inheritance, and polymorphism, etc. was all relevant. The labs I like how the slides use real-world examples to demonstrate some of the concepts in computer programming. I also like how the labs help test the practical application in computer science. Good that you can learn java in early stage of your training. Generating the mutators, accessors, and the scanner. I think the most valuable aspects of this course were the lectures and the pre-labs, I always had a way to get the information I needed, when I needed it. Uploading lecture and lab slides in laulima are useful when you need to refer back to things. The most valuable aspects of this course was gaining a basic understanding of the java programming language and learning about the relationships between technology and general coding. Java Programming and learning real life computer science application in careers related to Computer Science. Basic foundations of programming, aspects of good program design, and qualities of professionals within the field that we should be working to inherit. The labs were helpful because we were able to apply what we learned in the lectures. The power point slides and the live coding examples. Lab time where questions could be addressed and in class demonstrations of programs. learning java 1. developing good habits for beginning programmers 2. understanding programming fundamentals 3. programming experience The careers that we discussed. Everything. Everything you learn in this class will be useful information The most important thing that I learned was the ability to be more familiar with computer programming. TA and the professor The new knowledge I was trying to gain because it will definitelly help sometime in the future for my career path. Lab time, definitely. The freeform nature of the course helped - not with learning at our own pace, because the pace is structured, but with our individual ability to take a unique approach to work and practice. Professor Robertson also informed us of several resources unrelated to the class which would help us practice our skills both before tests and during regular classes - those were fantastic. The powerpoints posted up after every lecture so that I have notes to refer back to and the lab where I got a lot of the help in to learn how to do coding. Step by step examples. Everything about this course was most valuable to me. The lectures and labs were amazing. I learned so much. The additional labs really helped with learning the course material as the actual lecture is not very long. Also having the lecture slides online was very helpful. The labs were very helpful Lab time was very helpful in supporting lecture topics Learning how to think like a programmer and structure and solve real-life problems using computer code. I really liked how the material was presented: -first as simple explanations with analogies, often visual -then built piece by piece using really simple examples like Piggy Bank which we continued to expand, -finally tested right in front of us, seeing what kinds of practical mistakes we might make and giving us something we can actually try and play around with in lab. I also want to mention the lab was like a class unto itself and I thought they complemented each other extreme well. The lab portion of the class was the most valuable. The presentation style, in particular the slides detailing the logic behind and steps of the code. Test reviews were also extremely valuable as tests cover large amounts of information which was taught over an extended period of time. This allowed me to see where I needed improvement where otherwise it would have been lost. The lectures helped me understand the material a lot of the time and so did lab and the assignments. Very strong analogies and connections to real world ideas. Made understanding virtual ideas much easier. I could not grasp the different concepts as quickly as other students so I could not keep up with the work. I had 5 full classes which is not good when this class can and did take up alot of time to go over to ensure I can get the concepts down correctly. Not to blame the Professor.. Probably the labs, first hand experience and all. coding concepts and development techniques

13. Which aspects of the course were least valuable?

Not sure I felt like there were some things he went over (like pop-up boxes) where he would teach it and not really do anything with it. I wanted to learn more about them and use them, but we didn't, making it seem like we shouldn't have learned about things like that at all. Sometimes Robertson forgets his glasses so he makes a lot of errors when coding in lecture class. Nothing. Everything was very relevant and valuable. No aspects of the course were invaluable. I think the class was a little boring The lab was sometimes not on target or didn't comprehend to the lecture. Hmmm, come to think of it, I can't really think of an invaluable time. Everything we learned involved technology in one way or another, so honestly there is nothing i would not consider not valuable in this course. Nothing really. it all built upon itself so i dont think there was an invaluable part Nothing. I learned from pretty much everything but if i had to name one is the book. I admit I didn't purchase it but with the information covered in class, the lab and the open hours, there was really no need for a book. The api has everything we need to know and are told constantly to reference it if we have problems and its true, almost all the questions I had were solved by looking at the api. I think that it was all very valuable. The only change I'd make was that it was hard to keep correspondence with Professor Roberts through email. Lecture was lacking. Wish there was more examples of code. Every aspect of the course was relevant. There were a lot of slides that made it difficult to grasp some of the concepts of computer science. Nothing The arrays and arraylists maybe because I still couldn't understand that aspect. Professor often makes mistakes in his lectures, but I don't mind. There were no "least valuable" aspects of this course. Everything I learned throughout this course was vital and meaningful towards the application of my major, Computer Science. Not sure Nothing particularly stands out as something that was not valuable, each topic had it's applications and uses. The homework because I don't get feedback on what I did wrong. Also, no answers on how to write the code was given. None The textbook sucks. it really didn't seem that helpful in the course. learning java for civil engineering 1. concepts like testing 2. anything that does not deal with actual coding is useless and irrelovent Nothing. Everything in this course is valuable None The "prelab" system was, although valuable, was hard to keep track of deadlines for due to problems with system giving incorrect timestamps. Lecture and lab topics were not always in sync. Textbook used only covered basics of using Java. Important details, new additions and nuances of Java were omitted from the printed textbook and often required you to download "Special Topic" packets from the publisher. Some of these "Special Topics" were things important to coursework, such as what is the switch conditional, how it works and how to use it. ...the book N/A There really wasn't any aspect of the course that wasn't useful. I guess the lecture environment wasn't great, but it's not really avoidable and was relatively pleasant. That the lecture and lab don't always go together. none Nothing. Most likely the textbook as I felt I learned more through the actual lecture and the labs to the point where I barely had to read up in the book. Not much was bad Lab was way too late in the day(6PM-7:15PM) and all the other labs were full. I didn't like the hand written tests very much, especially multiple choice. I understand for an introductory course why this is necessary but I hope it's not something that continues as we progress. I much prefer the practical exams and assignments and exercises. NA N/A, every class was valuable. I never felt like I was wasting my time. n/a N/A Don't know still considerably valuable but specifically coding Java seemed least valuable

14. The instructor gives clear explanations.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.42 66 0.63 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 5 (8%) 28 (42%) 33 (50%)

15. The instructor seems to enjoy teaching.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.8 65 0.4 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 13 (20%) 52 (80%)

16. The instructor seems knowledgeable in many areas.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.64 66 0.54 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (3%) 20 (30%) 44 (67%)

17. The instructor was effective in meeting the objectives of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.59 66 0.53 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) 25 (38%) 40 (61%)

18. The instructor was enthusiastic about the course material.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.75 65 0.43 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 16 (25%) 49 (75%)

19. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.15 65 0.89 Freq(%) 1 (2%) 0 (0%) 15 (23%) 21 (32%) 28 (43%)

20. The instructor makes me feel free to ask questions.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.48 64 0.71 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 8 (13%) 17 (27%) 39 (61%)

21. The instructor seems well prepared for each class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.38 65 0.74 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) 7 (11%) 23 (35%) 34 (52%)

22. The instructor presented the course materials in a clear and organized way.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.58 65 0.58 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) 0 (0%) 24 (37%) 40 (62%)

23. In general, the course was well organized.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.5 66 0.64 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 5 (8%) 23 (35%) 38 (58%)

24. My overall evaluation of this instructor is....

Seems very kind and eager to help. I think he does a great job. He also reminds me of Steve Carrell, which is completely unrelated, but he sounds the same and makes the same facial expressions. He is very good at explaining things and I understand what he says in lecture. I don't need any extra help in understanding the concepts. He can make errors at times, but they are also information and people make errors all the times. He is an overall very good teacher and I would be okay if he could teach the next semester. He's a great teacher for ICS 111. that he was very informative and always showed that he wanted to teach his students. The class was interesting to be in. Say I were the professor and Dr. Roberts were the student then he would get an A on the 4.0 scale. He effectively communicates and grades all the curriculum with fairness. Five out of Five stars. Very thorough in explanations of course material. Enthusiastic, cool, enjoys teaching, knowledgable and intelligent. a good teacher. hes clear to understand and very enthusiastic upon the material Good. good teacher! i recommend Prof. Robertson gave the feeling that he was excited about teaching this course and helping to draw out the fun parts of programming. He would also add a joke here and there into the lecture which gave it the lecture a nice pace. He's a great professor that is very knowledgeable about the subject of computer science. The only complaint I had was he never responded to any of my emails. Good teacher, hard class to teach because you pretty much have to learn by doing. Professor Scott Robertson was a good teacher. He displayed good knowledge of the course, and he provided a lot of clear examples, which made the concepts easier to undertand. Lecture was certainly interesting and engaging. I was also assured that if I needed help, there was help available. Very good a nice and helpful teacher that can help explain some of the concepts in a visual and clear way. He also provides insight to some concepts that have multiple possibilities. There are times when he has a hard time explaining the concept, but he still manages to give a clear explanation of the topic. Good teacher. He needs to speak louder though. 8 out of 10. Great professor, very good at getting the information across. Very inviting, felt like he wanted me to succeed He is very passionate in the subject he is teaching and that makes the students excited to learn. He gives good explanations and tries to expose us to many scenarios where a mistake can occur so we don't make that same mistake. very well organized, prepared, and open minded about the field of information technology/Computer Science. He was a terrific professor that gave every student in his lecture hall a chance to voice their opinions and questions, and in turn repaid our openness with thoughtful and respect answers. He's very well suited in this subject and an overall great professor to learn from. he's a great teacher that introduces concepts. Doctor Roberson was a very friendly and helpful professor who showed his enthusiasm for the topic being taught to his students. His explanations were clear and easy to understand, and he was willing to clarify if any student was having difficulty understanding. His friendly demeanor encouraged class discussion and participation, as was shown by the more general open conversation that occurred between him and students. Overall, Doctor Robertson was a great professor that I would recommend to any student. He is easy to understand and he is helpful in many ways. He is a good teacher. A great professor, but at times better planning for lectures would be nice as it feels that the lecture is put together at last minute. he is a good teacher and very enthusiastic about teaching. knows his material well. Always prepared and the lectures are helpful and informative. No real complaints. hes ok needs to offer more office hours that he is very well organized and presents the material very clearly. Good teacher. Pretty laid back and knows what he is teaching A wonderful instructor. Seems like a very intelligent person, and was great being in his class. The one criticism would be to perhaps make the lectures a little more interesting. Needs to more closely doublecheck presentation slide content before presenting, but otherwise good. HE IS AWESOME .. his TA robert ward is the man as well.. very intelligent, well organized, caring, proficient professor. Fantastic. I'd love to continue with him as my computer science professor for a while longer. He's interesting and genuinely nice, which makes the classroom environment much more enjoyable. He obviously knows what he's talking about and is happy to share it with us. His attitude is that everyone who wants to learn and succeed should be allowed and helped and encouraged to do so, and I really admire that. He is a great professor who enjoys teaching this course, but is just a little hard to come into contact with at times. Good professor that using lots of examples step by step and side by side to make easy comparisons. He presented the material effectively. I was able to grasp the concepts fairly easily. Dr. Robertson is amazing. It is obvious that he is highly knowledgeable in this subject and that he loves to teach. What's great about him is that not only does he do what he loves, he's great at it. He doesn't teach straight from the book. He finds other ways and other examples to make lectures more interesting but yet still teaching the same concepts from the book. He grades fairly and always gives out bonus points for a better opportunity at getting a better grade. It is clear that he wants his students to do great. He is a great teacher, very knowledgeable. Made the material easy to pick up on and taught in a way that encouraged questions as well as thinking about the material in multiple ways. A very enthusiastic professor went over good and main points in the material we were covering at the moment Super enthusiastic and engaging in lecture. His classes were pleasant to attend. Great teacher gives good examples. It's really clear that Professor Robertson puts a lot of time into how to present ideas using analogies and connections to real world examples. His samples of code are written simply and practically making them ideal for students new to the subject. I really like how he expanded upon the same examples over the semester, rather than using new examples for new concepts. When writing code in class he makes lots of mistakes, which is good because he welcomes students correcting him (He may be doing it on purpose). Either way it creates a good environment where students are unafraid to ask questions. Scott Robertson is an excellent instructor. Having completed this class I feel confident moving on to the next course in this series, which is a rarity in academia. Great teacher. Glad that he is the teacher for the 111 class because you need a good base to move on and he provides the opportunity to have that. Effective. Was very good even though I did not get the concepts as quickly as I should have.. Great excellent

