| Faculty: | ARTS & SOCIAL SCIENCES | Academic Year: | 2005/2006 |
| Department: | HISTORY | Semester: | 1 |
| Module: | FILM AND HISTORY - GEM2005 |
| Note: | Feedback on module in general |
| Qn | Items Evaluated | Module Avg Score | Nos Responded |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Overall opinion of the module. | 4.284 | 162 |
| 2 | Grade likely to get for the module. | 3.767 | 150 |
| 3 | Difficulty level of the module. | 3.568 | 162 |
QN\SCORE | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Qn 1: Overall opinion of the module. | Excellent | Good | Satisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Poor |
Qn 2: Grade likely to get for the module. | A | B | C | D | F |
Qn 3: Difficulty level of the module. | Very Difficult | Difficult | Average | Easy | Very Easy |
| Nos. of Respondents(% of Respondents) |
| | | ||||||
ITEM\SCORE | | | Excellent | Good | Satisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Poor |
| | | ||||||
Module | | | 68 (41.98%) | 74 (45.68%) | 19 (11.73%) | 0 (.00%) | 1 (.62%) |
Module at Same Level (Dept) | | | 374 (19.12%) | 902 (46.11%) | 601 (30.73%) | 59 (3.02%) | 20 (1.02%) |
Module at Same Level (Fac) | | | 1538 (16.66%) | 4577 (49.58%) | 2710 (29.35%) | 321 (3.48%) | 86 (.93%) |
| Nos. of Respondents(% of Respondents) |
| | | ||||||
ITEM\SCORE | | | A | B | C | D | F |
| | | ||||||
Module | | | 10 (6.67%) | 100 (66.67%) | 36 (24.00%) | 3 (2.00%) | 1 (.67%) |
Module at Same Level (Dept) | | | 194 (10.49%) | 1093 (59.11%) | 517 (27.96%) | 37 (2.00%) | 8 (.43%) |
Module at Same Level (Fac) | | | 1221 (13.61%) | 5505 (61.36%) | 2073 (23.11%) | 146 (1.63%) | 27 (.30%) |
| Nos. of Respondents(% of Respondents) |
| | | ||||||
ITEM\SCORE | | | Very Difficult | Difficult | Average | Easy | Very Easy |
| | | ||||||
Module | | | 9 (5.56%) | 77 (47.53%) | 73 (45.06%) | 3 (1.85%) | 0 (.00%) |
Module at Same Level (Dept) | | | 260 (13.30%) | 855 (43.73%) | 799 (40.87%) | 36 (1.84%) | 5 (.26%) |
Module at Same Level (Fac) | | | 851 (9.22%) | 3982 (43.15%) | 4189 (45.39%) | 188 (2.04%) | 19 (.21%) |
| Q1. | Please comment on the strengths and weaknesses of the module, and suggest possible improvements. |
| 1. | The module is engaging and allows us to be critical of the study of history. It is indeed enriching. |
| 2. | - |
| 3. | na |
| 4. | i like it a lot. the lecturers have done a good job by keeping lectures light hearted and entertaining yet informative. |
| 5. | the module is taken at a relaxed mood, created by both the style of the lecturers and the notion of watching film itself. possible improvements.. popcorn/hotdog stand outside the LT during breaks? :) |
| 6. | It is a very interesting and intriging module. |
| 7. | very good module, include other interesting films which are more recent works |
| 8. | This module was not as easy as it seemed. Difficult to do well even with effort. Probably individual feedbacks for the projects would had been gd so that the student can improve on his subsequent ones. |
| 9. | dfghg |
| 10. | The module is interesting and bring forth some questions that i have never give any thoughts about it. Like how history is autually delivered to us, etc. The module would be better if there is a webcast on the lecture (first half of the lecture without showing the movie). This is because i find it difficult to attend the lecture on time because of the lecture before this module. Then when i reached the lecture hall, it is always filled up with students and find difficulties in looking for a seat in the mid of lecture. |
| 11. | There is very little contact between lecturers and students so it feels very impersonal but I guess that is inevitable given the nature of the course. thE MODULE WAS very difficult for non-history majors. it was difficult to understand the whole concept of history in the rushed time frame. |
| 12. | very interesting with very excellent methods of teaching. =) this module should go on and on and on!!! nothing weak about this module. =) |
| 13. | strength: incentive to go for every lecture as there is a movei screening every week. |
| 14. | great choice of movies, able to learn about history through film. entertaining lectures. interesting project questions that allowed me to reflect on what i have watched. a better guideline on the grading system would be useful, especially about the forum participation. |
| 15. | the films chosen are interesting, although i can hardly tell their relevance to history in general. the focus seems to slant very heavily towards America, and New York City in particular, with no generalisation towards understanding history as a general whole, or in relation to other events in other parts of the world. Also, perhaps the final essay could be due slightly later, and not 2 days after a response paper is due, for the dates are too close. perhaps the final response paper could be substituted by the final essay instead. |
| 16. | very interesting module. excellent lecturers. the movies were mostly good. didnt think that a history module could be this interesting! |
