Denham\'s dandy dental dentrafice!
paul zolnierczyk wrote, on 12/1/04 11:33 AM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
I'm a student in Boyd's CSE330 class and I'll be the first to say that the class is a huge pain in the ass. The homework is time consuming and the tests are rigorous, and although i may say Boyd is ridiculous, i appreciate what he's doing. For those of you in his VB class, if you don't need that class as a pre-requisite then you simply chose the wrong teacher for your skill level. For those of you that need VB for a future class, or an individual such as myself that requires CSE330 for future classes, you will be thanking Boyd in the for what he has done. I have friends that are in CSE430 that have taken CSE330 from Dr. O'Grady (who can be classified as an easy A or easy B teacher for that matter) and they are absolutely lost in that class because a majority of the ideas have carried over from CSE330. From what i have heard, Boyd himself has taught CSE430 and was disappointed at the students' lack of knowledge of CSE330 material. If you are not mentally stimulated and forced to struggle in a class, you will not learn and that's all there is to it. If you're failing, it's not Boyd's problem, how come there are students that can get A's, B's and C's? They're devoted to their class and major whereas the students that are failing cannot place blame on themselves but on the professor. So point being, Boyd isn't as bad as all of you believe he is, he's just preparing you for the road ahead, it's not supposed to be easy....this is college.
E Morales wrote, on 11/30/04 12:23 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
All I have to say is that if you didn't do so well on the previous exam and your lookin to blame someone else, think again! For those of you who didn't notice, approximately 60% of the questions from the previous exam are from the midterm. Yet, the average was no different from last time. He practically gave us that exam. That just doesn’t make sense to me.
However…..
As far as other complaints that were previously mentioned, I can understand where you guys are coming from. Boyd is a tough guy. I've taken him in previous courses and I knew very well what I was getting myself into. All I can advise is to do better research on what professor's your taking in the future (If possible). Especially if CS or CSE are not your degree's. The fact of the matter is, is he challenges those who wanna be challenged and opens the door for them to learn a lot more. Trust me, there are other professor's out there who have taught this course and others like it, who fit the profile that the majority of you desire. Everyone here every once in a while wants to take that course that’s the 'easy A', unfortunately that’s not the case here.
All in all, if you didn't do well on exam 2 and your looking to place blame somewhere, look at yourself first.
<Name withheld...> wrote, on 11/15/04 11:02 AM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
It is pretty obvious that there is a problem with Boyd\'s Teaching habits when the the majority of the students are duing extremely poorly in his class. It is also obvioud that we are proforming poorly not due to lack of ambition to suceed in the course but because it seems near impossible to do well in. HE flys through material without emphysis on any particular points leaving us wondering what to study. Also he never alaberates on code in the actual VB program so we can see how it is put together. For Me it is very fustrating to try an assignment that has so many variables we are expected to know how to proform but never taught, leavind me doing an assignment for endless hours and still not complete. The same thing with his tests, he tells us nothing about the depth into which the tests will cover. I go over the material presented to me for the tests and find myself guessing and almost 50 % of the questions. It is by far the hardest most poorly run class i have ever been in and something needs to be done about the man in charge of it.
A Watkins wrote, on 11/11/04 9:55 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
I have read the messages and am puzzled at what the students are hoping to accomplish by bring up these complaints. The fact of the matter is that there are many students that are frustrated and at the end of their rope, worried about the grades that they may be receiving. In fairness to them, the material has been a bit tough to follow. The class discussions talk about one thing and the homework assignments have asked for something completely different. I have always found that homework should help to concrete the material in the students head. This has not been the case so far in the class. There was one case where the assignment required code that was not even talked about in the text. Professor Boyd is a knowledgeable man and very good at what he does, with the exception of this class. I spent nine years in the Marine Corps and taught over 1500 Marines how to be leaders. I personally have led men into combat several times, and I have learned that it’s one thing to be able to do something, but unfortunately not everyone can teach what they know. If over half of the people are unable to master something, then that is an indication of the instruction. The material was not passed in a way that those that were intended to learn it were able to understand. I personally have left class on many occasions angry, because of the thought that I felt inadequate and that there was something that I was doing wrong. I am obviously not the only on that is frustrated with this class.