25. Assignments are relevant to what is presented in class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.48 66 0.75 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) 7 (11%) 17 (26%) 41 (62%)

26. Assignments are graded fairly.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.56 66 0.66 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 6 (9%) 17 (26%) 43 (65%)

27. Assignments are returned promptly.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.92 66 1.21 Freq(%) 3 (5%) 7 (11%) 11 (17%) 16 (24%) 29 (44%)

28. Laboratory assignments are interesting and stimulating.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.18 65 0.95 Freq(%) 2 (3%) 1 (2%) 9 (14%) 24 (37%) 29 (45%)

29. Lab assignments require a reasonable amount of time and effort.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.5 66 0.69 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) 4 (6%) 22 (33%) 39 (59%)

30. Lab assignments are relevant to what is presented in class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.38 65 0.84 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 3 (5%) 6 (9%) 19 (29%) 37 (57%)

31. Lab reports are graded fairly.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.38 65 0.8 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 13 (20%) 14 (22%) 38 (58%)

32. Lab reports are returned promptly.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.94 66 1.16 Freq(%) 3 (5%) 4 (6%) 16 (24%) 14 (21%) 29 (44%)

33. The instructional materials (e.g., texts, handouts, etc.) were relevant to course objectives.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.43 65 0.75 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) 7 (11%) 20 (31%) 37 (57%)

34. The course was well-organized in terms of continuity and presentation.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.45 65 0.69 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) 4 (6%) 25 (38%) 35 (54%)

35. Examinations cover the important aspects of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.52 65 0.64 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) 2 (3%) 24 (37%) 38 (58%)

36. Exams are reasonable in length and difficulty.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.48 66 0.59 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (5%) 28 (42%) 35 (53%)

37. The exams are returned in a reasonable amount of time.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.65 66 0.54 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (3%) 19 (29%) 45 (68%)

38. The examinations are graded very carefully and fairly.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.53 66 0.59 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (5%) 25 (38%) 38 (58%)

39. The test items are adequately explained after a test is given.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.56 66 0.68 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 7 (11%) 15 (23%) 44 (67%)

40. The exams gave students an opportunity to demonstrate what they had learned.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.53 66 0.59 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (5%) 25 (38%) 38 (58%)

41. Grades are assigned fairly and impartially.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.52 66 0.66 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 6 (9%) 20 (30%) 40 (61%)

42. My overall evaluation of this course is...

Informative I really enjoyed this course. I've always wanted to learn programming, but thought it would be very convoluted and time consuming. It can be time consuming, but Robertson did a great job of making a messy subject seem very streamlined and clean. While it can be challenging, I could tell it was set up in a way to make it as easy to understand as possible. While there are probably still some improvements that can be made, there are none that I can think of myself. Very good course, not as difficult as I was told. I am someone who came in with no knowledge of programming, and now I know a lot! I love Computer Science. This class stoked my passion for the field. Couldn't be happier. that it was fun and interesting class. I learned a lot from it and will continue using java on my free time. The course was fun to be in and I learned a lot Five out of Five. Both the TA and professor were very knowledgeable of the material covered in the course, and pretty much answered every single question that was thrown at them. Pretty awesome for an introductory course. a very good course. i felt like i learned a lot and i was not overwhelmed Good. overall good course major dislike the labs were in the late afternoon This course was both fun and educational. I knew nothing about programming to start this course but now I'm able to make simple games for my friends which is amazing. This course taught me the basics like making a uml diagram to making complicated nested loops and even some simple gui interfaces. I had no idea what to expect from computer programming but this class really made learning the tools and concepts fun. Its a hard class but not impossible Interesting course, was very intimidating at first, but things got better towards the end. My overall evaluation of the course is good. The concepts that were taught are all important, and all the concepts were taught efficiently and well. Lab was just as relevant, and it provided the necessary practice that one needs in order to do well and understand the concepts. Very good that the course is a bit difficult if a student has no previous experience in programming, but it is a very interesting topic to learn and it gets me engaged in wanting to learn more about computer science. The course really helps exemplify the real-world application of computer science. Good course 8.5 out of 10. great course This is a good course. It all depends on the student because the professor does his best to teach it to us. If someone is failing then its the student's own fault. He does make some mistakes but he knows his material well. this course was well organized and staffed with very phenomenal personnel. A person will learn a lot of elements about information technology that is not only applicable to technology itself, but potentially one's career down the road. An easy course if you are really into programming and also interested in comp sci, not too difficult for those who aren't also. A fun course that did feel like it was an introductory course to Computer Science. It gave me a general feel of the field while introducing many of the aspects that I can come to expect in later classes within Computer Science. Lab assignments were fun to figure out as their difficulty curve was high enough to keep it interesting but not too difficult where it was frustrating. Overall, the course is definitely a recommended take for anyone considering ICS. This course in enjoyable but it has it's flaws. The answers to the homework problems and lab problems should be given or the teachers need give feed back on what we did wrong. A great course to take, but some of the assignments were assigned ahead of when the topic areas were covered. Labs are helpful for learning Java and to ask more specific questions. good. I just wish we got the test questions back so we could go over the answers. Overall a great class though I feel some of the lectures were not synchronized too well with the assignments and labs. Gaps between learning and being able to go hands on may have been difficult for some students. not fun our programming assignments take too long to get back grade them FASTER!!!!! Very interesting course but my TA is not very good at getting the homework and lab reports back to us on time Thank you for a great semester! A decent instructor and an engaging lab section held back by an underwhelming textbook and current attempts to experiment with course structure. Its a good course overall. trickey sometimes but awesome very fun, learned a lot of new things, explored different aspects of technology, and helpful. 10/10 would recommend to every beginning student of Java. I may have been fortunate in choice of professor, TA, and classmates, but even so the course speaks for itself. Speaking as someone who knew nothing of Java and can now easily program something which would have baffled me before, I'm very appreciative of this opportunity. It is a good course, however it is very difficult with little to no previous experience in programing. This course was well taught and provided many examples to learn from. great course. I reccommend it to anyone and everyone interested in ICS. It is a great course and well suited for people interested in computer science. Very fun course i am happy that i decided to go to computer science Can be enjoyable for non-ICS majors who like problem solving Nice intro into programming really got me into looking deeper into it. I enjoyed both lecture and lab for this course. I found the assignments challenging and fun, the lectures stimulating and motivating, and the tests were fine. I just hope my future ICS courses will have instructors and TAs this enthusiastic and actually care about preparing me to go out and pursue a career. Invaluable for anyone just starting programming or who have an interest in computer science. Fun and interesting course. In the beginning i started off slow but picked it up in the middle and ended up learning a lot of material and enjoying the course. It is time consuming but if you study enough you can keep up easily. It was a good course, good for beginners, but not dumbed down. Very good I have a lot of respect for those students who had grasp the concepts as quickly as they did.. Fun class good

43. Other comments:

Maybe give study guides a little earlier, so we have more time to study. Can't wait to continue the CS curriculum. I feel like this subject is quite different to learn and it was a good class to be in. I hope that my future ICS professors mimic the professionalism displayed by this course's professor and TA. no other comments need more example allow the students to see the example you have done on jGrasp in class by allowing them to download it at home n/a Wish there was more extra credit or something because its super stressful for ICS majors due to the fact that you NEED to get an 85% or higher as your grade. I appreciate that help was available whenever I needed it. I would recommend this class to someone if they are interested in computer science and/or would like to learn about Java language. I wish the lab wasn't as hard as the lecture class. None. dont take if not needed it seems like after learning arraylists the teachers are running out of iddeas on what to teach My TA, Bao, is a good TA and knows what he talking about and helped me alot during lab. But he needs to work on getting grades back to people. none. Definitely my favorite class this semester. I'm looking forward to 211! 111 gave me friends with similar interests, a good knowledge base of computer science, and the confirmation that this is what I want to do with my life. THANK YOU DR.ROBERTSON! I learned a lot from the course and the teachers made it easy to learn due to being able to email them questions about the material. Their responses were prompt and were answered within a day of being sent and were very helpful. N/A Robert does an awesome job. We had lab on WF at 6pm, which is a difficult time to do anything. Robert was always super enthusiastic, worked really hard to make learning fun, and gave a good amount of freedom in terms of letting students learn how they want to learn. N/A I think for some one like myself with no programming experience their maybe an option for a pre- course that I may have taken since those in my class had a lot of experience in programming from previous classes in other programming languages.

