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Survey Results



Course Survey Results


Nodar   Sitchinava   ICS311, Spring 2017

Campus: University of Hawaii at Manoa Course: ICS 311 - Algorithms
Department:   Information& Computer Sciences Crn (Section):   82243 (001)    


1.   Class Level (pick one) - please note that by answering this question you could potentially jeopardize your anonymity

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Freshman (1)  Sophomore (2)  Junior (3)  Senior (4)  Grad (5)  Other (6) 
3.3 27 0.78   0(0%) 4(15%) 12(44%) 10(37%) 1(4%) 0(0%)
2.   Course - please note that by answering this question you could potentially jeopardize your anonymity

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Elective (1)  Required (2) 
2.0 27 0.0   0(0%) 27(100%)
3.   The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.86 28 0.36   0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 4(14%) 24(86%)
4.   The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.71 28 0.46   0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 8(29%) 20(71%)
5.   The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.54 28 0.84   1(4%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 9(32%) 18(64%)
6.   The instructor was consistently well-prepared and organized for class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.75 28 0.44   0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 7(25%) 21(75%)
7.   The instructor was accessible to students.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.61 28 0.57   0(0%) 0(0%) 1(4%) 9(32%) 18(64%)
8.   I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.46 28 0.69   0(0%) 0(0%) 3(11%) 9(32%) 16(57%)
9.   I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.39 28 0.74   0(0%) 0(0%) 4(14%) 9(32%) 15(54%)
10.   I felt that this course challenged me intellectually.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.86 28 0.36   0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 4(14%) 24(86%)
11.   I have become more competent in this subject area during this course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.57 28 0.57   0(0%) 0(0%) 1(4%) 10(36%) 17(61%)

12.   Which aspects of the course were most valuable?
Everything.
The course was extremely difficult but it caused me to try hard.
The classwork and problem were the most valuable. There's no way around it, learning algorithms, you will have to put in the time and work by doing as many problems as you can.
The content was well explored, creating a flow of understanding. Dr. Sitchinava encourages the critical thinking and let us explore alternative solutions to the proposed problems.
Classworks helped deepen my understanding by learning from classmates
Group exercise
Everythinng
Problem solving techniques
1) Solving problems with a variety of people, who each had their own working styles and thought processes. Not to mention, their usefulness varied on their knowledge of the material of that class. I expect in real job scenarios, you will have to be used to working with a wide variety of people, despite their different characteristics, which may contradict with your own. 2) Practicing problems. The professor often tried to relate how certain algorithms could be applied to realistic issues, and also spoke about how solving these problems were part of the interview process for big companies. The constant amount of problems we were encouraged to try per week really enforced the idea of 'practice makes perfect'.
Being able to distinguish runtimes and determine the most efficient way to solve problems.
I feel that I've learned more about data structures, programming, and discrete math in this course than I did in 111,141,211, and 241 combined.
Analyzing algorithms and finding the optimal solution
Everything about the course were pretty valuable.
Talking to teammates about the problem in hand, were dynamic programming was most important, used to solve problems.
the classroom exercises and the quizes. the screencasts were very helpful
Lectures and group works help me understand the materials well.
Every part of it was valuable
-problems in class with group -solutions to in class and hw problems -random weekly groups - it's good and bad depending on group members
Office hours
- Gained an understanding of the limits of computing - Gained an understanding of what makes algorithms efficient - Learned how to structure problems in a way they could be solved efficiently - Flipped class format made it easier to pause and review material I wasn't understanding right away - Material is fundamental to computer science and ties together a lot of previous concepts from other classes - Most of the material covered is expected knowledge at high-tech employers such as Google
Classwork
Learning how to analyze runtimes of algorithms.
Everything really...