<Name withheld...> wrote, on 11/11/04 3:38 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
I have read through all the previous posts and am in agreement with their thoughts and feelings (except the personal interactions that I was not present for). Although, I'm not surprised about the results of those either.
I have no programming experience except that which I have painstakingly gained through this class. The first two homework assignments were tough for me simply because I didn't understand what all was going on with the syntax. After that, I was able to slog my way through the other assignments (no thanks to the in-class instruction) if I had a WEEK to fight with it. However, the last two assignments have been rather difficult...to the point that I have given up. Thank God Chris was able to offer some assistance or I would've turned in an "F"-deserving program.
I find it annoying to show up to class, sit there for the hour and 15 minutes that it lasts, then walk out feeling like I've wasted my time as very little can be applied to the homework. I get the feeling Mr. Boyd has very little interest in the class. The slides are almost verbatim from the text, and very little useful discussion is conducted about the information on those slides, in regards to the homework, if at all.
The past two tests have been very discouraging. I squeaked by, getting an average grade on the first exam. This inspired me to study harder on the second test, but to no avail. I received a "D" on the second test. (Not sure if this was average or not as Mr. Boyd said the class average was a "D", but the percentage was 54%???)
At any rate, I feel like we students are getting the short end of the stick in this class. The instruction is inadequate for the assignments (or is just plain inapplicable), and the tests are a poor reflection of the students' understanding of the material. I think I've come to understand many of the concepts, but I can't brag about my memory. So when the "exercises in memorization" (a.k.a. - the exams) are administered, I haven't done well.
I've heard people say "A good student will find a way to succeed." That may be, but in this case, it's a bit too much to ask of someone for an introductory class at the 100 level! I am seriously entertaining the idea of withdrawal. I have NEVER withdrawn from a class in my life.
<Name withheld...> wrote, on 11/11/04 12:26 AM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
Tom Boyd is a man I respect as a person. As a professor on the other hand is something I am having a little trouble with. He reads through these slides by the publisher and does not even get into examples of the material. He gives us code snippets of each individual function but never shows us how to put them together or how to make them actually work. It was proven in one assignment after spending hours on the assignment only to find what was written in the book dosn't work in the program. Not everything works the way it is suppose to. Tom is a smart man that understands the material. What he dosn't seem to understand is that he is teaching it to some students like myself that have no idea how to program. I have a B in the class only because I have worked myself to death. He gives us these real ambiguous assignments that I have not been able to write one of without help. His policies change from one assignment to the next. People were penalized for using material we hadn't been over on one assignment but we were expected to use material we hadn't been over on the next assignment. He is a programmer, not a teacher. I don't know what to say, none of these comments are going to help us, as the current students, out when it comes to grades so it is kind of irrelevant for my sake. Regardless, its my opinion. I will say though the class is not impossible. I think it just takes more work than some of these people are willing to put into it. And to be honest a lot of them need to quit complaining and just do some work. Like I said I only have a B because I am getting three hours of sleep a night because the amount of work I put into this one class.