Scott Robertson: ICS 111, Spring 2011     Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Information& Computer Sciences
Course:	ICS 111 - Intro to Computer Science I	Crn (Section):	83681 (001)     84254 (002)     87509 (003)     88604 (004)

1. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.33 66 0.71 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) 6 (9%) 29 (44%) 30 (45%)

2. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.21 66 0.62 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) 4 (6%) 41 (62%) 20 (30%)

3. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.94 65 0.83 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 2 (3%) 18 (28%) 27 (42%) 18 (28%)

4. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.78 65 0.93 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 6 (9%) 18 (28%) 25 (38%) 16 (25%)

5. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.64 66 1.13 Freq(%) 3 (5%) 5 (8%) 25 (38%) 13 (20%) 20 (30%)

6. I enjoyed this course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.52 65 1.19 Freq(%) 4 (6%) 9 (14%) 17 (26%) 19 (29%) 16 (25%)

7. I developed skills needed by professionals in this field.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.66 65 0.94 Freq(%) 2 (3%) 4 (6%) 19 (29%) 29 (45%) 11 (17%)

8. I generally understood the material presented in this course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.73 66 0.99 Freq(%) 3 (5%) 5 (8%) 10 (15%) 37 (56%) 11 (17%)

9. The instructor is enthusiastic about the course material.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.06 66 0.76 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 2 (3%) 11 (17%) 34 (52%) 19 (29%)

10. The instructor appears to have a thorough knowledge of the subject.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.28 65 0.8 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 4 (6%) 2 (3%) 31 (48%) 28 (43%)

11. The instructor was able to explain concepts clearly and effectively.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.94 66 0.93 Freq(%) 1 (2%) 4 (6%) 12 (18%) 30 (45%) 19 (29%)

12. The instructor broadened my understanding and grasp of the subject.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.72 65 1.01 Freq(%) 3 (5%) 4 (6%) 14 (22%) 31 (48%) 13 (20%)

13. The instructor was effective in meeting the objectives of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.97 66 0.76 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 3 (5%) 11 (17%) 37 (56%) 15 (23%)

14. The instructor maintains an atmosphere of good feeling in class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.86 65 0.97 Freq(%) 1 (2%) 6 (9%) 11 (17%) 30 (46%) 17 (26%)

15. The instructor acknowledges all questions insofar as possible.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.25 64 0.67 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) 5 (8%) 35 (55%) 23 (36%)

16. The instructor treated students fairly.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.38 66 0.67 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) 4 (6%) 30 (45%) 31 (47%)

17. The instructor makes me feel free to ask questions.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.22 65 0.78 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 2 (3%) 8 (12%) 29 (45%) 26 (40%)

18. The instructor encouraged class discussion.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.89 66 0.99 Freq(%) 1 (2%) 6 (9%) 12 (18%) 27 (41%) 20 (30%)

19. The instructor was available for consultation with students.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.83 65 0.89 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 5 (8%) 17 (26%) 27 (42%) 16 (25%)

20. The instructor seems well prepared for each class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.05 66 0.9 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 5 (8%) 10 (15%) 28 (42%) 23 (35%)

21. The course objectives were clear.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.06 66 0.82 Freq(%) 1 (2%) 2 (3%) 8 (12%) 36 (55%) 19 (29%)

22. The instructor presented the course materials in a clear and organized way.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.08 65 0.78 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 3 (5%) 8 (12%) 35 (54%) 19 (29%)

23. My overall evaluation of this instructor is....

a good professor and explains things clearly. As difficult as it is to make a presentation interesting based on this subject matter, I feel the Professor Robertson did a good job. At times I felt we covered some principles in far more detail than was necessary. However, having gone this far in the class I have also realized that in order to truly comprehend a lot of these principles we need to receive very detailed examples. In hindsight, it is a useful way to conduct the lectures. Overall, Professor Robertson did an excellent job and I am satisfied with having taken the class. Professor Robertson needs to use a smaller classroom. His teaching style doesn't lend itself to teaching a large theater type room. He is a pretty good professor overall. I understood him well and grasped the concepts easily. Though this was an introductory ICS class, I feel as if the material was rather complicated. I was also frustrated because I did not see any correlation with this class and my major, though this is a required class for me to take. Very excellent instructor, and also friendly. He did not teach from the required text, which I liked; it made me feel like I have not wasted my money. Professor Robertson has a great understanding of the course material and was effective in his conveyance of his knowledge. His presentation of the material/information was well-organized and easy to follow. The course materials were also made available for the student's utilization at any time they need. He is a good teacher, although he probably would have taught it easier if the space was smaller because it is such a large class room for such a small amount of students. I suggest doing a review day or having a pretest for each test, just so we understand what will be on the test a little more. I recommend this teacher to others interested in ICS 111 He is a okay teacher. This being my 3rd time taking this course and teacher, I can't learn the way hes teaching for some reason. I don't grasp the information as I usually do in other courses. A good professor who understands his material. Keep up the good work! I did not learn anything through Scott Robertson's lectures and powerpoints. Furthermore, the codes on Scott's powerpoint were never right, which is horrible since this is a coding class. Multiple times I copied a code off of his powerpoint, pasted it into an IDE to help me understand how the code would work, and the code would never compile. Since this is a class to learn how to code, I believe the material the instructor gives his class should work. Scott's codes never follow proper coding standards, so it is very hard to read, especially during test. If it wasn't for the ICS 111 TA's, I would not have learned any coding from this class. I would not suggest anyone take a class from Scott. He's nice and informative. You teach down to us like we are incapable of learning. We are capable of learning or we should not be in this course. DON'T ask questions that have the answers on the board/slide or are clearly common sense. You lose the respect of the students. If you want discussion or the students to think in class, ask questions that make them think. You are a lecturer, not a private tutor. You do NOT need to go over the information 5 to 10 times. Twice is sufficient: the day you present it, and a quick review before the next lecture. pretty good he's a good teacher He was a really good teacher that tried his best to be enthusiastic about material that wasn't so easy to teach. Overall I think he did a good job in getting the concepts across to the students. good format . needs to upgrade all the slides and make some that will sum up the end of each concept. example. after all the different calls for arrays. show them all on one slide. tell us why some are better than others. that way its faster. and dont spend so much time teaching methods and loops, those things are instinctively learned more efficiently through trial and error. we need to know what constructors are doing. the concept and the use of them is more difficult apply in making programs. and writing to files and getting info from files should be elaborated on perhaps in one of the two programs that is built up from the beginning can be elaborate on these aspects of programing. I enjoyed taking this course with Professor Robertson, he is always well prepared and he knows the materials very well. Needs to make his code easier to read, I get a headache trying Speaks pretty clearly during the lecture. Although most of the class don't pay attention much, while there are a lot of people who just skip class, Professor Robertson still tries interact with the class by asking questions throughout the lecture. It would be better if Professor Robertson teaches in a smaller classroom, rather than a lecture hall, because the lecture hall seems empty most of the time. nice guy, but powerpoint presentations are boring and hard to understand sometimes. He's a really good teacher. The lessons were very tough though, and I believe Mr. Robertson did his best to make it simple for us to understand. I feel he was only satisfactory and didn't relay course material as effectively and efficiently as he could have. Hes a good teacher good teacher for ICS 111 He goes a bit too in depth into fairly simple concepts and it takes a while for him to go over everything in such painstaking detail. This kind of makes me lose focus on the main ideas during class and that's why I think the attendance is so low. As far as content goes, Dr. Robertson definitely demonstrated his extensive knowledge of course material. His presentations in every lecture were well prepared and contained good amounts of material. My only criticism would be the way he handles the class sometimes. At times he seems slightly nervous or awkward while speaking, and he has a hard time invoking responses and enthusiasm from the class as a whole. Other than that, he did his job very well. Good teacher just the course is hard in itself. Should have a smaller class room because by the end of the semester there's only a quarter of the students continue attending. assigns too many programs. The programs aren't easy to design either.. Scott Robertson is a good teacher. He is enthusiastic and seems like a very nice person. Every time that I had to ask him questions after class it was very easy to talk to him and to figure out what I needed to know. Most of the teachers at UH in my opinion are not very friendly. You need more teachers like Scott Robertson. Very persistent professor. He asked the students if they have any questions from time to time. His power-point presentations were well prepared, besides small mistakes. He is very understanding and really tries to help the students. One of the best qualities Scott Robertson has is his tendency to compare and evaluate using examples that we can understand and twist around with. Tries to do his best but sometimes he doesn't seem sure of some things. Is a very good speaker. A good ICS 111 professor but just that ICS is sort of a difficult subject to teach. He knows what he is teaching, but his presentations skills could be worked on a little. Overall he is a good professor. Slides were sometimes laden with mistakes, but he did make a point of correcting the mistakes and uploading them for students to review. Seemed knowledgeable about the material. Always willing to take questions and explain his answers. A professor with a great appreciation for his area of expertise who places great importance in teaching that to his students. a good teacher. He knows his stuff but is not a great speaker/presenter, lots of times he forgot his place or to change things from previous years on his slides. Excellent class and professor. He seems very knowledgeable and relates well to the students. he was a good teacher. could have made it a little more interesting. but overall he was a good instructor. He was a good teacher. There were some questions he couldnt answer and directed me to the TA. Other than that He did his job. Overallteacher knows his stuff but class lectures aren't as effective as it should to help students. AWESOME :) He knows what he talks about and I can tell he has passion for it. a great professor that is passionate about his course material

24. The instructional materials (e.g., texts, handouts, etc.) were relevant to course objectives.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.12 65 0.82 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 3 (5%) 9 (14%) 30 (46%) 23 (35%)

25. The course was well-organized in terms of continuity and presentation.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.06 65 0.68 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 2 (3%) 7 (11%) 41 (63%) 15 (23%)

26. The course was a valuable contribution to my education.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.97 64 0.93 Freq(%) 2 (3%) 2 (3%) 10 (16%) 32 (50%) 18 (28%)

27. I feel that this course challenged me intellectually.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.19 64 1.04 Freq(%) 3 (5%) 2 (3%) 5 (8%) 24 (38%) 30 (47%)

28. Exams are reasonable in length and difficulty.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.65 65 1.23 Freq(%) 6 (9%) 7 (11%) 7 (11%) 29 (45%) 16 (25%)

29. The examinations are graded very carefully and fairly.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.0 65 0.87 Freq(%) 1 (2%) 2 (3%) 12 (18%) 31 (48%) 19 (29%)

30. The exams gave the instructor a comprehensive picture of my understanding of the course material.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.56 64 0.85 Freq(%) 1 (2%) 6 (9%) 19 (30%) 32 (50%) 6 (9%)

31. The exams reflected the objectives of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.82 65 0.88 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 7 (11%) 11 (17%) 34 (52%) 13 (20%)

32. Grades are assigned fairly and impartially.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.0 64 0.85 Freq(%) 1 (2%) 2 (3%) 11 (17%) 32 (50%) 18 (28%)

