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I'm interested in hearing other views on this topic because I really don't know what to think of these Web sites. Therefore, I tend to avoid discussing them which may not be the best practice. Also, most of our students are adult learners so I think the issues may be different than with traditional aged students. When I advised traditional-aged students, I always advised them (if they brought up the topic) to take these sites and the opinions with a “grain of salt” and to try to be critical about what they were reading. My concern is students taking courses because they think it may be easy (same issue with adult learners) instead of taking it because it will stimulate and help them in future courses. Just because one student had a bad experience in a course doesn't mean that twenty-nine other students didn't have a good experience that semester. General education courses can be so subjective so what one student dislikes the next will love, and the same goes with the professor. Richard Brungard, advising program coordinator, Penn State World Campus, January 6, 2009 I personally don't recommend their use, but I'm also fully aware that students are using them. I certainly think that it provides the opportunity to have a conversation with and between students, and I think that they can even potentially serve to build community among students who are all trying to make informed choices about what courses to take. I work with online and distance education students and we are working hard to build community and encourage conversations among our students, preferably in ways that we can monitor. I think if we monitor these conversations and take part in them, it allows us to provide customer service and improve our own communications with students. Shannon Ritter, networks adviser, Penn State World Campus, January 6, 2009 I often talk to students about their learning styles, personality preferences, left-brain/right-brain tendencies. Therefore, when students bring up the topic of a “good” or “bad” professor, I try to frame my response in terms of these issues. Every professor has the potential of receiving both the best and the worst of reviews. If a student is a visual learner and the professor favors an auditory style, the review could be negative. If a faculty member believes in collaborative learning but the student prefers working independently, again, the professor may not be evaluated by that student very positively. I may also point out that the reviews usually only represent a small sample of students who have taken that professor. And as pointed out by a previous contributor, lessons in critical reading and thinking can be woven into the conversation. Donna M. Smith, director, Academic Support Center, The University of Findlay, January 7, 2009 I do not recommend the professor-rating sites, but when students mention them it opens the door for me to explore why they want to use the sites. Often it leads to questions about what the student wants to get out of the class. I also caution students that the information posted may be from unsatisfied students because often satisfied students do not report. Steven Carlisle, academic advisor, Illinois Central College, January 19, 2009 Since a large majority of my students are psychology majors, I like to tell them to put some faith in their observational skills of how the professor acts during the first day or so of class. Show up and see for yourself, in other words. We have a shopping period during the first week when students can easily add or drop a course through the enrollment system. I don't actively discourage them from reading the rating Web sites, but I do tell them that it should be only one part of their decision process. Time of day, day of the week, does it have a lab, online availability, seats available, these all seem to weigh more heavily for my students than who in particular is teaching the class. Not enough times, it seems, but at times genuine intellectual curiosity plays a role, too. Kevin Seymore, senior academic counselor, Oklahoma State University, January 21, 2009 The Mentor is published by Penn State's Division of Undergraduate Studies Available online at www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/ Privacy and Legal Statements | Copyright | © The Pennsylvania State University | All rights reserved | |