Tom Boyd wrote, on 11/10/04 7:39 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
If you have a formal complaint contact:
Jim Collofello
Associate Chair for Undergraduate Programs James.Collofello@asu.edu
BY 552
965-3733
-Tom
Joshua Curry wrote, on 11/10/04 7:38 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
Warning, this is VERY long. I am going to start the same way as many students, with my credentials. I am in the Barrett Honors College, I am dual majoring in Accounting and CIS and will probably, class time permitting, get an international certificate. Not to brag but I am bright. I am here on scholarship and that is the only reason I’m here at all. I have studied and worked harder for his class than I have for my honor’s exclusive classes and am still getting a lower grade. That being said… Here are my complaints. On the assignment with drawing circles we never learned to draw them and while he wanted us to use the help feature he never said we would have to, this left those of us who haven't programmed before trying to draw circles inside of the rectangles that we had learned about (until Chris saved us on the discussion board). In general with assignments he never teaches us how to integrate the different elements but simply addresses them individually and moves on. With the last assignment this left me unsure of when to resize the array versus writing the lines into it, versus restarting the loop, etc. Just pointing this out because it may seem obvious to those who have programmed before but it is not for the rest of us. Second getting angry about our comments about his tests, such as calling the one kid (don't know his name) Son, and dragging Owen out of class yelling at him and then answering his question is very unprofessional. Had Owen been in the wrong he would not/ should not have answered his question at all. And not correcting a question that we can prove wrong with his own handwriting? I don’t even know what to say. Thirdly, his office hours on the website are wrong, as pointed out by someone else, yet he made no effort to correct this, or to inform the class that it was incorrect. And if that isn't a hint that he does not want to interact with his students I don't know what is. I agree that the text is horrible, but then why does he rely on it so much? If you look at “his†slides and notes they are merely summarized if not direct copies of portions of the book. Thirdly, I have no qualms with those of you that have programmed before but from a perspective that hasn’t he seems to spend a lot of time talking either directly to you about stuff that has no relevance to the class, or talking ahead of himself and not fully explaining everything for those of us who are new. I understand that he may not like teaching lower classes (actually if he is here for research purposes he may not like teaching at all) but that does not give him the right to neglect his duties to us. Normally if I was doing this poorly in a class I would go ask for help, but after watching him interact in class I am actually afraid to. I agree I have seen days where he seems outgoing, but these are rare, and these also seem to be the days that he ignores those of us that are new to programming. Now about prerequisites; this class has none. I do have general knowledge of the Microsoft office applications but that is it, and that is all the class description says you needs. Yet I am drowning. His “flowchart†examples were quick with no talking about exactly what he was looking for or how to put them together. We were forced simply to guess. It is a 100 level intro course and yet he backs his arguments by saying that we have to be that specific in the upper courses yet there are some of us in the class that are not programming majors, a concept that I don’t think he has realized. Also I agree his discussion board rules are way too restrictive. He said he made the assignments such a small part of our grade because it is so easy to cheat and then restricts us to the point that cheating is sometimes the only way to figure things out. I can understand not posting answers but if we can’t figure out what is wrong with our code why can’t we post it to get help or better explain our problem? It’s not like someone is going to copy a code that they know has problems with it. With respects to his “scale†grading. The reason I don’t like it is because we all know that it will be set by on of you with a lot of knowledge in programming (not complaining, just stating) and also that the others that get A’s will be those that already know what they are doing. Just another way that the class is curved to those of you with previous knowledge. Personally I believe that if you already know everything taught in the course you all should be the A+ students (assuming he was on the +/- system) and the rest of us should at least get a chance at an A- or A. Not be forced to get a B simply because a portion of the class already knows what they are doing. For those of you that have programmed before I ask you to stand up as I believe that your voices would speak much louder than those of us that are completely lost. If there is anything I can do let me know.
<Name withheld...> wrote, on 11/10/04 5:46 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
Well, I have a little different scenario to talk about. I started the class 2 weeks late because another teacher promised to add me to the class if I attended for two weeks to show that I was serious about the class, then he didn't add me. So, I come into the class without all of the prelimiary knowledge that everyone else received. When I asked the professor what I needed to know in order to catch up in the class, having already heard of the ineffectiveness of the text, he just responded with "Read the Text". Since then I have been totally lost in the class and have been shut down or evaded by the professor whenever asking for help. Its so bad now that I haven't attended for the past two weeks and am dropping the class.
Paul Phelps wrote, on 11/10/04 5:26 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
I posted above but I forgot a few things:
In general I am an A student. If I study I can pretty much always get an A or a B on tests. This is not the case in this class. I studied for two hours for the first test and got an 82%. Disappointed, I studied for about 6 hours for the second test. I still got an 80%. I did not feel the concepts emphasized on the test were relevant to the assignments or to what was emphasized in class.
Overall, the test average has dropped from the first test from already bad 66% to a ridiculuous 54%. I can't imagaine any reason why a class should average a 54% on a test except for poorly written tests and inadequate instruction.
Paul Phelps wrote, on 11/10/04 5:19 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
I know I have been very frustrated this entire course. I don't feel like even 50% of the material that appears on tests and assignments is covered in class. Professor Boyd brushes over topics, but the actual programming is not taught. I always leave class feeling like I still wasn't taught how to implement specific programming skills that appear on assignments.