33. My overall evaluation of this course is...

it was interesting and a fun class. The textbook is almost useless in terms of testing. It can be a useful tool to help students learn the content but for the most part is never necessary. Everything we need is learned from the lectures. Overall I actually did enjoy the class and found it worth my time. I feel the split of the lecture and the lab is a good way to present the material. I do feel however, that the exams need to be closer to the actual lecture material. Several things felt not touched on enough, to too much. Pretty fun course to take. Definitely opened my mind up to new things and helped me with my problem solving skills. It's very difficult. There is an overwhelming amount of material that makes this course hard to keep up with, especially when a student is taking four courses and working part time. It's not the instructor's fault, there's just a lot to learn, maybe too much for an introductory course. The labs were also confusing; we were restricted in what we could use, even though we were told to use the Java API. Also, the lab assignments were kind of too difficult. This course was interesting and enjoyable. Professor Robertson teaches the class in a way that makes the student feel encouraged to participate and engage in the class. The course is expectingly dicifult, but the fact that a B is needed and a B- is a failing grade for an ICS major is kind of annoying. It makes it seem as if its the most important class when we will understand it more if we arent pressured into trying to figure out everything perfectly. It's a good course really, not my particular major class but I would recommend Prof. Robertson to students interested in the class This being my 3rd time taking this course and teacher, I can't learn the way hes teaching for some reason. I don't grasp the information as I usually do in other courses. made me change my major A good course to take, but easy to fall behind if you have other obligations and not fully committed to this class. Very hard for an introduction class. Thank goodness for Zach and Mark! If it weren't for them, no one would know anything about coding!!! It's a good course. It is an important course, but as the first core course of the ICS major, it is a complete joke. ICS 111 and 211 could probably be the same course, or maybe some more in-depth material would be nice. cherry it was good It was a difficult course that required a lot of time and effort with many assignments but I definitely learned a lot. build up one program throughout the class maybe 2. one game and one program. last assignment should be making it a EXE. and extra credit should be making a gui for it. i like the vroomba but it still isnt something we can click on and run. and share.. I think it needs more interaction between students. This course is not easy but I was able to learn alot about ICS and it gave a chance to try if this is what I want to major in. okay Overall course is fine. The programming assignments are pretty fair. We are given the proper amount of days to do each assignment, accordingly to the difficulty of the assignment. It took me the longest to complete the hardest program that was given in the class. the lecture was boring, hard to understand what he's looking for on exams. After clear and constant repetition concepts are better understood. They were very tough and very long. But they challenged me a lot. The class was well taught good intro course to computer science and programming It's a pretty good introductory class into the world of computer programming. I got my first start in this class and I learned a lot. The course overall had good structure. It started with general computer knowledge, then transferred straight into programming with the Java language. It provided a good foundation for beginner programmers, and the lab assignments did a good job of testing that foundation. It was good at the beginning but I lost interest Difficult but if you try you cannot get a bad grade that this is a very difficult course. Needs to better explain difficult topics I don't like the course material but the teacher is very good. I thought the beginning of the class was very confusing regarding the "set up" part of the course which required the students to download a free software and sync it with their computers. I also thought the exams were a little bit too difficult, especially to those absolutely new to this type of computer realm. There were some questions in the exam that I thought were unnecessary; several questions were just worded confusingly on purpose to throw us off when we already know the right answer... I also thought some of the harder questions in the exams went too in depth. It is designed to bring people into computer science and weed out the ones who dont care. Requirement of B to pass is ridiculous. The overall course is very well done. One thing that I really wished was present in ICS 111 was the thing of curves in the grading policy. Although that really depends on a professor though. This is a good course to get an idea of the very basics in programming. The lectures and the lab were sometimes outpaced by one another, but on average complimented one another in terms of material. This course was highly informative and enjoyable. A very enjoyable experience that it is super hard and very abstract to those who might have never done java before. I think the material covered in this course might be too advanced for a INTRO class. This course is for those that need it to go on in the ICS major. Outsiders beware. Good class. Meets the course objectives without covering such a broad range of topics that it is too difficult to follow. Good course. Okay, not great! Great course if you keep up with the work. Really hard. need to study and read the book. Good class but presents the material in a boring matter, but that is the nature of the material that we are learning. A great intro class, not too hard for beginners

34. Other comments:

Many of these questions are redundant. For example: 1 and 10 3 and 11 20 and 25 (basically the same question just one is attached to a name) question 18 is not necessary as there is never a need for class discussion. None. I heard during this course that ICS110 was a step before this course. I feel that it would be helpful if that course was a prerequisite to this course. nope good ta N/A The TA Zack is the best TA I have had in my entire college career in any field. He loves teaching, is utterly brilliant, and can challenge different students on different levels. If he gets his PHD and wants to be a professor here, I would strongly recommend it. Overall I think the class was taught well and it was definitely worth the 4 credits! give us something we can save on a disk drag onto windows and run it when we click on it. i understand jar is universal, but macs are expensive. especially if we have to spend so much time figuring things out, that will never be used.ex. bleegian callender. n/a Maybe make references to previous course material and focus on drilling the more important matters more. Exams should be easier.. I recommend approaching this course with more of a foundational mentality. This way students, weather new or not, can build their foundation of computer science firmly then branch out easily vs. trying to get the students to learn as much as possible in one semester's time. Lab is super tough, lecture is easy. ICS111 is a very intersting class. Some will get the material while onthers will not. Thanks. none necessary none Dont fall behind Lab Homeworks are too hard. The lab was fun but lecture was a bit alright. But i understand thats how all intro classes are!

Scott Robertson: ICS 464, Spring 2011     Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Information& Computer Sciences
Course:	ICS 464 - Human Computer Interaction I	Crn (Section):	88609 (001)

1. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.93 15 0.26 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (7%) 14 (93%)

2. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.8 15 0.41 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (20%) 12 (80%)

3. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.6 15 0.51 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 6 (40%) 9 (60%)

4. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.93 15 0.26 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (7%) 14 (93%)

5. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.6 15 0.51 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 6 (40%) 9 (60%)

6. I enjoyed this course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.73 15 0.46 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 4 (27%) 11 (73%)

7. I developed skills needed by professionals in this field.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.6 15 0.51 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 6 (40%) 9 (60%)

8. I generally understood the material presented in this course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.67 15 0.49 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 5 (33%) 10 (67%)

9. The instructor is enthusiastic about the course material.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.87 15 0.35 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (13%) 13 (87%)

10. The instructor appears to have a thorough knowledge of the subject.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.93 15 0.26 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (7%) 14 (93%)

11. The instructor was able to explain concepts clearly and effectively.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.87 15 0.35 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (13%) 13 (87%)

12. The instructor broadened my understanding and grasp of the subject.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.73 15 0.46 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 4 (27%) 11 (73%)

13. The instructor was effective in meeting the objectives of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.64 14 0.5 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 5 (36%) 9 (64%)

14. The instructor maintains an atmosphere of good feeling in class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.8 15 0.41 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (20%) 12 (80%)

15. The instructor acknowledges all questions insofar as possible.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.87 15 0.35 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (13%) 13 (87%)

16. The instructor treated students fairly.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.87 15 0.35 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (13%) 13 (87%)

17. The instructor makes me feel free to ask questions.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.8 15 0.41 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (20%) 12 (80%)

18. The instructor encouraged class discussion.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.67 15 0.49 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 5 (33%) 10 (67%)

19. The instructor was available for consultation with students.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.53 15 0.74 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (13%) 3 (20%) 10 (67%)

20. The instructor seems well prepared for each class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.6 15 0.63 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (7%) 4 (27%) 10 (67%)

21. The course objectives were clear.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.73 15 0.46 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 4 (27%) 11 (73%)

22. The instructor presented the course materials in a clear and organized way.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.73 15 0.46 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 4 (27%) 11 (73%)

23. My overall evaluation of this instructor is....

Great teacher, cool guy ;D A good teacher with a fun personality, which is a breath of fresh air in the ICS program a great professor in this field since it was his research field is. He gives the students a great understanding of the subject matter teaches the students the importance of it. A very good professor who knows how to communicate his knowledge to the students. Also, knows how to care about the students such as giving us enough time for the exams and completing the assigned tasks for the group projects. He also assigns questions that allows us to answer in a way where it demonstrates if we learn the subject or not. Example was when he asked us a question of what we would do if our manager says the HCI process takes up too much time for software development. A+ Just that his voice may seem too soothing for students to stay awake. a very reasonable and easy to talk to professor. One of the best ICS teachers at UH He's a really enthusiastic teacher, especially about HCI. he a good professor. tries to give real world examples to cover topics. Great instructor! Guides students in the right direction and then let us go to figure things out on our own, which challenges us more.

24. The instructional materials (e.g., texts, handouts, etc.) were relevant to course objectives.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.6 15 0.74 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (13%) 2 (13%) 11 (73%)

25. The course was well-organized in terms of continuity and presentation.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.73 15 0.46 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 4 (27%) 11 (73%)

26. The course was a valuable contribution to my education.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.67 15 0.49 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 5 (33%) 10 (67%)

27. I feel that this course challenged me intellectually.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.33 15 0.9 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (7%) 1 (7%) 5 (33%) 8 (53%)

28. Exams are reasonable in length and difficulty.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.6 15 0.83 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (7%) 0 (0%) 3 (20%) 11 (73%)

29. The examinations are graded very carefully and fairly.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.73 15 0.46 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 4 (27%) 11 (73%)

30. The exams gave the instructor a comprehensive picture of my understanding of the course material.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.6 15 0.51 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 6 (40%) 9 (60%)

31. The exams reflected the objectives of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.67 15 0.49 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 5 (33%) 10 (67%)

32. Grades are assigned fairly and impartially.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.8 15 0.41 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (20%) 12 (80%)

33. My overall evaluation of this course is...

Awsome class, very casual atmosphere, made me feel comfortable fun and informative. opened my eyes to what goes on in the design processes. much more in depth than i thought previously. a great course that is important for both computer science majors as well as web designers. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it a 10 because the professor encourages us to participate during a lecture. The material presented to the class is in synchronize order with the chapter so it is easy to follow what each lecture will be. Great class great. every subject matter has its details and technical items but it does not have to be hard or painful. this course took a very useful and reasonable approach to learning about the development process and the field of HIC. It's good course if you have never taken a design course. Some things may seem very obvious, while others are not. It allows students to gain an understanding of how much work goes into designing an application for the end users. Great course for any student interested in design work or HCI A good class to take and for ICS majors to learn the importance of an aspect of the design phase. this course was an interesting course to take. No coding was required, but mainly understanding users and designs. Nice change of pace from all these code driven courses. The course was a great experience. Threw me for a loop a bit since all my other ICS courses right now have to do with some sort of coding. So sometimes had to do a retake when doing projects and realize that the project has nothing to do with coding whatsoever.

34. Other comments:

I would suggest allocate time for group discussions for certain lectures so people can get a better understanding of the material (if they are confuse on the topic) I like this class and I would recommend to others I really appreciate the fact of how comfortable i was in the class. Not only was the material presented in a easy to understand manner but the atmosphere and understanding between professor and student was great. I felt that i could always voice my opinion and i never hesitated to ask questions when i had them. Would recommend this course to other ICS students.