13.   Which aspects of the course were least valuable?
I don't think the flipped classroom is good for this subject.
Group member evaluation. Some people were giving other group members zeros, trying to game the system in their favor.
The whole grade process is a little too much for me. The peer credit assignment for example doesn't say much. People who are interested will participate independently of the grade. The extra 2 points to everyone for fill this up is even effective if you will curve all the grades? Quiz first think on Monday morning? I think it reinforces the grade chase method instead of the learning itself.
I don't think any one aspect of the class was lacking in particular
The peer evaluation
Peer Evaluations
I wasn't a big fan of the lecture notes because they were almost exactly the same information as the screencasts. It was a nice summary for skimming in case we didn't write our own notes, but it kind of seemed redundant. (To be honest, this whole course seemed valuable so this is a rather trivial matter.)
We never had enough time to finish most of our in class exercises.
How early it is.
Everything was valuable, but I disliked the proofs
n/a
I do not think that anything else was not important
Quiz everyday are too stressful sometimes.
None
-office hours (but only because my schedule did not allow me to attend)
The lecture notes
- Pace of course makes it difficult to deeply understand all the concepts - Schedule allowed little time between when you learn material and when homework is due - Flipped class format means if you are stuck on a concept and cannot find additional material online, you will remain stuck until you can get a hold of the professor, TA, or peers
Daily quiz
Nothing

14.   The instructor gives clear explanations.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.36 28 0.87   1(4%) 0(0%) 1(4%) 12(43%) 14(50%)
15.   The instructor seems to enjoy teaching.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.68 28 0.48   0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 9(32%) 19(68%)
16.   The instructor seems knowledgeable in many areas.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.86 28 0.36   0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 4(14%) 24(86%)
17.   The instructor was able to explain concepts clearly and effectively.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.61 28 0.69   0(0%) 1(4%) 0(0%) 8(29%) 19(68%)
18.   The instructor was effective in meeting the objectives of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.68 28 0.48   0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 9(32%) 19(68%)
19.   The instructor was enthusiastic about the course material.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.7 27 0.47   0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 8(30%) 19(70%)
20.   The instructor acknowledges all questions insofar as possible.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.61 28 0.74   0(0%) 1(4%) 1(4%) 6(21%) 20(71%)
21.   The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.64 28 0.56   0(0%) 0(0%) 1(4%) 8(29%) 19(68%)
22.   The instructor makes me feel free to ask questions.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.71 28 0.53   0(0%) 0(0%) 1(4%) 6(21%) 21(75%)
23.   The teaching-learning strategies used in the course encouraged active class participation.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.68 28 0.55   0(0%) 0(0%) 1(4%) 7(25%) 20(71%)
24.   The instructor was professional.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.82 28 0.39   0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 5(18%) 23(82%)
25.   The instructor seems well prepared for each class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.78 27 0.42   0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 6(22%) 21(78%)
26.   The instructor presented the course materials in a clear and organized way.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.56 27 0.89   1(4%) 0(0%) 1(4%) 6(22%) 19(70%)
27.   In general, the course was well organized.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.71 28 0.46   0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 8(29%) 20(71%)
28.   The instructor sets high standards for students.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.79 28 0.5   0(0%) 0(0%) 1(4%) 4(14%) 23(82%)
29.   The instructor makes the course difficult enough to be stimulating.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.74 27 0.53   0(0%) 0(0%) 1(4%) 5(19%) 21(78%)

30.   My overall evaluation of this instructor is....
He is a great professor. He is knowledgable and great at teaching. His name is Nodari.
Super knowledgeable and wants the students to learn (ie - will not give you easy answers, and will challenge you with the workload). Very good professor
great! I really enjoy the classes where he conducted us through the problem resolution, explaining every detail of the method used and how he got into those solutions. However, those lectures didn't happened so much on the beginning, when we were trying to solve the problems by ourselves only. I think that what we should do on the homework, so in class a guided discussion about the problem and how to solve really helps more than just try to solve it.
Pleasant and knowledgable
He is a smart guy
Great professor that knows his stuff!
Enjoyed the class
I didn't email or go in personally to receive help from Professor Sitchinava, but his explanations in class were always very comprehensive. Overall, I could tell he knew a lot on the subject and always hoped for his students to learn as much as we could. He was encouraging but not overbearing, along with being friendly and witty. I really liked having him as a professor.
He is a good professor and was able to teach a difficult subject thoroughly.
Great professor, expects a lot out of students. Which I think UH students aren't accustomed to.
Great teacher, very enthusiastic, enjoyable to listen to.
He's a great at making us think outside and beyond the box of things. He has high expectations and standards, yet somehow makes lectures enjoyable. Overall he's a great professor.
He is an amazing professor, able to handle a lot of things, only thing hard to grasp was the material being covered, its hard but the way he teaches is amazing, easy for people to understand.
He really wants his students to learn how to analyze problems and made the class challenging. I like the flip class style, forces me to study and read ahead of time, although there were times when I couldn't catch up. There were lots of materials covered in a short amount of time and sometime I felt rushed and became overwhelming when the midterms came around.
a very good algorithms teacher.
good teacher
This class is very difficult, and I feel as though it was designed to break you.
Professor Sitchinava is a very good teacher, who is able to explain mathematical concepts with great clarity. When we he covered concepts that I had struggled with in previous classes, he often explained them in a way that left me feeling that they were extremely obvious. He was also good at explaining the concepts mathematically, then explaining their implications in plain English so it would be clear even to those without a deep mathematical background. I felt that Professor Nodari added a lot of value to the course and the materials, which could often be obtuse without his input.
Good professor.
Very knowledgeable in algorithms, will challenge students to very high standards of learning.
Pretty solid, I like the whole not spoon feeding you the answer thing.

