Student comments from EPID160 Fall 2004

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“This was my first semester in the certificate program. I am taking epid 160 along with another course. My epid 160 discussion group as compared with my other discussion group consistently added to the course learning experience.”
Lauren, CERT student, PHCP, Team 1  (TA: Alisa), (Internet course, 2004/12/02)
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“This group was very supportive and helped me with many of the concepts of EPI 160. Alisa was the best TA I have had in the program. She was patient with my questions and extremely supportive. Thank you for a wonderful experience in a hard subject.”
Jen, CERT student, PHCP, Team 1  (TA: Alisa), (Internet course, 2004/11/22)
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“I have been very pleased by the timeliness of answers to questions, explanation of coursework , knowledge offered and attention that Alisa has given to EPID 160. I would certainly hope that my next TA possess the same qualities. Her technique assisted in my understanding and grasp of the material in this course. Dr. Vic gave a refreshing atmosphere to the learning of such a demanding topic as epidemiology. The little excerpts he presented during the tutorials made the learning experience less taxing. Even though I had to read some of them 2 or 3 times to get the pun, the exercise was fun. Although I could never really maneuver in the Evolving Text, it was an additional learning tool for understanding of the concepts of epidemiology.”
(Internet course, 2004/12/07)
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“Alisa and Dr. Vic ( I have already submitted my peer evaluation) I was thoroughly enlightened with the concepts and materials contained in this course of EPID 160, fall 2004 Internet course. Although some of the materials were difficult to master, I know that once I am able to apply them to real life situations, the application will be there from either my notes, the readings, the case studies, the discussion forums and the other resources I have become acquainted with in this course. I do however feel that the course should be shortened just a bit to allow time for absorption of the massive amount of information and methods covered. I also understand that this information is the foundation for scientific research and disease investigation. I plan to use it to the fullest as I go about the business of addressing the ever rising occurrence of those issues in life that affect our health.”
(Internet course, 2004/12/08)
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“This was an excellent group with so many knowledgeable discussions! It truly made the course a wonderful experience!!”
(Internet course, 2004/12/06)
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“I thank you for the learning experience. The variety of discussion, case study, paper and exams was actually stimulating. The work load was a little much at times especially considering we are full time employees, spouses, domestic engineers and taking other classes. You might consider no case study during exams and the week the paper is due. I can't say enough good things about Alisa. She is hands down the best TA I have had during the program. She is timely, responsive, and provides just enough guidance to move you along in the right direction without just giving you the answer. Vic's seemingly instantaneous responses to problems and questions was also refreshing. The only thing I would add is that posting our grades as we go along would be reassuring. As it is the end of semester grade is going to be a surprise - I hope not an unpleasant one!”
(Internet course, 2004/12/07)
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“I have thoroughly enjoyed EPID 160 and feel that I have done nothing but benefit from the knowledge that I have gained from the class. It is my feeling that the varying background of the students, coupled with the outstanding teaching staff, forms the perfect learning environment and a golden opportunity for anyone who wants to pursue additional training in this field.”
(Internet course, 2004/12/08)
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“The weekly discussion forums gives all the participants the opportunity to examine and analysis comtemporary issues in PH.”
(Internet course, 2004/12/10)
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“Great Course and Plently of help from the TAs. I would like to see more cases like the last one presented throughout the semester.”
(Internet course, 2004/12/12)
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“Everyone in our lab did great. Everyone participated, some more than others. But overall eveyone participated.”
(Classroom course, 2004/11/30)
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“This class is really too time intensive for a 3 credit class. I learned the most from my fellow students in the break out session.”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/04)
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“I can honestly say that I learned a lot from each of the group members. Each individual person was able to add personnel experiences to each of the topics to allow us to better understand the goals of the course. I truly enjoyed this class. Take care!”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/01)
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“I really enjoyed working with my group. I learned a lot from our time together. And I firmly believe that we each contributed equally...just in different ways. I feel lucky to have been put with my group. They were all great!”
(Classroom course, 2004/11/30)
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“Thank you Vic and Aurelian for your time and efforts. I found that the labs were particularly helpful in clarifying and expounding upon the lectures. I also appreciated Vic's emails clarifying the exams or particular topics that students needed expounding on.”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/01)
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“Very enjoyable and informative course...I enjoyed the format and was especially impressed with our small group (10). Thanks for the opportunity and your help.”
Bill, DRPH student, BIOS, Team 10  (TA: Aurelian), (Classroom course, 2004/12/04)
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“Brian was the best TA!”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/01)
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“The organization of this course has given me great insight into Epidemiology. The lecture, complemented by the Lab. enabled the consolidation of my understanding of the course. Our TA, Brian Fink, was down to earth, accessible and the mini-lecture that he offered before the Lab. was great in summarising what we learned in the Lecture. The take home exam provided an opportunity for me to search and understand more Epidemiological concepts. Thank you very much.”
