Adjunct Instructor
Brigham Young University - Idaho (September 2017 - December 2018)
Department of Psychology
For four consecutive semesters, beginning in the Fall 2017 semester, I taught an introductory psychology course (PSYCH 111: General Psychology) at BYU-I (8 sections in total). This was an in-person lecture style course (~120 students per section), for which I developed all course curriculum and materials, including slides, assignments, and assessments (see Teaching).
Summary of Course Evaluations
Quantitative Summary:
a) Average Overall Instructor Ratings by Section between Fall 2017 – Fall 2018
b) Average Overall Course Ratings by Section between Fall 2017 – Fall 2018
During my time as an adjunct faculty instructor in the Psychology Department at BYU-Idaho, my average (a) instructor and (b) course ratings for PSYCH 111 were consistently rated between “Very Good” and “Excellent”. Additionally, my overall instructor and course ratings increased despite my increased teaching load between Fall 2017 and Fall 2018. Importantly, my ratings are consistently higher across all three sections in Fall 2018 than in Fall 2017, demonstrating a stable overall positive trajectory of improvement within a 1-year time frame (Dec 2017 - Dec 2018).
Qualitative Summary:
Strengths
- Clear Structure and Expectations: Students consistently noted that my course was well-organized, expectations were clear, and that the syllabus and schedule were straightforward.
- Effective Exam Preparation: Students appreciated my study guides, test review sessions, and fair exams.
- Relatable Examples & Humor: Students appreciated my use of pop culture references and humor in my lectures and test questions, which they reported reduced their test anxiety and made concepts easier to remember.
- Approachable and Caring: Students described me as kind, respectful, easy to communicate with, flexible, and genuinely concerned about student success and learning.
Areas for Improvement
- Delivery and Engagement: Some students critiqued my presentation skills and expressed a desire for more opportunities for group work, class discussion, and additional hands-on activities like the chicken lab.
- Additional Insight: Some students felt that my approach to focusing on material in the textbook was too orthodox and believed that they would have more incentive to attend class if I incorporated more supplementary content.
- Incentivized Attendance: I didn’t take attendance, causing some students to feel that there was little incentive to attend class.
- Experience: Some students felt that if I was more experienced, I would be better prepared to respond to questions and help to keep the class focused when some students asked off-topic questions.