| 17. | Excellent way to teach the concepts of history |
| 18. | interesting films. sometimes students are not clear as to what the lecturers require from the essays. |
| 19. | the strengths: very insightful module, shows us so much we can learn from flims, even the BATMAN movie! the lecturers rock so much i wanna take the mod again! :) the weaknesses: I would think that some of the essay topics were too broad-based.. pretty unclear about the exact agenda too. quite a disadvantage for non-history students. |
| 20. | Fun-filled module! Really enjoyed all the movies and the lecturers are just great! Module really made me think beyond the plot of the movies and I feel that I have become more analytical. Great module! |
| 21. | The module requires us to critic our understanding of the history and how it can be related to the film. An interesting way of learning history. However, some of the films shown can be quite cheesy and retarded. Maybe less cheesy shows can be shown next time around, but still provide the same concepts that the lecturers want us to take home. |
| 22. | interesting films |
| 23. | I find the module fun, but then at the same time, I wonder if if really teaches us anything much about history or even the way history works. I felt the films James Bond, Kill Bill, and Batman were badly chosen, as we barely found them relevant to the project question. |
| 24. | Enjoyed the movies, takes watching movies to a deeper level. But the link between movies and some of the project questions seems abit abstract with regards to the study of history. |
| 25. | A thoroughly interesting and enjoyable module. Wished all modules in University could be like this. Learning takes a more flexible timing, and the assignment workload is reasonable. A refreshing way of learning history through film. |
| 26. | Outstandingly and interestingly difficult to grasp |
| 27. | interesting module. maybe a better lt can be booked next time or either cutting down on the number of people taking the module because students have to sit on the floor to watch the movies. |
| 28. | very fun and effective way of learning history, cool. |
| 29. | This module is great, in the sense that it opens up my eyes to the use of media and how it can be used to convey things like history. It is a real eye-opener, and i thoroughly enjoyed the module. Having said that, I still find this module difficult in the extreme. Sometimes, I am not exactly sure what is required of me, and that makes it very difficult. |
| 30. | Its a more interesting module then others offered at NUS. Encourages, even forces students (through forums which are graded) to give input on opinions of what they have watched. Could have allowed subtitles during movie viewing as some movies, the accents were rather hard to catch. (eg. Godfather) Maybe more guidance could have been given on what students were discussing on the forum and projects. |
| 31. | Interesting module! An insight into history and its inherent conflicts. Very different from the usual history as we know it to be. |
| 32. | Nothing much |
| 33. | no comments |
| 34. | Interesting. |
| 35. | NIL |
| 36. | nil |
| 37. | Funny, interesting but demanding during term time...ALso,questions not specific, time needed to grasp wat the lecturer demands. |
| 38. | the module is a fine example of how a no-exam module should be structured. however i believe the tutors should be more proactive in engaging with the students, rather than wait for the students to drop by their office to ask questions. the tutors should in fact post on the ivle forums and interact with the discussion that's going on. |
| 39. | Interesting module whereby links are extablished between film themes and the concept of history. |
| 40. | the strengths of the module is that it gives students a rather enriching experience if learning. Learning does not conventionally takes place like in the forms of tutorials and examination which i very much prefered it to be like this. Testing students based on continual assessment should be the way of getting most out of the module as it ensures that students do their work conscientiously and in a way, it is more fair. The weaknesses i would think is that the contents of the lectures were touching more on extraneous information about the gepgraphy of the places which we will be encountering in the films. I guess not much were touched on the readings. I am not too sure if i can excactly classify that as a weakness. Perhaps that's what the forums were for but i guess sometimes the lecturers could perhaps reply to some of the questions in the forum to ensure that students are going on the right track? |
| 41. | VERY GOOD USE OF FILMS TO LINK TO HISTORY...VERY ENTERTAINING AND INFORMATIVE AT THE SAME TIME |
| 42. | it would be nice to have discussions... like tutorials every alternate week to aid discussion.. its really not easy to discuss online.. IT may not be good all the time... |