31.   The TA gives clear and understandable explanations.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5)  N/A () 
4.63 27 0.63   0(0%) 0(0%) 2(7%) 6(22%) 19(70%) 0(0%)
32.   The TA was easy to talk with and available for consultation.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5)  N/A () 
4.75 28 0.52   0(0%) 0(0%) 1(4%) 5(18%) 22(79%) 0(0%)
33.   Assignments make students think.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.82 28 0.48   0(0%) 0(0%) 1(4%) 3(11%) 24(86%)
34.   Assignments are relevant to what is presented in class.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.5 28 0.69   0(0%) 0(0%) 3(11%) 8(29%) 17(61%)
35.   The instructional materials (e.g., texts, handouts, etc.) were relevant to course objectives.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.71 28 0.46   0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 8(29%) 20(71%)
36.   The course is highly recommended if it were taught by this instructor.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.61 28 0.63   0(0%) 0(0%) 2(7%) 7(25%) 19(68%)
37.   Examinations cover the important aspects of the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.71 28 0.46   0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 8(29%) 20(71%)
38.   The examinations are graded very carefully and fairly.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.36 28 0.83   0(0%) 1(4%) 3(11%) 9(32%) 15(54%)
39.   The exams gave students an opportunity to demonstrate what they had learned.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.63 27 0.49   0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 10(37%) 17(63%)
40.   Exams and assignments were returned promptly so that learning was reinforced.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.39 28 0.88   0(0%) 2(7%) 1(4%) 9(32%) 16(57%)
41.   Grades are assigned fairly and impartially.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.21 28 0.96   0(0%) 2(7%) 4(14%) 8(29%) 14(50%)
42.   My grades accurately represent my performance in the course.

Mean N-Size Std Dev   Strongly Disagree (1)  Disagree (2)  Neutral (3)  Agree (4)  Strongly Agree (5) 
4.21 28 0.92   0(0%) 1(4%) 6(21%) 7(25%) 14(50%)

43.   What changes would you make in the lectures?
I would have actual lectures. A traditional class setting would be highly beneficial.
maybe updated notes or podcasts, a few were a little vague, when it came to examples.
A more guided resolution of the problems in class instead of just let groups try to solve by themselves. I have the impression that this happened in the latest classes more then the first ones.
I prefer in class lectures over screencasts
Sometimes we are not even able to finish the in class exercise. Should have time limit for each and go over them. Peer evaluation is not necessary. Some people are BS it
Nones
10 15 min lecture every class to review the topic of the day.
My only issue was how students were almost always unable to finish the problem sets given during class during the allotted classtime. To me, this was either an indication that the students were not learning nearly enough as they should have been, or the professor seriously misjudged the difficulty and amount of problems he assigned. That is not to say that I really want him to assign less, but maybe focus on explaining a single problem more in class and put the remaining problems in an 'extra problems' directory so as not to overwhelm the students.
Have more time for in class exercises.
Hard to say, inverted classroom makes it difficult to say what needs to be improved about lectures. Sometimes the classwork questions are a little vague. Maybe a more step-by-step approach, like the classwork guiding us through a cut and paste proof by contradiction.
I dislike flipped classrooms but I think it works for this course
Maybe a small lecture before the classwork; helped me a little more to understand some of the harder concepts.
So far the course lectures are good, nothing I would change about them.
teach us how to trace algorithm! I have a hard time reading the book and understanding how the code works, and get discourage when I can't figure out what i,j,k,v,a variables mean. visual representation would be very helpful. also maybe can have days when we code on the computer and test out our code and then really understand what we are doing wrong.
The classwork are too difficult to understand sometimes, and it doesn't help much with the homework.
I think this is a hard course and the pace is a bit fast. It was hard to process all the information especially when each class is a collection one chapter of knowledge. Not sure if its possible, but if the department can split up the 311 course into two courses then I think the pace would be much more adjustable.
some students questions didn't need to be heard by the entire class as it was a personal problem of understanding the course work and took up time that could have been spend on in class work. for in class work; groups are randomly assigned ( or so I believe them to be ) and communication is a problem with some groupings, whether that be in the form of language barriers or simply that people are hesitant to speak about a topic they are shaky in understanding so no one says anything. that is a student problem in most aspects but if there were any way to bridge that gap it would really help and avoid wasted time sat in silence.
For the class meetings, I wish there had been a little bit more of a lecture or general discussion component. When you have a good group, it's often productive, but if you are in a weak group or even a group that isn't "getting it," struggling through going down incorrect rabbit holes feels like a waste of time, despite the course's concept that any struggle to comprehend the material is useful.
prefer a quick review of lecture notes before starting the daily quiz.
Have at least 20 minutes of lecture period to make material easier to digest.
Go over important points in web notes in class.
Nothing really since all of it was exercises which further helps understand how to do the homework and the concepts that we learned from the screencasts