I have also been less than pleased with Professor's Boyd's response to questions and test
explanations. His discussion board respones are often one or two words that clearly show a lack of interest in helping students who are actively seeking assistance.
This week I asked a question on how file names should be input in a program. Professor Boyd responded "just type a file name." This of course doesnt clarify things at all. He may as well have not responded at all.
I have asked questions about previous tests and assignments and I defintely felt Professor Boyd was not interested in helping. On the last test I found a mistake on a question where the refrence page provided by the professor word for word quoted the answer I had argued for. Professor Boyd dismissed this saying it was too late for this arguement to be true. I never knew correct answers are only valid for a limited time.
I feel like this class, and especially the tests are not designed to test VB knowledge but to trip up students on minor details that are neither emphasized in class or central to programming.
Mr. X wrote, on 11/10/04 3:59 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
Sadly I feel I need to withhold my name as I may possibly have to take this teacher in the future. So disgression being the better part of valor, I need to remain anonymous. That said...
I have taken 2-1/2 years of college courses now, my lowest grade ever was 3.75 and that was only once, otherwise 4.0 all the way. I'm not bragging, just setting up my commentary: I am doing only average in this class and I am beating my brains in trying to get through it. T. Boyd may be an OK guy in personal circles, but as a professor he leaves something to be desired. Not to say that the cirriculum he is forced to teach isn't flawed -it is! The book is inadequate. It seems to intentionally omit important facts and information necessary to complete homework assignments, which are a large part of the grade; assignments that (no doubt) come as part of the book's teaching guide. In fact, the only good thing about the book is that it came with a full version of .NET.
My specific complaints about the teacher/classwork are:
- poor communication on behalf of the teacher and TA
- poorly designed homework assignments with very little references/help in the book for some asignments.
- a forum that does not allow discussion of code, which would be most beneficial.
- questions unanswered (sometimes deservedly others not) on the discussion board.
- direct questions through email or on the board are met with short/evasive/riddle-like/no answers.
- Exams questions are intentionally worded to offer very similar options. The exams are designed to trick the student over test understanding the concepts of Object Oriented Language.
Now a word about the examinations. The extreme drop in grade average from high 60's to 55 indicates there is an issue. Many poor performing students have dropped the class since the last exam, the expectation would be a similar or elevated number. Right? The better performing students are left and still grades sropped significantly. To me this indicates a wide gap between what students should be learning and what the exam is testing. As we can figure out, the exams come from the publisher of the book, a book that is largely inadequate. As I mentioned the questions themselves are very tricky and intentionally misleading.
Another issue I want to discuss is the air of hostility that looms over the class, especially after the exams. It is natural to be upset when you really study hard and net a grade in the 60s or worse. After exam 2 I expected either the teacher or class to walk out. T. Boyd wasn't happy about the grades and neither were the students. The test/grading issue needs to be addressed, if not this class, then the next CSE181 class. One strange thing is during some classes T Boyd seems relaxed and smiles and is quick, even eager, to explain things. So he can't be the sole reason for the problems. Does this make sense?
Now I am going to play devils advocate. I'm going to put myself into T Boyds shoes. Lets say he is a lecturer under contract and told to teach this class with the materials he is given. He has no choice but to plod along through material that he doesn't like and doesn't agree with. Can he say anything to us about it? No. It would be disasterous. He can't say that the material is flawed or inadequate or poorly structured. So maybe, at least possibly this is not entirely his fault. I at least want to have that possibility exist in students minds.
Another thought is T Boyd may just not be up to teaching a beginner class. I have noticed he keys in on the existing programmers in the class and somewhat teaches to them. He seems to like to/want to teach at higher level. Who knows, maybe he's good as a 400 level teacher working with students that are already quite educated in languages.
My closing comments are things I have heard/overheard from other students who already know how to program. The overwhelming theme is that they don't know how students are able to complete the homework assignments. These people know structured languages, they understand what they are hearing class and see in the book and even they feel the homework assignments would be very difficult if not impossible for a beginner. I agree. It does not make a student feel good or boost self esteem or learn when they cannot complete a homework assignment because it differs from the book material signifigantly enough. I feel bad for those students as they are not getting their money's worth, killing their GPA, losing self confidence all in one fell swoop.
