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vgaffney's picture

Mid-Semester Evaluation

 Looking Backwards—

So far I’ve found many aspects of the class to be quite productive. As someone who is not as comfortable participating (especially in a large classroom) I have found the dialogue structure to be very helpful. I think the way the class is conducted overall in terms of discussion is working quite well and have found the on-line postings surprisingly engaging and worthwhile. Individually, I feel I should work more on participating in the discussions within the classroom, but I do feel I’ve gained a lot from the both the in class and online discussions.

As a group I think the discussions are generally effective in getting the majority of the class to participate. I think sometimes too much time is spent on business at the very beginning of class which can make the start of a conversation seem a bit forced or rushed. I realize that business is important and relevant, but perhaps maybe this process could be sped up a bit at the beginning of class. I thought the panels were very engaging, but could have been a bit more structured which would have allowed for a more directed discussion, possibly making it even more productive.

I’ve learned a good deal individually through the combination of readings and class discussions. As a group I think everyone in the class has gained a lot from hearing their peers’ opinions on the material covered in the readings and class.

Looking Forwards—

There is definitely a good deal more to learn within the domains of gender, information, science and technology, and the intersections. I would be interested in looking more at scientific advancements and their various implications for gender and other aspects of society. Although very lengthy, I am intrigued by the book Godel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter. Perhaps the class could read a few excerpts. The author himself calls the book: "a metaphorical fugue on minds and machines in the spirit of Lewis Carroll", which instantly reminded me of this class. From what I know of the book there’s a really interesting structure which employs metaphorical language and touches on a variety of related issues in computer science, cognitive science, and philosophical thought. I’m also fairly certain there’s an interesting discussion on gender near the beginning of the book. 

 

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