| 43. | The one module that i actually look forward to every week! |
| 44. | The module has taught us to understand how history is open to multiple interpretations, how there are different perspective to the history we actually know, and to question the processes that transformed human experiences into factual, formal history. It has also open my eyes to the alternative forms of history- that history can be in the form of not just an academic journal, but also in forms like films (both popular and documentary) and etc. I applaud this module for having taught us all to be critics to all that we hear, see and perceive. The weakness of the module however is that there is always a mad rush between the last film shown and the deadline for the projects submission. There is to little time in between, plus the essay deadline is very near to one of the deadline for the projects. There is also a huge emphasis on forum discussion. After factoring all this, it which works out to a substantial time spent on the module. The projects are always strictly marked, so it is actually very difficult to score for this module. It is also very hard to write in 500 words all the substantial points for THREE films, as well as to figure out what the lecturers want from us. Thus it becomes very fustrating week after week to see that you are marked down or that u get a bad grade for the project. In all, this is a very interesting, enlightening module, but a very difficult module to score for. The time and energy spent on it does not really equate (nor is it proportionate) to the grade you will get. |
| 45. | Most of the films in the module were movies i have watched before, yet watching them again this time round opened up my mind about alot of areas i previously missed out or didn't pay attention to, and i feel this reflects how much the module has taught me about the very forms of entertainment i take for granted, and also helps me appreciate and critic films in a more knowledgeable way. I think i have taken away alot from it. |
| 46. | no comments |
| 47. | very interesting and interesting lecturesr are a bonus. all in all, a fun module to take and it increases one's ability to sieve thru meanings conveyed thru films. |
| 48. | It allows me to know more about History through films (an interesting way). |
| 49. | I think due to the size of the class, there is almost zero interaction with the lecturers. It would be more interactive if the lecturers drop by different forums occasionally and commented on it. |
| 50. | Strength : Lecturers are able to get the student's attention |
| 51. | very interesting module, a good and fun way to explore the meaning of history, which changes the perspective people usually have of history. very enjoyable lectures and good films shown. great lecturers too! =) the 2 lecturers engage very well with each other and it is also that sort of camaraderie that makes the lessons so enjoyable as well. |
| 52. | One weakness in the module was perhaps the timing of deadline for the main essay. This was shown before the screening of the last two movies, hence reducing the choice of movies we could have selected. |
| 53. | Strengths 1) Humour and relatively short leacture time. Weakness 1) Lectures are too short, do not help in students' understanding of the module. 2) Individual feedback not given to each essay to help. 3) No feedback on forum discussion. 4) REadings provided do not really help. Improvements 1) There should be tutorial sessions to discuss certain difficulties students have. |
| 54. | very interesting. very reasonable. |
| 55. | Humourous ways of teaching. More indepth understanding gained about films and history. Allowed a wide spectrum of thoughts and ways in answering questions. |
| 56. | Great module! Who ever knew there can be so much history just by studying films. Not only does it helps us appraoch history in a interesting way (thru films!), we also explore different issues like memory and "what is real". A definite reccommendation for those who think history is just facts. I hope there would be more exploration after the themed projects that we do, especially after we realise the flaws in our projects. Forum based discussion is great, but shouldn't it be forum based teaching? Could be helpful to do some "instigation" to start discussions going. |
| 57. | interesting |
| 58. | The module is interesting but sometimes I find it difficult to link the themes e.g. Asia in Hollywood to history. |
| 59. | none |
| 60. | it's interesting, I like the way it makes us think about movies. that movies though I would previously think of them as entertaining, this module brings me to think deeper about what really is the director or whta really is the essence of the movie. but I find it a bit scary cause it's all course based... but then that's also one of the things that drew me to take the module |
| 61. | i enjoy the kectures very much. the lectures are very funny and engaging and the content insightful and intersting.. love this module! |