T Boyd did address the grade issue by claiming he does not scale exams. I personally don't like scaled exams, but in this case it seems necessary to keep good students from going underwater. Many students need this class to get into the business school and will be judged I think unfairly.
This forum so far isn't a slam fest, jump on T. Boyd, get even with him forum. I appreciate that. I hope comments continue to be focused and directed at percieved problems in the classroom.
...I hope the host/provider isn't keeping logs of IP addresses (I know, they are). One threat and all our identities could/would have to be revealed.
Owen Grove wrote, on 11/10/04 2:43 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
Where to start. I guess I'll share one of my personal anecdotes. I am sure many of you will remember the little altercation me and Boyd had at the beginning of test 2. I wanted to ask him a question about one of the true/false questions. When I first read it, i couldn't tell whether it was asking one thing or another. Obviously when the questions is either true or false, I need to know exactly what it is asking. I called Boyd over to clear up the ambiguity. His answer for me was to simply read the question back to me. Obviously that didnt help, so I tried my question again: "Is the question asking this, or is the question asking that?" Plain and simple. He told me I should know what it is asking. Obviously if I knew, I wouldnt be asking him a question!!! Then he told me to read it again, and walked away. This of course ticked me off. I raised my voice and asked him why he always ambiguously answered his students? He snapped back at me, "I don't!" I told him, "You never truely answer any questions, you just take the question for a ride. Don't just blow my question off like that!" He snapped. He stomped away and told me to get outside. He proceeded to tell me what "bullshit" that was and that he will kick me out of class. I just asked him why he couldnt answer my question. Long story short, he finally answered my question. Apparently there was an answer! How novel is the idea of listening to your students?!?
I have more stories to tell of course, but I will save them for a rainy day. In closing, I would like to second, or third, or fourth, the notion that the tests are rediculous. They don't test our grasp of the material whatsoever. It seems moreso to test how well we know the ins and outs of the text. ie what was the second word on p. 145, third line down?
<Name withheld...> wrote, on 11/10/04 2:30 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
My only complaint about this class, and it is not really about Professor Boyd, is that it is only a 100-level class and it is quite possibly the most difficult and frustrating class I have ever taken. I believe that Professor Boyd does grade fairly and he knows his stuff, it is just that the assignments and tests are dispraportionately difficult for a 100-level class and he doesn't really accomodate for this or recognize it. It's possible that I may be the only one in this class who is satisfied with their grade, but that is not to say that I don't think the fact this is only a 100-level class is a bit of a misnomer. I think there probably should be another pre-req class before this that only covers programming concepts in an introductory sort of way. That way students could have a background in the concepts necessary to be succesful in this class.
Wanda Casillas wrote, on 11/10/04 2:29 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
not to ring my own bell or anything, but i'm not a stupid person. in fact i've spent most of my life as an honor student and consider myself a quick learner. this is going to be the first class i get lower than a B in EVER. in fact I'm going to fail. even after Boyd presented his "scaled-down" grading model, I still fell into the failing percentile thanks to the exams. then i started having issues with assignments. lo and behold, lab help suddenly started never being available and of course, Boyd himself was unavailable. so i did what anyone else grade concerned would do, i hired a tutor. Not Chris, but a good friend of mine who programs for a living. we went over assignments and prepped for tests, and i still failed the second test. Also, keep in mind i work full time and go to school full time and make frequent trips to the North of the state to visit sick relatives. I don't have an exceptional amount of time to dedicate to this 100 level class. often, alternate office hours and lab hours fell during work shifts and couldn't be planned around. there is even often conflict with my personal tutor who is also a full time student and works full time. But the bottom line really is, I shouldn't have to be working this incredibly hard for something with so little pay off. so I've stopped. I've refused to turn the last two assignments in because i have 3 other upper division courses that need my attention, and a family to take care of. I come to class and intend to take the exams. I read the material and experiment with the concepts, but I'm not going to put all of my effort into something that I will inevitably fail, and not by my own fault.