Andrew, UNK student, UNDC, Team 11  (TA: Brian), (Classroom course, 2004/12/03)
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“Brian was an incredible TA. He deserves the highest marks you give TAs, in fact, and others should take note of a great model. He was able to explain extremely abstract concepts in understandable, clear ways. His preparation and execution were both impeccable, and he showed a genuine concern and compassion for his students. (And he makes great cookies.) Thank you, Brian, for helping us survive this course! We could not have done it without you!”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/03)
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“Brian was good. He was always enthusiastic about the weekly topic and brought cookies on occasion too.”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/01)
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“This class was one of the best courses I have ever taken. The design required real thinking and problem solving beyond that which I have seen in other courses. I am so grateful for the chance to be part of this dynamic program and thoroughly enjoyed the thoughtful, compassionate and bright members of our group. The lectures were interesting and provided great explanations. The Evolving Text was also very helpful. I was concerned about my ability to learn by distance, but I felt that when I became confused all of my questions were answered immediately and thoroughly. I-Jen did a great job as TA.I look forward to the next course, after a little rest!!”
(Internet course, 2004/12/07)
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“All of the pieces of the course fit together so well to form the whole. Each piece reinforces each of the others (lectures, readings, case studies and discussions). The discussions were particularly valuable. Distance learning loses the "give and take" between faculty and students and among student that happens in a live classroom setting. These discussion [forums] make up for that loss. The additional optional piece, Dr. S's evloving text book proved valuable time and time again. If I didn't quite understand something from the reading and/or the lecture, I knew I would find assistance by reading the evolving text. I would like to thank Dr.S for sharing with us his world view. The issues he has brought to our attention have been great lessons in and of themselves. Thanks for a great course.”
Kit, MPH student, PUBX, Team 3  (TA: I-Jen), (Internet course, 2004/12/04)
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“I really enjoyed the course. As a student new to the field of Epidemiology, the progression through topics presented were very educational and by the end of the course, allowed me to begin understanding the methods of analysis used in Epid.”
(Internet course, 2004/12/09)
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“I find these tests very challenging in a good way. Most tests I have taken is just a regurgitation of information presented. However, your test forces us to move several steps further. This makes learning interesting.”
(Internet course, 2004/11/17)
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“Kristen is a very conscientious, helpful TA who is efficient and responsive to questions/concerns.”
(Internet course, 2004/12/03)
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“This was a great class-well taught, well organized, good texts, good lectures. I learned so much. It taught me how to think more critically both in relation to epidemiology and other subjects. Dr. Schoenbach brings an ethical perspective to the study of epidemiology, which is inspiring and makes me want to study it further. I hope I'll have the chance to do so at some point! Thank you for offering this class on-line and for the excellent presentation of it.”
Betsy, CERT student, PHCP, Team 6  (TA: Kristen), (Internet course, 2004/12/09)
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“Kristen has been very supportive in giving feedback to aid in understanding the material of the course. She was both prompt and clear in giving this feedback. Thanks Kristen! It's clear that Vic has a love and enthusiasm for the field of epidemiology which he works hard to inspire in others. His sense of humor is greatly appreciated, as well as his sensitivity.”
(Internet course, 2004/12/09)
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“Assignments tend to overlap.”
Donald, MPH student, PUBX, Team 6  (TA: Kristen), (Internet course, 2004/12/02)
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“I think it is odd to evaluate ourselves. There could be an option added on the choice menu that would allow you to skip your own name for evaluation. [Note: the self-evaluation is not used by the instructors and is completely optional. vjs] I really enjoyed this class. I have to say it is the one that I feel that has benefitted me the most. I wish all online classes made this much sense.”
Elizabeth, CERT student, PHCP, Team 6  (TA: Kristen), (Internet course, 2004/12/10)
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“I loved the discussion forums! Often felt that we should be taking our ideas to the people with the money to implement them!”
(Internet course, 2004/12/08)
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“I think that the course was great!”
Gloria, MPH student, HPAX, Team 7  (TA: Laura), (Internet course, 2004/12/14)
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“Some areas such as confounding were in too much detail. So many numbers! Please remove references in lectures to "Gordis". This was not the textbook we used and was a source of confusion for me. The final paper was excellent as a method of learning the course content, as were the case studies. I also liked answers to some and the immediate feedback after submission. Thanks for a great course!”
(Internet course, 2004/12/06)
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“I have learned A LOT from this class! I enjoyed the lectures and case studies. The only thing that I would improve is getting tests back sooner. Thanks for the great semester!”
Becky, CERT student, PHCP, Team 7  (TA: Laura), (Internet course, 2004/11/22)
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“Epi 160 has been an excellent course!”
Shila, CERT student, PHCP, Team 8  (TA: Laura), (Internet course, 2004/12/04)
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“I learned as much from my classmates in the Discussion Forums as from the case studies. THese were very helpful discussions with full participation from the group. The variety of work experiences and expertise was immensely helpful to the quality of the discussions. Due to the work load it was clear that participation declined for everyone toward the middle to end of the course. This was regrettable because the forum had been so worthwhile. Regular input from the TA was missed and would have sparked more discussion as energy lagged.”