44.   My overall evaluation of this course is...
The course is difficult. I feel that not enough time is given to truly master the material.
Challenging, you get what you put in.
great, go for it!
Very difficult and pushes my brain to its absolute limit every week
Need to put in more effort
everything about the class is good except for the peer evaluations because it really is in nobody's favor.
Tough but fun topic
Though I struggled throughout the entirety of this course, I feel that this is what made it so interesting and rewarding. I was constantly in a state of middle ground: I dedicated an enormous amount of time to it, yet I wasn't getting the best grades. However, I was getting better grades than my friends and not failing. I especially liked how this class seemed to be the culmination of all my previous courses: 111, 211, 141, and 241. It made those courses seem all the more reasonable and valuable. My only recommendation is that the professor suggest/create more practice problems (especially to practice with before the exams), but I'm sure there were practice problems online we could have tried instead.
Difficult but useful.
Excellent. Incredibly difficult. Tons of studying, reading, video watching, but I think I've learned a lot. Definitely enjoyed this course a lot.
Extremely challenging
This course is very difficult, and takes a lot of time and practice to understand the material.
The course is not that hard, material in the subject is fairly easy, but getting a good grade is really hard.
tough class, struggle is real but I really enjoy it
8/10
A good teacher, but hard course.
I like the material, though execution of the concepts is a whole other thing. I like the layout of reading the material and understanding on our own before hand to comprehend and absorb in our own way and spending class time clarifying and working on problems. This is my first ICS course at Manoa as well as my first 300 lvl ICS course, so there is nothing to compare it to. For a rating I'd give it a 4.5/5 overall (just because nothing is/can be perfect)
I felt this course was very valuable. I noticed that after taking this course, I started spending a lot more time on technical forums, because I could now understand a lot more of the discussion and I was deriving more value from them. While the course is very theoretical, it's easy to see the practical value of the knowledge and much of it is easy to apply in real-world programming. Additionally, it's possible to draw a direct line between this class and skills that prestigious pure-tech employers expect you to have. I can't speak on other professors who teach this course, but I was very happy with Professor Sitchinava and would gladly recommend taking the course with him.
solid course, good core class for ICS major
The most challenging course I have ever taken at Manoa, but also learned more in this class then any other class.
It's an important class and it was pretty engaging but I feel there could be more supplementary screen casts on certain things. The MIT screencasts were very taxing to go through.


45.   Other comments:
Professor Nodari was always there for the students, and the TA (Kyle) especially (he put in a lot of extra hours tutoring and grading.
Also, I would reduce the number of questions on the exams, allowing the students to think more before answer instead of just chasing a better grade against the time.
I felt homeworks were a lot harder than exams and classworks
n/a
Remove the peer evaluations, it really is not in anybodys favor.
Shout out to the TA Tyler for remaining sarcastic but understanding throughout our class's ridiculousness.
none.
Not quite.
n/a
I like the webster 101 room. All classrooms should be like that.