<Name withheld...> wrote, on 11/10/04 2:22 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
CSE 181 is supposed to be the next class taken after CSE180. Everyone knows how easy 180 was not doing any programming. The only prerequisite for CSE181 was 180. Having only worked a minuscule amount with any programming software, I find Mr. Boyd's class very difficult. Coming to class seems a waste of time as I receive more instruction on how to code from the lab assistants than I do from watching Mr. Boyd read slides from the publishers website. Hopefully all these discouraged voices are heard by a department head.
Brad Rumack wrote, on 11/10/04 1:20 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
Hi all. I just wanted to say to those that have never had a programming class before that from my viewpoint this class is being taught like we all have some sort of background in programming. Being an introductory class, I think Boyd should have spent a little more time on syntax structure and logic. I myself have had about 2 years experience in varoius languages and I have found some details of our assignments to be a little difficult at times.
I really don't have anything to say about lack of dedication or interest Boyd has in teaching this course. I've never dealt with him personally, but with the amount of difficulty It sounds like a lot of you are having and the attmepts you are all making to get help, a passive attitude on the professor's part can be quite harmfull, and irrisponsible. I'll keep myself posted on whats going on with all this.
Brad
<Name withheld...> wrote, on 11/10/04 1:16 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
I took two semesters of java, and they were both better than this class. I have (almost) no problems with the VB programming (if I had not taken java, this course would be much, much harder for me). The tests are what get to me. It's as if the testing materials have nothing to do with the assignments that he gives. I dunno, it's almost like the testing material is so specific that no real programmer would know it.
Also, Boyd says the last test average was a D. I wasn't aware that a 27.33/50, a 54.66%, was considered a D.
Chris Cardinal wrote, on 11/10/04 1:16 AM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
This site was created as a simple way for students to collect their thoughts about a very specific problem. I've heard at least 10 students say the word "petition": This is never a good thing. Let's hear what you have to say!
Chris Cardinal wrote, on 11/10/04 1:08 AM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
Yesterday, I received my grading sheet back for assignment #8. I disagreed with a few points that had been deducted, and as I had before when this happened, emailed Boyd to request a grading change. Last time this happened, he accepted my request and made the change.
This time, he told me that the proper procedure was to contact the grader. I replied saying that I could not find the grader's email address anywhere on the site, and I still cannot.
Here's the series of emails:
From: Tom Boyd [mailto:tboyd@asu.edu]
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 10:47 PM
To: 'Chris Cardinal'
Subject: RE: Assignment #8 Grading Change Request
Chris,
The procedure to follow is to contact the grader.
-Tom
From: Chris Cardinal [mailto:chris@originalityisoverrated.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 8:04 PM
To: 'Tom Boyd'
Subject: RE: Assignment #8 Grading Change Request
Dear Professor Boyd-
Again, I am rather eager to have my grade appeal examined and am not sure where I can contact the grader at. You handled my last discrepancy, so I was under the impression that you would handle this one as well, considering your wording on the Assignment grade posting announcement on BlackBoard.
Please assist me with this matter before the grace period expires.
Thanks again,
--Chris
From: Tom Boyd [mailto:tboyd@asu.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 8:16 PM
To: 'Chris Cardinal'
Subject: RE: Assignment #8 Grading Change Request
Chris,
Start with the TA.
-Tom
From: Chris Cardinal [mailto:chris@originalityisoverrated.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 8:23 PM
To: 'Tom Boyd'
Subject: RE: Assignment #8 Grading Change Request
I would like to contact the TA but to do this, I will need their email address. My grader was Hemal. Can you provide me with their email address so I can get in contact with them? Or simply review my appeal yourself? It's rather simplistic in nature, and the program I delivered worked as described.
Thanks again,
--Chris
From: Tom Boyd [mailto:tboyd@asu.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 9:13 PM
To: 'Chris Cardinal'
Subject: RE: Assignment #8 Grading Change Request
Chris,
Check the web pages.
-Tom
From: Chris Cardinal [mailto:chris@originalityisoverrated.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 9:56 PM
To: 'Tom Boyd'
Subject: RE: Assignment #8 Grading Change Request
I have, several times, and find no mention of their email addresses. This seems like a great deal more work than just telling me when I can contact them directly, or to consider the change on your own. I'm not trying to be rude, but I would like to get this handled.
Thanks for your help.