Scott Robertson: ICS 111, Spring 2010     Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Information& Computer Sciences
Course:	ICS 111 - Intro to Computer Science I	Crn (Section):	83977 (001)     84610 (002)     88953 (003)

1. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.52 62 0.57 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (3%) 26 (42%) 34 (55%)

2. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.24 62 0.76 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 2 (3%) 6 (10%) 29 (47%) 25 (40%)

3. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.07 61 0.93 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 4 (7%) 12 (20%) 21 (34%) 24 (39%)

4. Other comments:

Class was great My only problem for the class was the exams. On the exams we had a code that we had to look at to answer multiple questions. The sample code was on a different page from the question. It made the questions confusing because of having to turn back the page and then answering the question. Overall the class was awesome and I learned a lot... He's a good lecturer. Not too boring if you are paying attention. Thank you professor, i learned quite a bit Great course. Instructor did a good job. N/A They need easier assignments or at least have assignments that pertain to what is being taught in class. I understand students are suppose to go out and do the work but it is also an instructor's job to teach us everything they know and not to leave the student abandoned. That is not right. I pay good money to be taught everything and be helped. I will do any assignment as long as I'm given the tools needed to succed but with this teacher and this program there is always a few tools missing. Dr. Robertson explains everything in good detail, and repeats important details through examples to help them sink in. He is very knowledgeable and an excellent lecturer. Class was a great experience for me. Even as a non-major I learned a lot that could be used in my degree! Thank-you! The second test was very difficult in comparison to the first test. Also, I feel that lab should be worth a higher percentage (~60 %) because they are much more difficult than the lab and are very time consuming in comparison to the class lecture. Dr. Robertson was a very good teacher. He helped out by putting the slides about the exam on Laulima. He projected well and was easy to understand. Its hard to know what to study for the test. Even when I heard the book and went to lecture the test format was hard to prepare for. Teaching was good. Lectures were informative, powerpoints were helpful. maybe make sure that the tests are graded accurately and that the score is updated. Was very difficult to follow. maybe more interaction. Programming sucks. The lecture material presented in class seemed to be of much more basic content compared to the content of the lab assignments. It seemed as though there was very little communication between the two classes and that they might as well have been two completely different classes. The programming skill level that was expected in the lab always seemed to be at least a couple steps ahead of the lecture class. Some actual programming strategies in the lecture might have been more helpful. lectures were helpful and full of content. exams became confusing when you had to flip back and forth through pages to look at code and then answer questions. Extremely good teacher, conveyed hard concepts in a way that everyone could understand. took a hard subject and broke it down and was easy to follow. the lectures were also very well prepared. I took a computer program writing course in the past and was extremely difficult to grasp so i withdrew from that class. Robertson however taught the same material in a way that i actually understood well. great teacher Good class learned alot. Some of the concepts in this course were hard to grasp immediately. I feel there should be more connecting different pieces of code together types of examples in lecture. I felt the lab was more helpful than the lecture itself. thanks Hard to pay attention after a while. Best class I had this semester. Overall knowledgeable, friendly, and approachable teacher. Content was a bit extreme for an intro level course though, should give better reviews for exams. Dr. Robertson's powerpoint slides were very helpful tools for learning enhancement outside of the classroom. Thank you so much for great lectures. When emailing the instructor, I never got any responses back. Professor Robertson taught the class really well and gave clear examples as to how to do the material. The homework assignments really helps you grasp the concepts of the course, which makes remembering the material easier to remember. He also does a very good job in encouraging participation in class. As a non-ICS student with no background on computer science, I found that the explanation of concenpts and programming are clear and easy to follow. he brings energy to an otherwise (sort of) boring subject. boring because it's one thing to listen to a lecture about programming and it's another to get behind the computer and play around with a program. good prof, and good humor There is a somewhat disconnect between the lecture and the class. I love how Professor Robertson tries so hard to get the class involved, but it is really tough for students to want to get involved when all the lectures consist of simply power point presentations. There also needs to be more sample homework for students to do so that they can be familiarized with the way Professor Robertson writes the test, since it is really different from actual coding. Nevertheless I hope Professor Robertson continues to try to bring the same level of enthusiasm he has brought to every lecture I've sat down in. The lab section of the class is probably where most students spend the bulk of their time on just due to the amount of frequent class assignments. Mark is a great guy, but not always the best teaches. He excepts students to know too much, and his lectures are pretty bad. There needs to be an emphasis on longer assignments and more group oriented assignments, because that is what is really excepted in computer projects. Overall I'd give the lecture and the lab a 7/10. Not bad, but just average as a course. Slides were very useful. I suggest connecting assignments directly to lectures that provide incentive to go to the lecture. I like the structure of the class and helpfulness of lab. I have learned a lot from this course and now enjoy thinking as a programmer. Had a lot of satisfaction after completing programs. Great course. Good teacher. Explains things well and definitely shows knowledge of the subject he teaches. The exams however are quite lengthy and isn't as organized as should be. The exams do cover topics related to class, though. Seemed to get ahead of himself a lot, and so ended up repeating a lot of things he had just said. He knows the material, just not his slides. The result is that the lectures tend to be drawn out. Also, brevity. Great instructor for a complicated subject. Instructor had a good knowledge of the material and explained it well. Posting the slides online for personal viewing was also helpful in learning the material well. Overall, a good introductory course. Very personable and enthusiastic about the course. Really cared about his students.

Scott Robertson: ICS 664, Spring 2010     Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Information& Computer Sciences
Course:	ICS 664 - Adv Human-Computer Interaction	Crn (Section):	88961 (001)     3137 (331)

1. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.64 14 0.5 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 5 (36%) 9 (64%)

2. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.57 14 0.51 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 6 (43%) 8 (57%)

3. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.71 14 0.47 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 4 (29%) 10 (71%)

4. Other comments:

Scott is a very cool professor. He is very nice and open to ideas. He is also easy to talk to. It was a pleasure being his student this semester. :) What can I say? Another enjoyable class with stimulating and thought provoking content. Perhaps in future semesters, work on making the lecture more engaging and requiring the students to speak/interact as well? The heuristic evaluation and the group to group prototype evaluation were very helpful. Next time, you should focus on these more. Going over every chapter in Tidwell wasn't too helpful, since doing so rarely brought up something that could not be learned from the text. This is not to say Tidwell was a bad book, but I just felt it didn't warrant much class time. I think we should have also gone over more real world examples and evaluate them. For instance, we could take an app off the web and critique it and then develop our own solutions. Bottom line: I felt we could have benefited from more hands on real world situations. It was an awesome course. i recommended to all ICS students. I liked the course content but I would have liked more structure in the class. I think having more assignments would give me a sense of what do/don't understand. I think having exams or quizzes on the material would help as well. Reading different HCI papers instead of just the two textbooks is a good idea for next semester I believe the professor had a great understanding of the material, but just wasn't able to cover all the topics of the course. Human-Computer Interaction is an immensely large topic, and there are definitely not enough class sessions to cover them all. The only gripe I would have about the class is that there was a fair discrepency between what I thought the class would be about (from hearing it from another professor) and what was actually covered - and the class could have used an aesthetics topic (such as "what defines a bad color scheme?") It might be more interesting to see different ideas for the same problem. great teacher This was a great class. I just wish it was a little smaller so we could have spent more time dissecting the projects - that is when I learn the most. I enjoyed this course very much. The whole process of doing the final project gave a good explaination about the whole design process. I appreciated the very good synthesis of the material presented in class, the group-work (HCI is a team job), the freedom to choose projects and methods to conduct them. The material and the format of the class worked well for the online learning format. Both textbooks were great selections for the class and the ipad ui design was a good choice that opened the possibilities to think about the different ui patterns. It might be difficult but maybe one or two real time voice or video conferencing to discuss a particular topic would add learning value. This might even be practical if the class size is just a handful of students.

Scott Robertson: ICS 111, Fall 2009     Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Information& Computer Sciences
Course:	ICS 111 - Intro to Computer Science I	Crn (Section):	79084 (001)     79085 (002)     75405 (003)     72219 (004)

1. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.14 84 0.92 Freq(%) 4 (5%) 1 (1%) 3 (4%) 47 (56%) 29 (35%)

2. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.22 83 0.7 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 2 (2%) 7 (8%) 45 (54%) 29 (35%)

3. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.95 84 0.93 Freq(%) 2 (2%) 4 (5%) 14 (17%) 40 (48%) 24 (29%)

4. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.73 84 1.06 Freq(%) 3 (4%) 8 (10%) 19 (23%) 33 (39%) 21 (25%)

5. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.43 84 1.21 Freq(%) 5 (6%) 16 (19%) 20 (24%) 24 (29%) 19 (23%)

6. The instructor was effective in meeting the objectives of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.95 83 0.81 Freq(%) 1 (1%) 4 (5%) 11 (13%) 49 (59%) 18 (22%)

7. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.69 84 0.79 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 43 (51%) 24 (29%) 17 (20%)

8. The instructor makes me feel free to ask questions.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.19 83 0.82 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 4 (5%) 9 (11%) 37 (45%) 33 (40%)

9. The instructor seems well prepared for each class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.56 84 0.95 Freq(%) 3 (4%) 9 (11%) 19 (23%) 44 (52%) 9 (11%)

10. The instructor presented the course materials in a clear and organized way.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.98 84 0.92 Freq(%) 3 (4%) 2 (2%) 12 (14%) 44 (52%) 23 (27%)

11. In general, the course was well organized.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.93 84 0.83 Freq(%) 1 (1%) 4 (5%) 14 (17%) 46 (55%) 19 (23%)

