Unfold Those Tears

Questionnaire 1) Age? How dare you ask !? …ok I’m an old f@rt ..42 !! 2) Sex? Don’t give a silly answer here …….ok sensible one coming up ….no ..still fighting the urge to give a silly answer Ok .. ready .. Male ( now that wasn’t so difficult was it !? ) 3) What is your degree subject (both if joint)? Creative Professional Writing and Film Studies ( ok I’m being sensible now ! ) 4) Does ‘Being Bad’ relate well to the other modules you are taking? Only partially 5) (a)If so, how? Some of the assignments are film & creative writing orientated (b)And if not, why not? With such a low word count on the essays there is no real opportunity to be creative 6) Have you found ‘Being Bad’ too demanding, too easy, or at an appropriate level? Far too easy , I think the only difficult part is trying to decipher out of the 300 options which essay you are supposed to do for assignment 2 and 3 7) Do you think the list of topics covered on the module was appropriate? Yes. There are others that could be included that I notice some people have put on their blogs … ooops I have started answering the next question 8) Are there any topics not included in the module that you would like to see included? ( click on links through to other peoples blogs ) Ok here’s a few that are not on the weekly program on wolf e.g. Terrorism , Drugs , Murder , Domestic Violence , Rape , Sex with lecturers – these are just some of the topics I have seen on other blogs that weren’t included . 9) Do you think that the format for classes has worked well? No , definitely not . I think the idea of a having a different lecturer each week is counter productive . On the one hand I can see the point that you are bringing in expertise from different fields but I think it just added to the disruptive nature of the lectures. 10) What did you think of the module team? I hope this does not affect my mark too much ! – I am being honest here and trying to be diplomatic. I think it was extremely variable . 11) Do you think it would have been better to have had more: (a) Small group discussions? Yes , undoubtedly (b) Discussion and debate among the class as a whole? No , I think with a room of 250 people baked at oven mark 7 with poorly designed AV equipment it was always going to be a difficult one . I have always thought it was rude for students to (a) arrive late ( I can be just as guilty of all of these too ! ) ( b) leave during the middle of a lecture (c) talk continually during a lecture ( d ) not turn up without an apology. But somehow the subject ‘being bad’ seems to have been misunderstood as the pre-requisite to take the module! – but hey I’m just a grumpy old man! ( c) Information and talk from lecturers? Occasionally inaudible, quite often exceedingly boring. I know am going to get a bad mark at this rate now . Everyone else’s questionnaire has been so positive! Maybe I’m not being diplomatic, certainly in discussions with other students the term ‘being boring’ has been branded about. (12) The approach taken in the module is interdisciplinary (drawing on perspectives from English Literature, Film Studies, Creative Writing, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies and Politics): do you think this a useful way of approaching the topics covered in the module? Yes, I think the idea is good but I don’t think it worked. (13) Do you think that interdisciplinary modules are a good idea? Yes definitely, if it can be made to work. (14) Do you think you have benefited from the interdisciplinary approach taken in the module? Yes. I have interests in all subjects so it was nice to have that opportunity to engage in other areas of the HLSS arena. (15)Would you like to see more modules that cover this kind of subject matter? No. (16) Are you planning to take the follow-up module PH2004 ‘It Shouldn’t Be Allowed’ at level 2? No. Think I might be banned after you read this questionnaire! Plus I want to concentrate on my core subjects of Film and Creative Writing but would look to add either pure War Studies or Politics in as an elective so maybe it has opened my eyes up to other opportunities. (17) Would you recommend ‘Being Bad’ to a friend? No. It was however recommended to me! That’s the last time I listen to that person’s advice (only kidding). Actually to be honest it’s not been that bad (to use a pun) but it’s been more of a disappointment, I guess with the subject matter I thought it would be really good and it’s only been okay. Sometimes in life its better to have high hopes low expectations because when you have high expectations you rarely are satisfied. Wow there’s some philosophy for you! Also I think the whole of semester 2 has been less ‘fun’ than the first semester I loved the craft of writing so much and used to look forward to that lecture like my children look forward to Christmas but sadly nothing has come close since. I know im not alone in thinking this way others have said it too. (18) Do you think that the blogs (web logs) were a good idea? Yes. Without a doubt the best part of the module for me. I will continually write blogs from now on – only wish id kept up with mine and I’d made some entries during April – running out of days now! (19) What did you think of the other assessments (e.g. would it be better to have one longer assessment rather than two shorter ones?)? Far too complicated and confusing, too many choices – maybe a flow chart would help!? If you’ve done this essay and you are doing this course you need to do …help – which one!? – So you could end up doing the wrong essay and effectively get a fail for misunderstanding the system! Also the word counts are too small to give the opportunity to write anything creative (repeating myself here! ) you end up having to edit it down so much that your dialogue and characterisation disappears. The turn around time for marking needs to be addressed too – some people haven’t got their marks for the first essay yet and there’s only 24 hours left till they have to hand in the next essay with nothing on e-vision. I think I have definitely made my own noose now! On a positive note – I like the idea of the freedom to be able to explore other avenues that give people the opportunity to make a short 5 minute video on masturbation (okay I’m making that bit up!) but there are videos, posters etc that you can do as assignments – I think that is an excellent idea to give people the opportunity to be creative in other medium apart from the written document. (20) What have you learned from the module? How to do a blog. (21) What parts of the module have you found most useful and why? How to do a blog. I will be writing blogs on all sorts of subjects now – it been very interesting to read other peoples blogs too – I don’t envy you having to read and mark 250 of them! (22) What parts do you think were a waste of time and why? Kids. The film was appalling, I can’t think of any film I have walked out of before but that film was just awful! (23 ) Are there any other comments you wish to make regarding ‘Being Bad’? I think I’ve said enough! Pad_a 09/05/07