| 62. | I think the modules really makes you think hard about the issues the movies bring up, many a times, things arent what they seems and by the 3rd or 4th movie you know that the first thing that somes to your mind is usually wrong, i liked the module and i loved how they thought us questioning but it is a GEM module after all and i felt that as a science student, i wasnt disadvantaged in a sense because i really didn't know how to approach the questions or write the essays like the arts students had been trained to do..i tried really hard ti improve but within a the span of one sem i could never catch up so i felt a litlle discouraged by that. |
| 63. | it was so much fun doing this module! taught me to appreciate films better, from a different perspective...totally changed what i think films are... i can no longer watch films like i used to!! :) but i feel that the deadlines for the projects need some adjustment so that it's not such a mad rush after the last film of that series... having it due on the following monday instead of friday? |
| 64. | I enjoyed this module very much. The themes used in the module were clear and interesting but perhaps students should be given more direction on essay writing. I understand that the lecturers want more independent critical thinking but we need to at least have a rough hint on how to approach. |
| 65. | This is a great module which has increased my interest in this subject. Using movies to demonstrate their point and make us think is a very effective way and can be entertaining as well. It has also made me look at history not as a memorizing subject but as a humanity subject. |
| 66. | 1. Fun and informative module. 2. For greater flexibility and fun in learning, a list of films for students to vote for viewing during the last lecture, while not compromising the teaching syllabus. Students' involvement in the selection will certainly increase their participation level and intensity. A project essay question like "Why choose over this film and not the rest?" can be included (while linking to the study of History) for greater variety of answers. |
| 67. | na |
| 68. | - |
| 69. | Interesting. |
| 70. | Very very interesting and relax. Teach more related to the film that we watch. |
| 71. | this is the most enjotable module in NUS |
| 72. | Nicely structured with a wide selection of films. Fun and interesting module. Sometimes, the lectures are too short and do not know what is the main point being covered in the lecture. |
| 73. | short comments can be written for each assignment to improve on the others. |
| 74. | very interesting module. enjoyed the module. |
| 75. | Very interesting module on the whole. |
| 76. | Make enterainment academical! |
| 77. | It is History and film, as the profs had said. The Arts student naturally had an advantage over the enginners and science students. It's unfair, but I don't think anyone can change that. Please webcast the lectures, at least the lectures. I alwasy wanted to show others how fun the lectures in NUS can be. |
| 78. | highly interesting module which i'll recommend to all my friends. Treated it as an enrichment rather than an academic module as the lectures and light hearted and informative. Would never watch films the same way i did in the past, the module has made me more critical and look more into films than just the superficial. Great course! But hard to score. |
| 79. | Good presentations and lecture background material relating to the film. But sometimes, I wonder some of the material's relevance to the projects asked. Need more thought to score well. Quite intensive to do 5 projects and 1 essay without specific info given. |
| 80. | Subtitles on the film will prove to be very helpful. |
| 81. | Very interesting, since many are very visually inclined. Through the project question it forces people to think about issues pertaining to history, and through filmic means that have staying power. |
| 82. | Module is interesting and fun. Seats are always not enough. SOme form of enforcement should be in place to prevent students not taking the module from sitting in. |
| 83. | BREATH-TAKING! AWESOME! MUST TAKE MODULE OF THE YEAR! FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS! if you have one mod to take in your life, this is DA ONE TO CATCH! NON-STOP ACTION (and with FULL BLOWN commentary)! |
| 84. | It is very difficult to get an A in this module. The lecturers tend to be unclear in their explanation of the projects and term paper. The class is too big! The forum is helpful, but forum mates tend to write in at the last minute. My suggestion is to keep the class small- more interaction between student and lecturer is needed, definitely would be more helpful. Overall, it is a fun and intriguing module, cool music, awesome lecturers- very liberal- lots of swearing, excellent movies. |
| 85. | Fantastic! Wished there were more of such modules |
| 86. | nil |