12. My overall evaluation of this instructor is....

Good. Exams need some ambiguities removed. Very enthusiastic instructor. Clear step by step explanations. He was very thorough on the basics of programming. He's a good teach but it's too bad we all have to squeeze all into one big section for lecture! Pretty easy to understand, sometimes boring, sometimes unoganized. awesome. He seemed pretty knowledgeable about the course, and was effective in conveying the concepts to us. He is a very easy teacher to learn from. Not bad Both the instructor and TA for this course were really great people. They explained everything in detail and made me comfortable in class. I'd recommend the teacher to my friends. he is very organized and knows the material very well -- snipped -- -- snipped -- Overall, the instructor is pretty good. However, it would help more if he didn't read right off of his powerpoints. I find that when instructors do that, I lose interest because it feels like a waste of time when I can just read the slides myself. -- snipped -- The instructor is loud and clear, I'm usually able to comprehend what he is trying to explain. he is informative although the material is not very interesting. very informative/knowledgable of the material. though class may tend to bore out at times, mostly because it is not my topic of interest. overall the instructor was fair and reasonable. Prof. Robertson did a good job of presenting the material. He also provided somewhat of a public forum where students where able to voice questions or provide alternative ways to do the material presented in lecture. Good. I understand the material is difficult, but some of the examples did not help a lot. Maybe break it down a little more, and use some better connections to the students. Seems like he knows a lot about the material (java) but sometimes has a hard time explaining it to us. occasional errors with power points and program examples. But overall a good teacher. Learned a lot from this class and made me declare my major! Knows how to explain things easily. Showed in depth knowledge of course materials, and made me feel confident in learning what he had to teach. Needs to work on organization and explaining the material well with the class I think that the instructor was very fair with his grading and also knew what he was teaching. I don't know how he could improve his teaching methods. But I think that he came late a lot of times, so I he could work on that, that would be great. He knows the subject material and is adequate in conveying the information. Overall a good instructor. good. no problems The instructor was very informative and overall a good instructor. Whenever someone had a question the instructor would answer the question. The instructor's lectures were very exciting a lot of the times but I learned a lot from them. Prof Peterson was much better than Prof Polo when explaining concepts and his lectures were more interesting. My only complaint is the Exams, please make sure there's no errors on them before you give them to the class! Having errors causes many students to waste time during the test trying to figure out questions that are wrong in the first place. And its frustrating to see minimal effort put into the test on the professors part when it counts for so much of our final grade. That being said, both the TA's and Instructor were very fair and understanding when it came to extending assignments and giving extra points when needed. It was refreshing to finally have a course at UH that was in tune to the students needs. The TA Zach was also really good and very helpful, but his lectures tended to be a bit too fast sometimes. Pausing to let the students copy down what he wrote the whiteboard before continuing would help a lot. The instructor was good. -- snipped -- 7/10: he knew what he was doing, but he was boring. I'm being honest. Good Good teacher, only thing is that the course itself is confusing. -- snipped -- He is a good teacher, but makes a lot of typos in his powerpoints. Fairly enthusiastic about the course, not the best power point presenter in the whole world, but he was able to give a good overview of the content and how it worked, then we learned more specifically about that content in labs. He is really patient with his students and keeps a very calm composure when he makes mistakes. He knows what he is talking about. His powerpoints usually had many errors because he did them right before class. Knew what he needed to do and provided us with useful information and interesting examples. The instructor knows what he is teaching and gives examples of the material. the instructor got his point across for all the syllabus material. the problem was that a lot of the student had little to no prior knowledge of this course. He really knows what he is lecturing about. Sometimes he makes mistakes that the students are able to catch and correct, but no one is perfect. His presentation is clear and concise almost all the time. I just wish he wouldn't come in to class late (when it should begin at 3 pm). Good instructor overall because he makes content that is normally difficult to wrap your head around simpler and more understandable... however some ideas are easily forgotten. Maybe should make things more memorable. ehhhh alright Dr. Robertson is a great teacher and really knows his stuff. Sometimes he comes off a little awkward when trying to reach out to the other students, but he does know what he's doing most of the time. hes good This teacher is very knowledgeable, but can sometimes be onfusing and not everything is easily understood by everyone. Good, made the material easier to learn. Happy positive In respect to the instructor, I was very disappointed. I have a deep affinity for programming, however due to the instructor's inability to be prepared, the course material that was presented in the lecture hall, was often presented in a disorganized fashion making it difficult to understand at best. One of the only things that I liked about the professor was his use of the powerpoint presentations. I liked how he posted it on laulima. However, most times than not the slides would not be uploaded till a lot later. Good speaker and kept us involved Excellent. He made a lecture hall of 120 students feel like a discussion group in a much smaller class where everyone could get involved. Fantastic 100-level course, makes it very interesting for everyone who wants to continue with ICS. Prof. Roobertson really try hard to motivate the students and tried to make lecture more exciting. The lecture notes is really helpful, but sometime the code have mistakes that when run, it cause an error. I would like to include a complete example with all the code for the given examples. Has great knowledge of course content and presents it well. instructor was good at delivering information and keeping me interested throughout all the classes Well enough. good! certain time, materials should be covered before the assignment due date Very good Good Lecturer Just sometimes the ta gives work the lecturer didnt go over yet so jus have better communication with ta He didn't understand anything beyond what was on his powerpoints. He's very knowledgeable but, class is extremely boring. He needs to liven things up. The TA's in the labs are very helpful though. Good professor. I would recommend him to fellow students interested in taking ICS courses. does a good job explaining material, sometimes makes errors in code Extremely unsatisfactory. A lot of mistakes on exams. Questions were multiple choice, but during the review of the exams, he switched the answer from one choice to another. Exam questions were very difficult to understand. It was as if the exam was created the night before it was handed to students. In lectures, asks students too much questions and does not answer them. It was as if the notes taken were from the words of the students and not the instructor. Slides shown were very unorganized and not helpful at all. Slides had mistakes on them as well and there were countless instances where the instructor edited them during class session. Slides were upload into Laulima but no initiative to download them because of the very little information it provided. Made poorly and sloppy. Instructor covers work that he says will not be on exams or in the labs and states it himself. Spends more time discussing these unimportant material even though he says "it's still good to know" rather than the important material that will be covered in the lab assignments and exams. Instructor also doesn't go over the readings he assigns. Hardly uses the textbook or takes examples from it. Exams included material from the textbook that he never covers in lectures. Very extremely to take notes in this manner. Material covered in lectures did not compliment the assignments given by the labs. Lab work was extremely difficult and the lecture classes only covers the work after it was due in the lab. Labs TAs were very unhelpful and did not give examples on the assignments. * Showing 61 out of 66 survey responses.

13. Assignments are relevant to what is presented in class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.93 84 0.92 Freq(%) 1 (1%) 6 (7%) 14 (17%) 40 (48%) 23 (27%)

14. The instructional materials (e.g., texts, handouts, etc.) were relevant to course objectives.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.17 84 0.76 Freq(%) 1 (1%) 2 (2%) 6 (7%) 48 (57%) 27 (32%)

15. Grades are assigned fairly and impartially.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.1 84 0.77 Freq(%) 1 (1%) 0 (0%) 15 (18%) 42 (50%) 26 (31%)

16. My overall evaluation of this course is...

Good. For the HCI portion, could use more examples for the principles and goals of usability. A good learning experience, although nearing the end of the course the load becomes exponentially harder. I got a refresher in procedural programming. I hope whoever makes these courses realize that they cram too many things into one semester. Granted that for some it's easier and I don't believe that ICS should be a weed and seed major based on this one class. There is not sufficient time in trying to teach everything in one semester. The lectures are pretty boring and the homework takes up a lot of time. Could do a better job relating a lectures with the labs. okay. It was a pretty good experience. I dont like ICS. Not bad The course was hard, but it was really interesting. Definitely one of the classes I learned the most things in. This is mostly due to the heavy content, but it was introduced at a nice pace that was great to go along with. Great class! good Fun class but hard if you slack off even the slightest bit. It is a great course and a crucial first step for any aspiring computer scientist. This course is meant to be difficult, but this instructor made it a little too difficult with the format of his exams. It allows for too many errors and has too many ambiguous questions. Good enough. It's a fine course, it has made me more interested in the ICS department then I would've been outside of taking the course. However, I find it difficult to stay awake in the class considering it's a lecture style class that takes place in the afternoon. However, I find the homework very fun to do. this class as in overall is quite challenging. Although the material did not really catch my interest, I think that for someone really interesting in ICS would enjoy the class. the class was somewhat interesting in the beginning but rapidly declined. class tended to get boring, mainly because it is not the topic of interest for myself. though for ics majors, it should be a piece of cake. This course was challenging given my inexperience in programming and lack of knowledge with java, but the slides did make the material a bit easier to understand. Good. It's a really difficult class. I think that objects need a little more time to go over, everyone I know in the class seems to struggle a lot with them. Very fun class, however a lot of work is needed to do the homeworks. takes up a lot of time, but i enjoyed troubleshooting with the assignments.. Interesting but not my thing. Good intro class to computer science. The class is only on Java though, and for an intro course, maybe it would be better to have a broader subject range, such as other languages, careers, etc. there are need of improvements and needs better communication between the labs and lecture I thought this class was a little overwhelming. I am a civil engineer major, but I have never seen any of this kind of programming before, so I had a hard time learning after the first half of the semester. It seemed like a lot to learn in one semester for someone who has had no experience in this type of work before. difficult by nature and sometimes boring. But the course is good in the sense that it's challenging and forces one to use logical reasoning. good. no problems This was a good course. I enjoyed doing the labs and working on programs but the lectures made me fell asleep but were informative. I think there should be more lab then lecture time. Would have been nice to incorporate GUI throughout the duration of the course, the students who are right-brained (like me) might have had an easier time grasping the concepts if there was more visual components in the class. The load of work and information to absorb in this course was ALOT, especially for a 100-level course that typically freshman take. Definitely do not add anymore concepts to the course, and if it can possibly be trimmed down at all, it might bring down the amount of drops, withdraws, and fails in the course. Also, the Lab and Lecture were typically not in sync, which led to some confusion on the concepts. The course is very good for people that like ICS. Information was never reviewed and new material was presented before thoroughly finishing the previous material. 6/10 because in the long run, I realized my lack of interest in the course material. Good The assignments were interesting. Made something difficult somewhat fun. Good course. It is a hard course that takes up a lot of time, but once you learn all the basics, it is really fun. It had really helpful labs as well. A good introduction to Java. I started never before using the language and now I think about how I can built tools to solve problems that I comes across daily in life using Java, which is a good feeling. It feels like we've been equipped with a good foundation. It was very interesting and i felt like i would not be able to do any programming, but this course made it understandable. I am now knowledgeable, although there is still a lot to learn. It's a hard course if you don't keep up with the material, but has very interesting assignments. Fairly good. You pretty much get 2 lectures because the lab assignments are more in-depth. Can get tiring. It was a challenging course. Many of the assignments took a lot of time to finish and perfect. I found the exams extremely difficult despite studying for a sufficient amount of time. the course is fun if you like to be haunted by close cornering due dates. of course it is not haunting if you know what your dong so i took to heart how intensely i worked and i hope i will finish strong. I really like that most of the grading is based on the lab assignments because ICS is not about the skills a person uses on exams but about their skills in use when programming. It's great that the TAs are very forgiving and give such things as extra credit and extensions on assignments. I like that the exams are multiple choice and do not require one to write essays. Does not make the idea of doing computer science for the rest of your life look enjoyable. pretty nuts The class was very informative and I have learned a lot since the beginning of the semester. Not bad, but I don't think this should a course to take place in a big lecture hall. I was expecting a smaller class in a Computer Lab. I thought it would have been better to be doing some actual programming in a lab than just only jotting notes down from a powerpoint. its real slow and real fast. the pace of the class. whats being taught. and the auditorium needs new seets for the students because they are uncomfortable. A hard course, but since it is required by some majors, then a word of advice is to make sure you fully understand the material and not to get off track or too far behind. the course was ok, took lots of time Very Happy hard but useful Although the lecture part of this course was disappointing, the lab section, was the only saving grace. I honestly felt that the only time I had learned during this course, was during the lab. Hard Mixed. At first I was impressed beyond belief at the structure of the course and how quickly we learned things. But somewhere about halfway through the lectures and lab parted ways. The lab assignments went from small programs that incorporated a new idea each week to huge multi-week projects that were near impossible to start without outside help. I know many people lost interest at that point simply because they became overwhelmed by the scope of each project. The first half of the course is really interesting, and comprehensible. But when we start cover loops and objects, everything seem to be so difficult. The lab assignments are hard and doesn't make the lecture any clearer. Please make the material regarding objects more easier to understand. This course has been difficult for me (as a total noob to programming). class was great with great instruction. however, i wish the lectures matched up with the labs because we were doing homework on stuff we wouldn't learn in lecture until after the assignments were due. this didn't get bad until after the first midterm. i would struggle for a week on an assignment, turn it in unfinished, and then learn about it the next class :(. Well enough. a lot more different with same course on sister campus such as CC and a lot more challenging as well, good ICS 111 is no good as a large lecture class and labs are at very un-fitting times. Good course, just boring. Overall, I was very satisfied taking this course and would recommend it to fellow students interested in taking ICS courses. I would've liked to be taught how to read error messages, or at least be alerted of potential pitfalls when writing my own code for homework. had a lot of information but manageable, the only bad aspect of the course was that the lab assignments did not match very closely to what was being covered in class which made the lab assignments tough. Poor, unsatisfactory, unorganized, extremely difficult assignments and exams and unfair in grading.

