Hist 201

Nearly all students thought highly of the course, describing it positively. Only nine were negative.

Teaching: A very clear trend emerged. Students thought that Colin Davis: had a formidably thorough knowledge of the subject matter (some said too thorough, and felt intimidated by it): was an excellent lecturer, but allowed too little time for discussion of the subject matter. This particularly came out in the organisation of tutorials, where, further, it was felt that having the tutorials related to the essay topics meant that only students who had done that essay would participate.

Content: No clear trends appeared here. Some common remarks included: criticism of the workload as too heavy for a 4 credit course; too much concentration on the complex detail of historical events in chronological order, with suggestions for more "analysis", more "thematic approach" and more in depth studies of particular topics. It was further felt that there was not enough scope for students to investigate areas they are personally interested in; and that there was too much emphasis on knowledge for the exam.