| 87. | Perhaps if the Teaching Assistances could step in and be part of the forum discussion, it would be good. Sometimes when the student cannot grasp the key to what the markers are looking for, and there is no one to guide, he/she may continue being lost. |
| 88. | It takes on a different approach to studying history. It taught me how history can be interpreted and analysed in many other ways. The projects were indeed challenging and encouraged creative thought. The two lecturers made a potentially tough module into something enjoyable. |
| 89. | The module is interesting and engaging. However as what you end up discussing in your papers is affected by what and how much you discuss in your forum, it might be better it the forums were assigned moderators that could nudge conversations in the right direction if the forum members were way off base. |
| 90. | Extend the deadline for the projects a little? instead of fri, postpone it to a monday instead? |
| 91. | This module is one that engages a student's critical faculties and is interesting at the same time. Every lecture is different and Prof Gordon and Prof Barnard make lectures interesting. However, some students may find the module taxing as the project deadlines are quite close together. I found the projects that required analysis of 3 films to be slightly easier than analysis of 2 films. |
| 92. | I found the lectures highly entertaining although I do need to pay a bit more attention in finding the important points within it. But I guess that's the fun in learning. |
| 93. | Able to handle, even for non-history students. Brought new insights to the study of history. Despite the forum, discusssions still seems pretty weak. Prehaps, the forum groups should be allocated by the lecturers and not by the students. Many students often reserve seats for their friends. Its fine if it's just one or two seats. But, the entire row of seats are being reserved and it doesn't seem fair for students who came early for lecture. |
| 94. | the timing scheduled for the lecture and film screening is good. Not too long and just the right time to end before students become restless. |
| 95. | This module is very interesting and provokes alot of analytical thinking, at the same time drawing awareness to trends or historical events that we seldom think about. It also increased my general knowledge. However, there are too many projects. Cutting down by one would make alot of difference. Sometimes, it is difficult to use the films to answer the project questions because they are not that helpful. |
| 96. | I found the lecturers very approachable and as a clueless first year struggling with a level 2000 module, help was easily accessible. Prof Gordon was very effective in pointing out my weaknesses. |
| 97. | this is my favourite module of all my five modules because the lecturers are great, the topics are challenging, the movies are good and there are no exams. weakness- nothing. i feel that they demand fair input through regular projects since there are no exams. |
| 98. | By far perhaps the most interesting module! |
| 99. | Very interesting. Get to watch movies that are not so commerical. |
| 100. | Interesting lectures and movies..enlightened me on how films can be used to study history n vice versa... |
| 101. | I really enjoyed this module- not just because we got to watch films, or even the funny professors and very interesting lectures, but because it taught me to view films as social commentaries of the time period they were made in. I learnt alot about history and at the same time had alot of fun doing so! |
| 102. | this module is most interesting to me because of the films that we get to watch every week. the lecturers are very entertaining and i enjoy their lectures the most. the lectures are very light-hearted and relaxing.=) however, the workload was heavier than what i had expected. overall, it's great and fun! perhaps can start on time? |
| 103. | love all the different genres of movie and how they represent certain ideas or concepts. the projects are a little too frequent i think. |
| 104. | It is very fun! Although it is quite hard to score. Maybe there can be detailed comments for projects? |
| 105. | Definitely interesting. But the grading system might need to be changed. Some aren't very proficient at writing essays, especially since it's a GEM module |
| 106. | As a year one student, I am not sure of what is expected of me in writing the essays. Not really sure what some of the essay questions are about, and their relation to history, especially Asia. |
| 107. | attract students but not very helpful for academic purposes. should be more relevant to history |
| 108. | It has style of learning which was pleasantly different from most modules. |
| 109. | overall, i enjoyed this module a lot.. it was fun, the lecturers were highly entertaining and the lectures given helped me better appreciate the films screened as well... though i didnt think putting the deadline for the term paper and proj so close was a good idea... |