Scott Robertson: ICS 111, Spring 2009     Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Information& Computer Sciences
Course:	ICS 111 - Intro to Computer Science I	Crn (Section):	84309 (001)

1. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.54 24 0.78 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (4%) 1 (4%) 6 (25%) 16 (67%)

2. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.29 24 0.69 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (13%) 11 (46%) 10 (42%)

3. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.04 24 0.95 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (4%) 7 (29%) 6 (25%) 10 (42%)

4. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.3 23 0.7 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (13%) 10 (43%) 10 (43%)

5. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.96 24 0.86 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (4%) 6 (25%) 10 (42%) 7 (29%)

6. The instructor was effective in meeting the objectives of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.04 24 0.75 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 6 (25%) 11 (46%) 7 (29%)

7. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.83 24 0.82 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 10 (42%) 8 (33%) 6 (25%)

8. The instructor makes me feel free to ask questions.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.38 24 0.65 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (8%) 11 (46%) 11 (46%)

9. The instructor seems well prepared for each class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.0 24 0.93 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 3 (13%) 1 (4%) 13 (54%) 7 (29%)

10. The instructor presented the course materials in a clear and organized way.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.17 24 0.92 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 2 (8%) 2 (8%) 10 (42%) 10 (42%)

11. In general, the course was well organized.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.13 24 0.8 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (4%) 3 (13%) 12 (50%) 8 (33%)

12. My overall evaluation of this instructor is....

Good instructor who seemed to know what he was doing. He could have been more on it with uploading the powerpoints to help study. Excellent The classes were very understandable. But he missed my e-mail(Laulima) onece, it was very dissapointed. Still I do not get reply message. Instructor was fair and could do little to improve his teaching. Good. is he an ics major? He knew what he was talking about, and the slides/examples were extremely helpful, but he covered materials rather slowly. It felt like he sometimes over-explained topics, taking longer on certain parts of the lecture than was necessary to understand the material. It may have been partially the classâ??s fault for not responding very quickly when prompted with questions, perhaps making it seem like they were not grasping the material, though the course was fairly early, and I think most were just waiting for someone else to respond. Very interesting to listen to! I definitely learned a lot more than I had thought I would, and was able to grasp most of the concepts due to his examples. The class was interesting yet it didn't really want me to explore more into this field. The professor and TA for this class were excellent and really knew their stuff. he knows his stuff it's just that he needs to be more insertive (he should call on people instead of waiting for an answer) He knows what he's talking about and I was able to grasp every concept presented. I would like to take another class from this instructor. he taught the subject well. i liked the class. Very good instruction and showed examples to clearly illustrate the concepts. He also allowed students to question things presented. good, knows his stuff but sometimes does not fully capture the student's attention. smart guy, almost too smart to be teaching a 100 lvl class, but gets the job done. He knows his stuff and goes over key concepts. He is good. The instructor was a little unprepared.

13. Assignments are relevant to what is presented in class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.08 24 0.97 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 2 (8%) 4 (17%) 8 (33%) 10 (42%)

14. The instructional materials (e.g., texts, handouts, etc.) were relevant to course objectives.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.5 24 0.66 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (8%) 8 (33%) 14 (58%)

15. Grades are assigned fairly and impartially.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.57 23 0.66 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (9%) 6 (26%) 15 (65%)

16. My overall evaluation of this course is...

Good course overall. The instructor and TA could have been up in sync with each other though. Overall, it was a good course that taught me a lot. Rigorous and challenging but meaningful good. But I needed to cover lots of things out of the class that I wanted to know in the lecture. A good beginning course to computer programming The lecture material felt disjointed from the lab assignments, which often made the material being covered in lecture at any given time either irrelevant to the work (we were covering concepts completely different in lab) or redundant (we had already finished it in lab). This wasnâ??t always the case, but it seemed to happen often enough. The most interesting part of the lecture, I think, were the parts addressing computer science as a field, while many of the actual programming concepts felt better learned in the lab. I think that these things would be better off either completely separated (so that the lecture teaches only broader computer science concepts and the lab focused on coding), or else better integrated so that they covered the same materials at around the same time, reinforcing each other. Aside from that, though, I did still get a lot out of the course, and I think it was a good introduction to the kind of work and thinking required in the field. It could just be better organized. Definitely a great introductory course! Both my Instructor and TA were really effective in conveying the skills. And even though I came into this semester with virtually no knowledge of programming, I felt that it wasn't too hard to keep up, and learned a lot! Thank you! Even though the assignments for the labs were sometimes over whelming, I saw that the professor for the lecture course made things easier for us to understand the material before the assignment was due. okay This was a very enjoyable course. I am looking forward to taking more ICS classes. it was fun. not to much in the fact that it was at 9 in the morning, and the exam is at 730 in the morning. i like potatoes Not a bad course. Maybe too much lab and class because cover same things for too long. I started to get bored but I learn differently than most people. note about the assignments: they dont always coincide with lab but we eventually get to them in either lab or lecture. would have liked to have a little bit larger A span for grades (maybe 85 and up?) but thats just personal opinion coming out. in general tests were very fair. please let us keep them to study for for the final. Its good, Very difficult. The slides could be more helpful though. I went to class everyday and took notes, but couldn't get everything. And the slides were just single words that didnt explain much...it was frustrating. The Lab grade wasn't worth enough of the overall grade.

Scott Robertson: ICS 691, Spring 2009     Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Information& Computer Sciences
Course:	ICS 691 - Topics in Software	Crn (Section):	88884 (001)

1. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.57 7 0.53 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (43%) 4 (57%)

2. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.14 7 0.38 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 6 (86%) 1 (14%)

3. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.29 7 0.76 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (14%) 3 (43%) 3 (43%)

4. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.43 7 0.53 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 4 (57%) 3 (43%)

5. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.57 7 0.53 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (43%) 4 (57%)

6. The instructor was effective in meeting the objectives of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.86 7 0.69 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (29%) 4 (57%) 1 (14%)

7. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.14 7 0.9 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (29%) 2 (29%) 3 (43%)

8. The instructor makes me feel free to ask questions.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   5.0 7 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 7 (100%)

9. The instructor seems well prepared for each class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.43 7 1.13 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 2 (29%) 1 (14%) 3 (43%) 1 (14%)

10. The instructor presented the course materials in a clear and organized way.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.71 7 1.25 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (14%) 3 (43%) 0 (0%) 3 (43%)

11. In general, the course was well organized.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.29 7 1.11 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 2 (29%) 2 (29%) 2 (29%) 1 (14%)

12. My overall evaluation of this instructor is....

The class was a little more informal then other classes, but I learned a lot and enjoyed the class. It was a good discussion group and we were able to share a lot of ideas. Very thought provoking and very much current with what is going on today - 21st century. We could tie the concepts together between ICS and LIS - very interesting! I enjoyed the discussion format of the class and student-directed learning. Good. I liked the discussion format of the course and learning the material without having to worry about assignment grades. I wish more computer courses were conducted in a discussion format. I would have liked more structure in terms of a syllabus and assignments ahead of time. I really like the instructor. Intelligent, considerate, and mediated the class well. The times that he was prepared, it was really quite good, clear material, but he didn't always come prepared. I like his laid-back attitude and the idea of class discussions but at times I felt that we would do the readings without any greater context of what it meant because it was student-driven discussion, which can and often did fall flat quickly. Instead of finding some value in the early readings, we just sort of didn't talk about them much, so I felt I wasted time reading. Perhaps assigning one paper incorporating the readings would have been nice.

13. Assignments are relevant to what is presented in class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.43 7 0.79 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (14%) 2 (29%) 4 (57%)

14. The instructional materials (e.g., texts, handouts, etc.) were relevant to course objectives.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.43 7 0.79 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (14%) 2 (29%) 4 (57%)

15. Grades are assigned fairly and impartially.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.83 6 0.98 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (50%) 1 (17%) 2 (33%)

16. My overall evaluation of this course is...

Good class for first time out! good. It's a good course to learn about various topics related to digital government. The course was interesting. Very good some days, other days not so good. I really can't understand why we never received a syllabus, which is a contract between student and instructor to ensure fairness in grading -- which is what it all boils down to -- the grade. I liked the assigned readings for the most part, and I did enjoy the discussion-like atmosphere. I enjoyed it when each student got to lead a class discussion but I think the final project was a pain mostly because there was never any standard for what it should be like. I think the idea is that it may free students to be creative but it actually hampers creativity, I feel, because we're all worried that we're not doing it right because we don't have many guidelines. The instructor did give some guidelines, but they changed weekly and it made me less motivated to do well. Sometimes I felt like the class was an afterthought and for $1000 or $3000 for out-of-state tuition, that ain't cool, but I also know it's extremely hard for instructors to stay motivated themselves.