--Chris
From: Tom Boyd [mailto:tboyd@asu.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 9:58 PM
To: 'Chris Cardinal'
Subject: RE: Assignment #8 Grading Change Request
OK Chris,
Enough of this nonsense! Do not send me another email unless you have a legitimate personal reason to contact me. You will find Hemal's email where it has been all semester. Now go find it!
-Tom
-------------------------------------------------
Suffice to say, I'm completely confused by this sudden "change in policy". I'm not sure why he won't simply deliver to me the email address of the grader (Hemal), but he seems determined not to, for reasons completely beyond me.
If any of you have experienced times where you were required to request a grading change, what was your experience? Forgive me for emailing this to you, but I feared censorship on the discussion boards, and needed to know what "process" other students have followed. From his initial dislike of me at the beginning of class, I have purposefully largely fallen off the radar, attempted to act as respectful as possible, and not spoken up about anything, effectively. I see no reason why he should treat me with "digital yelling" to go find things I would assume would take him less than thirty seconds to send to me. Even more confusing when you consider *he* was the one who handled my grade change last time around.
Thoughts? Comments? Et cetera?
Please share your experiences or thoughts about this class, grade changes, Boyd's teaching style, and the like. If you prefer not to receive *any* email from me, do tell, I won't send again.
<Name withheld...> wrote, on 11/9/04 10:29 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
I think Boyd is a horrible teacher, and I believe we should create a petition to have him fired or the grades dismissed due to his lack of teaching skills and efforts.
<Name withheld...> wrote, on 11/9/04 9:17 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
I contacted the grader about a grading mistake that was made on a previous assignment. The grader added wrong and screwed me 1 point. I contacted the grader, and it was remedied.
I think Boyd is the kind of teacher who does the least amount of work possible. This is evident it the grading done by TA's, the one sentence replies on email and chatting, and his hostility towards anyone who might make him do something outside of just coming to class. He was not interested in talking much about the test (average grade was a low D), probably because he doesn't write the tests himself.
I have been frustrated in the class because I have no experience in programming, I cant understand the TA's thick accent when seeking help, and Prof. Boyd does not exactly come off as welcoming to students needing help ( I can here him saying "Ask the TA!") I am a little pissed that the majority of the students in the class have experience in programming, even though this is the 1st (lowest level) programming class as ASU. I feel that these assignments and tests are more focused toward those experienced programmers. Oh well.
There's not much I can do about it without starting a war against ASU's policies. I know you have experience in college so you already know this, but pursuing this matter wont get you anywhere. Of course if you bring this issue to him or the school, it's not like he'll grade your work even harder because he isn't even the one giving the grades (^_^)
-
Brian Kozan wrote, on 11/9/04 8:49 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
Boyd is absolutely amazing. On his webpage under "Course Documents" he has a link to a word file labeled "Instructor Office Hours". I went to these office hours and he was never there during the posted times. I emailed him very respectfully to ask him when and where would be best to meet with him. I was treated with the same disrespect when he refused to say anything other than "check the website". We also had many emails back and forth and he became more short and rude with each one. I finally ran into him in the halls and I was able to speak with him.
Turns out, there was a typo and the link labeled "Instructor Office Hours" was actually linked to the hours which he was teaching classes.
He made no attempt to apologize for the misunderstanding even though it caused me to receive a very poor grade on the assignment. He also has made no attempt to correct the website.
A co-worker of mine is taking a 300 level class with Boyd and has been telling me all semester of stories which make yours seem like nothing.
If you are interested I can have him give you some accounts. I believe someone in his class had written up some kind of formal complaint to the university and was having classmates sign as sort of a petition.
It is obvious to me by these stories as well as his attitude during class that he does not enjoy teaching. He has no interest in the well being of his students and does not put forth a level of effort that is on par with the tuitions which we pay.
If there is anything else I can do to help please let me know. I am also curious to know how many replies you get like mine. We can't be the only students whom were treated with such disrespect.
<Name withheld...> wrote, on 11/9/04 8:36 PM | Add Yours | Jump to Next Post | Jump to Previous Post | Back Home
personally, i am lost in the class, and i think we should get a complaint going against the class, let me know what others think and what i can do to help!