Cheryl, MPH student, PUBX, Team 8  (TA: Laura), (Internet course, 2004/12/09)
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“Epi 160 intellectually challenged me more than I ever imagined. I am seriously considering auditing the class in the future so I can relax and attempt to absorb more of the information at a slower pace. My TA, Steve, was wonderful and always available when I needed additional help. Thanks, Steve! I greatly appreciated it!”
(Internet course, 2004/12/09)
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“It has been a really hard semester for me. EPI has been a very interesting and challenging course, that opened my eyes to new knowledge and to a new way of learing, by being part of an e-learning community. I really appreciated the availability and understanding of the TA (Steve) and of the Instructors (Vic) to help us transition through the course. I hope to finish it next Spring, by sumbitting the missing coursework. Thanks for your flexibility and support. I wish you all the best, and congratulations for putting this course together. I've already recommended it to other fellow collegues. Happy Holidays. Flavia”
Flavia, CERT student, PHCP, Team 9  (TA: Steve), (Internet course, 2004/12/12)
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“With the amount of Discussion Forums in this class and the requirement for only two posts, it would be difficult for each member to be perfect every week. Our group lost a few members to dropping out but I think our group was supportive of each other and had some great ideas.”
(Internet course, 2004/12/07)
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“The format of the class is helpful. I like having a review lecture and question-answer session with the TA after the auditorium lecture. Suzanne is an excellent TA! I like the text we used-- found it relatively easy to understand and concise. I would recommend three things: 1. Show the video for the video-based cancer case the week before the case is being discussed in lab group... so that lab groups who meet directly after lecture can have time to do the case study individually after having seen the video. 2. Hand out the last case study (streptococcus outbreak in a hospital) the week before it is to be discussed so that students can be prepared for lab group. 3. Please do not make the tests any more difficult than they already are. They take a long time-- certainly more than the proposed 8-10 hours-- and are difficult to score well on.”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/02)
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“This was a great class. The structure of the class with the lecture, lab, and breakout sessions really provided a great enviornment to learn in.”
Paul, UNK student, INTI, Team 6  (TA: Suzanne), (Classroom course, 2004/12/03)
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“Thanks for the great class!”
Michaela, student, , Team 13  (TA: Suzanne), (Classroom course, 2004/12/02)
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“We had a great group that flowed well in discussion. Everyone felt comfortable ingiving their opinion and listening to others. This was the best academic group that I have worked with in a long time.”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/02)
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“I felt lucky to have such a hard-working and knowledgable group. The class would have been much less without them.”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/13)
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“thanks for the great effort and instruction. i enjoyed it.”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/01)
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“Suzanne is super!!! She is the best TA I have ever had. Very knowledgable and willing to listen to our questions and help us solve. A special thank-you to whoever put me in Suzanne's group!”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/02)
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“Very good TA! She is always patient and responsible for any questions and for every one. I appreciate her help through this whole semester. I stronly recommend this course to somebody who is interested in Epidemiology.”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/08)
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“Vic and Suzanne were excellent instructors who were always willing to help when it was necessary. I enjoyed their teachings about Epidemiology this semester.”
Kinjel, UNK student, UNDC, Team 14  (TA: Suzanne), (Classroom course, 2004/12/05)
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“Suzanne was a great TA. I TAed for the first time this semester and I didn't do nearly as well as she did. Every lecture period was well-prepared and she nearly always had good answers for our questions. If not, she would check up on it and get back to us.”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/11)
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“a nice course. I got a lot of fun from it.”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/03)
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“This was a great introductory epi course! It was challenging and rigorous and will provide a great base for further work in public health.”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/01)
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“Even though the course had to cover many topics in epidemiology, i feel that it did so in an effective manner. There were times when the information on the website was a little disorganized or difficult to find, but any information provided was not only relevant but also never in short supply. The additional learning materials provided to the class are unparalleled in any other course I have enrolled in at any level of education. The lectures were informative and relevant, I only iwsh they had been more frequent or a little longer. Attempting to compress all necessary course information into 1 hour a week is a tall order, even for the best of instructors. Overall, a beneficial learning experience for me, and a good taste of what epidemiology has to offer.”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/03)
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“Ursula was a great teacher - always available, always willing to find different ways of explaining things when we just didn't get it. She's very positive, and she made lab enjoyable. I also think she instructed us on how to facilitate very well- I know our group had full participation from everyone, in large part because of how she showed us how to facilitate. It got everyone talking, sharing responsibility, and at ease with each other. I wish her the best!”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/03)
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“EPID 160 was a lot of work but I really enjoyed learning about epidemiology.”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/07)
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“I think our small group worked extremely well together. Everyone was always ready and prepared for discussion which helped faciliate the learning of the materials. Our group members were always respectful and encouraged each other. I really enjoyed working with this group.”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/07)
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“Great job. Very organized class.”
(Classroom course, 2004/12/02)
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“Really liked that Ursula had us go around the room and each take a question the first day of class. We used this method and it was a great way to keep people on task and allow for everyone to participate.”
(Classroom course, 2004/11/30)

(An additional 11 comments were received but the students did not authorize their inclusion on the webpage.)

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2004cd, compiled 12/25/2004