Scott Robertson: ICS 111, Fall 2008     Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Information& Computer Sciences
Course:	ICS 111 - Intro to Computer Science I	Crn (Section):	72382 (001)

1. Class Level (pick one)

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Freshman   Sophomore   Junior   Senior   Grad   Other   2.27 15 0.96 Freq(%) 3 (20%) 7 (47%) 3 (20%) 2 (13%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

2. Course

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Elective   Required   1.73 15 0.46 Freq(%) 4 (27%) 11 (73%)

3. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.13 15 0.74 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (7%) 0 (0%) 10 (67%) 4 (27%)

4. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.93 15 0.96 Freq(%) 1 (7%) 0 (0%) 1 (7%) 10 (67%) 3 (20%)

5. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.8 15 0.86 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (7%) 4 (27%) 7 (47%) 3 (20%)

6. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.47 15 1.06 Freq(%) 1 (7%) 2 (13%) 2 (13%) 9 (60%) 1 (7%)

7. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.36 14 1.01 Freq(%) 1 (7%) 1 (7%) 5 (36%) 6 (43%) 1 (7%)

8. The instructor was effective in meeting the objectives of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.87 15 0.74 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (7%) 2 (13%) 10 (67%) 2 (13%)

9. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.8 15 0.68 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 5 (33%) 8 (53%) 2 (13%)

10. The instructor makes me feel free to ask questions.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.07 15 0.96 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (7%) 3 (20%) 5 (33%) 6 (40%)

11. The instructor seems well prepared for each class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.0 15 0.65 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (7%) 0 (0%) 12 (80%) 2 (13%)

12. The instructor presented the course materials in a clear and organized way.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.93 15 0.88 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 2 (13%) 0 (0%) 10 (67%) 3 (20%)

13. In general, the course was well organized.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.6 15 0.91 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 2 (13%) 4 (27%) 7 (47%) 2 (13%)

14. My overall evaluation of this instructor is....

Didn't really get some of the things being presented in class. The instructor seems to care more about students interest of the materials Good Lecturer.. Engages with the class alot. Likes to ramble at times. Nice person to talk to. well-prepared for class, willing to help students. The professor is pretty ok in lecturing. He actually uses PowerPoint slides to explain what he means to say, and the examples on the slides are pretty easy to understand. However, I think the professor should communicate more with the TA. The reason is because the work we are doing in lab are not coordinated with what we are learning in the lecture class. For example, we had an assignment in which we had to use an ArrayList to write our program. However, in lecture class we did not learn it until after we did the assignment. So, I would like the instructor to coordinate more with the TA. I mean like what is presented in the lecture will be given as the assignment for that week; also, we should practice what we learn in lecture in the lab too. Very well prepared and taught material well and clearly. The instructor did a really good job lecturing the material. I would have helped more if he cooperated with the TA in what to go over in the lectures and lab assignments. It made it very hard for many of the students to write the programs when what was being lectured had nothing to do with the lab assignments. Need to communicate more with the TA. We learned what we needed to know for the assignments from the TA, and learned everything in a completely different order in lecture. Since some of the homework assignments are difficult, it would be beneficial if we could work on the assignments in lab instead of getting another lecture.

15. Assignments are relevant to what is presented in class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.27 15 1.28 Freq(%) 2 (13%) 2 (13%) 3 (20%) 6 (40%) 2 (13%)

16. The instructional materials (e.g., texts, handouts, etc.) were relevant to course objectives.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.71 14 1.07 Freq(%) 1 (7%) 1 (7%) 1 (7%) 9 (64%) 2 (14%)

17. Grades are assigned fairly and impartially.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.85 13 0.99 Freq(%) 1 (8%) 0 (0%) 1 (8%) 9 (69%) 2 (15%)

18. My overall evaluation of this course is...

One of the hard class, would never take it again. lecture and lab never went together! did not help material at all The course was fun and I recommend it to a friend to take it. Very Hard... Lecture good but lab is hard. I feel I gained a lot of knowledge in the lecture but was lost in the lab. This course was great, however my only suggestion is that the actual lecture and the lab compliment each other next time. The labs were on a different subject than the lecture most of the time. A good correspondence between the two would be great. good introductory class for ICS major students Basically, the course is pretty ok but the TA could improve a lot more. Right now for the lab he just keeps explaining and writing on the board, which confuses people and he mumbles at some points. I suggest the TA should give out mini codes, base on the lecture, so we can practice on writing codes. To me right now the lab has lost the meaning of a lab, I mean like we are suppose to have hands on experience in lab by practicing to write codes. Right now all we do is just sit in there and listen to what the TA says and writes on the board. Therefore, it just seems like another lecture class instead of a lab class. If we were to practice writing and the TA would not mumble then it would be a great lab class. I think that the instructor and the TA for this class should get together and talk about what each other is going to go over. This semester the lab and the class did not go with each other. For example, in lab we were doing arrays and in lecture we were on something totally different. Well planned and fun/interesting assignments. Learned a lot from this course. The course was overall very educational. It taught a lot of new concepts and ideas. However, it would be better for the course if the instructor and the TA worked together more. Lab time was not enough for the students to learn what was required for the homework assignments. The TA should allow practice programs for the students to work on in the lab rather than lecturing on how different parts of the program work. It would be easier for the students to have a small sample of how to do the program for the week rather than struggling to search the Java API for hours and hours or try to look through a book that hardly even helped with the code. A great course to learn the fundamentals of programming.

Scott Robertson: ICS 111, Spring 2008     Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Information& Computer Sciences
Course:	ICS 111 - Intro to Computer Science I	Crn (Section):	84585 (001)

1. Class Level (pick one)

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Freshman   Sophomore   Junior   Senior   Grad   Other   2.85 13 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 8 (62%) 3 (23%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (15%)

2. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.54 13 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 6 (46%) 7 (54%)

3. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.46 13 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 7 (54%) 6 (46%)

4. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.23 13 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (15%) 6 (46%) 5 (38%)

5. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.92 13 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (8%) 2 (15%) 7 (54%) 3 (23%)

6. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.92 13 0.0 Freq(%) 1 (8%) 0 (0%) 2 (15%) 6 (46%) 4 (31%)

7. The instructor was effective in meeting the objectives of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.15 13 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (23%) 5 (38%) 5 (38%)

8. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.25 12 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (25%) 3 (25%) 6 (50%)

9. The instructor makes me feel free to ask questions.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.15 13 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (8%) 1 (8%) 6 (46%) 5 (38%)

10. The instructor seems well prepared for each class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.38 13 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 8 (62%) 5 (38%)

11. The instructor presented the course materials in a clear and organized way.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   3.85 13 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (8%) 3 (23%) 6 (46%) 3 (23%)

12. In general, the course was well organized.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.0 13 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 1 (8%) 1 (8%) 8 (62%) 3 (23%)

13. My overall evaluation of this instructor is....

good guy very smart knew his java Good. None He is very open to helping students and addressing any questions, no matter how simple. He doesn't let any question feel like a stupid question. Robertson was organized with his on-line slides, but they were not always clear. His teaching style is very mono, students come into class and pay attention as he goes over his slides. It gets old, boring, and eventually leads to a lack of interest in mat okay He was good. The only problem that I had was that the things that we where learning in Lecture as different from what we where doing in lab. (not the material but the timing) Also the information was presented slow and I found my self going off topic. Ove He was a very interesting professor. I liked his always positive attitude and the way he presented the information to us was easy to understand. I think this instructor was very well experienced in this class. He was very well prepared, but at times, small errors would cause slight disrutptions in the class. He also was very good at communicating to the class and seemed to enjoy teaching.

14. Assignments are relevant to what is presented in class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.0 13 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 4 (31%) 5 (38%) 4 (31%)

15. The instructional materials (e.g., texts, handouts, etc.) were relevant to course objectives.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.23 13 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (15%) 6 (46%) 5 (38%)

16. Grades are assigned fairly and impartially.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.15 13 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (15%) 7 (54%) 4 (31%)

17. My overall evaluation of this course is...

difficult... too much information in a little amount of time... i couldnt keep up and now i have to retake this class got kinda lost when lab and lecture where doing different subjects of java Lecture material and lab didn't always follow each other. Okay, I mean if only the class would participate in group discussions that would be great. It's a way of getting to know one another. Some may want to speak but some don't. It did the job of teaching the basics of java well, I feel like I have a good grasp on the subject. It was not interesting at all. Scott could use some extra teaching skills to better illustrate the calss concepts. okay I feel that this course was very good and it gave me a better and good understanding of programing, coding and java. Overall I like the lab and the lectures but there was the problem of the different timing of the material and the labs and lectures not co I really enjoyed this course. Coming into this course, I didn't have any knowledge about programming and I feel that I learned a lot from it. I enjoyed the content that was taught and loved the labs and the fact that we could do hands-on assignments that I think this course was pretty alright. Towards the end, some of the content got harder to understand (I think that this may be due to the fact that what I learned in Highschool had different termonology). Some of the labs also got a bit long, but fortuna

Scott Robertson: ICS 665, Spring 2008     Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Information& Computer Sciences
Course:	ICS 665 - User Interfaces and Hypermedia	Crn (Section):	88325 (001)

1. Class Level (pick one)

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Freshman   Sophomore   Junior   Senior   Grad   Other   4.86 7 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (14%) 6 (86%) 0 (0%)

2. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   5.0 7 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 7 (100%)

3. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.71 7 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (29%) 5 (71%)

4. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.86 7 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (14%) 6 (86%)

5. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.86 7 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (14%) 6 (86%)

6. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.71 7 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (29%) 5 (71%)

7. The instructor was effective in meeting the objectives of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.71 7 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (14%) 0 (0%) 6 (86%)

8. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.57 7 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (14%) 1 (14%) 5 (71%)

9. The instructor makes me feel free to ask questions.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   5.0 7 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 7 (100%)

10. The instructor seems well prepared for each class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.57 7 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 3 (43%) 4 (57%)

11. The instructor presented the course materials in a clear and organized way.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.43 7 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 4 (57%) 3 (43%)

12. In general, the course was well organized.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.43 7 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 4 (57%) 3 (43%)

13. My overall evaluation of this instructor is....

Scott is a very intelligent and resourceful person who has successfully created a comfortable academic environment for all students to participate and learn effectively. He chose excellent readings, was respectful to all students, and mediated conversatio The prof was interesting and fun. I felt challenged to think about things differently while being allowed to develop my existing ideas. Excellent professor. The challenging selection of readings, student presentations and the group project kept the course interesting, and cultivated an environment of collaboration among the class. deeply knowledgeable and able to guide or support student inquiry wherever it goes, for optimal learning. The instructor was a great facilitator for initiating and discussing new/old concepts within Interfaces, as well as trying to incorporate hypermedia it every topic brought up. A highly professional man, who knows how to engage people into a good discussion

14. Assignments are relevant to what is presented in class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   5.0 7 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 7 (100%)

15. The instructional materials (e.g., texts, handouts, etc.) were relevant to course objectives.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   5.0 7 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 7 (100%)

16. Grades are assigned fairly and impartially.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree   Disagree   Neutral   Agree   Strongly Agree   4.43 7 0.0 Freq(%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 2 (29%) 0 (0%) 5 (71%)

17. My overall evaluation of this course is...

Excellent course. Very comprehensive and interesting. The readings were enlightening and act as a motivation to pursue my own research some day soon. I would highly recommend this course and instructor to my peers. I enjoyed the course and feel that I broadened my understanding of the field. The class provided a stimulating environment for investigating current research and applications of hypermedia and hypertext. I would strongly recommend the class to other graduate students. not as concrete as I had originally hoped, but mind-broadening and well worth it. The seminar-like format was good for cultivating ideas and concepts as well as discussing ideas. The number of readings was a bit daunting but somewhat,sort-of manageable. Very interesting and entertaining!