Course Feedback

I love this class!
I have also really enjoyed taking this class this semester, it has been my favorite class at Carolina so far.
I like how enthusiastic you are about the subject matter.
I really like the way that our class is going
I think the course is going well
Overall, great class—I would definitely recommend it to friends!
Overall, I am enjoying this class
I have really enjoyed this class.
I think this course is awesome.
I have really enjoyed this class so far.
The environment of our class is relaxed, which makes it really comfortable.

Content

I’m learning a lot every day
This has been such as interesting class
I am actually considering of doing the minor that you told us about.
This class has been so eye-opening and interesting, especially since I came into it with some (but not too much) knowledge of children with language disorders.
It explores topics that we as students don’t really know too much about, and presents them in an interesting way.
I am learning a lot (even though it may seem that I’m falling asleep) and it is all very interesting to me.
I really enjoy learning about all the different disorders and doing research on my specific disorder.
I like learning about all the different disorders, and I feel like I have learned a lot.
So far, I have learn so much information in a way that is also retainable. I think this is because we make so many connections between one disorder to another. This class has definitely sparked my interest in speech-language disorders and I feel like I have gained much from it.
I have really enjoyed this class and learning about the different language disorders.
I think it is very important to be knowledgeable on disabilities that affect language. And since I want to be a speech therapist, this class has been perfect!
Since I want to be a pediatrician, the content is helpful to learn and interesting.

Guest Panels

One of my favorite things we've done is the family panels.
I also love when guest speakers come talk about their experiences with a child with a certain disorder (especially family members). I feel that I get more information about what it really is like to live with such a disorder.
The panels are also interesting to find out parent/family perspectives on disorders. I wasn't thinking that we would learn about it but it’s very useful to know.
I also love the opportunities that we get to interact with panels. These work most effectively when we are prepared with questions.
The guest speakers have been great and really helpful.
The guest speakers are interesting also.
Also I have really enjoyed all the guest panels we have in class. The parent panels are fantastic! If we could do more of those that would be wonderful. The professional ones are also interesting, however I did feel like at times they were speaking over my head. I would like more parent guest panels for sure!
While the professional interview panels were somewhat helpful, a lot of the information was hard to follow because we are not SLPs (yet).
I love when we have parents come in also!
I really like all the guest panels, especially the family ones. It is one thing to read an article, but I think getting someone’s personal experience is vital to truly understanding a topic.
I enjoy the panels because it’s a different perspective and also a great opportunity to ask questions.
My favorite parts of the class are the panels that come in and talk to us, especially the family panels. I think it’s really great and really helps us learn what these disorders are like from the family’s perspective.
My favorite days are when we have guest speakers.
I've really enjoyed the guest speakers, especially the families. Having the opportunity to hear from them really brings everything to life.
I love having panels and guest speakers. Those days are definitely my favorite.
I really enjoy the class overall, especially the guest speakers and videos of children.
I really enjoy the speakers, the videos, and the class discussions.
Panels are helpful.
I also really like when guest speakers, specifically parents come in to discuss their personal experiences.

Class Activities

I enjoy the different activities we do
I like how recently you have been doing more activities like jeopardy, fishbowl discussion, and others to keep the class participating and active. I feel that the class should run more like that.
I like the unique stuff you come up with to teach us in class such as Dora Explorer “Scavenger hunt,” fish bowl, jeopardy.
I also liked the Dora, jeopardy, and class discussions that we have about each topic.
I really enjoyed playing the Jeopardy game, it was fun and was a neat tool to reinforce the reading and information about a topic.
I also really liked the jeopardy day, too.
Games are very helpful (jeopardy)—more of those.

Class Discussions

I love the discussion-based lectures
I like that the class is discussion style because it allows us to tie in other information that we would not get out of a typical lecture.
I like the discussion-style of the class too because I get to hear other people’s personal experiences.
I really enjoy the speakers, the videos, and the class discussions.
Really enjoy teaching style (interactive, open to discussion).

Videos

I enjoy the videos we watch to learn about the different disorders
I also like watching videos such as the one on Fragile X Syndrome and the one on Down Syndrome.
I also enjoy the videos we view in class; these are helpful in acquiring coding skills for our research projects, and they are just interesting, in general.
I enjoy all the videos.
I really enjoy the videos of the children with the different disorders that we talk about in class. I feel like watching these helped me understand the different personalities and differences between disorders, so I really like watching the videos of the kids and parents.
I like the videos and the daily guides, too!
I really enjoy watching all of the videos because that gives us insight into the differences between a child with a language disorder and a typically developing child.
I like watching videos in class because it gives me a visual to go along with the readings.
I really enjoy the class overall, especially the guest speakers and videos of children.
Videos are useful.
I really enjoy watching the videos of the kids in class. Since I am a visual learner that helps me to understand the material better.

Readings & Resources

I enjoy the readings and the reflections are short enough that they are not a pain, but they still allow for developed responses.
Some of the readings can be confusing or difficult to understand because of word use. You provide a lot of feedback on Reading Reflections and Assignments.
I think the reading reflections are a good way to keep us engaged in class.
I like that the readings are relatively short and in class we build on them. I’m pretty sure I’ve learned more in this class where we don’t read a ton than in my classes where I read a whole textbook.
I do not think the read is too hard and we go over it completely in class.
The readings are very informative and give me a preview for the information we will be discussing in class. Sometimes they are tedious and boring though.
The readings are somewhat hard to understand at times because of how scientific it is.
The reading is interesting and the reading reflections are a good way to show we read.
I’m glad for all the resources I have come across in this class.

Lesson Plans & Organization

I think that having lesson plans to outline each class is very helpful, as it keeps us on task and lets us know what we will be learning that day. These are most helpful when we have a chart or something of the sort to actively fill out.
All the outlines are easy to understand, but can sometimes be hard to fill out—it is good to be challenged and you always go over them, which is good.
I think it is well-structured and very organized
The class time is used very well.

Assignments

I am also REALLY enjoying the research project. I like that we have enough freedom to pursue our own interests, but there is ample guidance along the way.
I also really enjoy the opportunity to pursue a research project—the pacing is great and gives us experience in this area!
I like that we are doing this project instead of exams because it allows us to focus on specific areas of interest and talk to people with experience in those areas.
I really enjoy the research project also. I think it is so awesome how we get to go interview a parent. It will be so interesting to get their perspective.
I think it’s really cool that our final project is a group project, because it gives us the ability to bounce ideas off of each other and work together like a research team.
I think the research project is a neat way to learn and apply what we are learning. It’s a challenge but I think it will be very helpful.
Assignments are fair.

Suggestions for Change

I don’t think we should change anything!
There isn't anything that I would suggest to change.
I don’t really have any suggestions because so far this class has been very informative and interesting as it is!
There isn't really anything that I would say to change.
I don’t really have any complaints; I really enjoy the class.
I don’t really have anything I would change/dislike about this course.
Maybe more reading reflections towards the end for people who are behind.
I think it would be good to watch more videos of the specific characteristics of the disorder.
There’s really not much I would change, but I would enjoy seeing more videos of children with the language disorders we’re studying.
It would also be more interesting if we did more interactive things to learn about the disorders.
It would be nice to have the graded rubrics attached to our papers so we can see where improvements need to be made.
It would be beneficial to clarify exactly what you are looking for in the projects because I feel my group got a lower grade because our questions weren't worded exactly how you wanted.
I wish we would explore other disabilities in society where language may be impacted, such as cleft lip and stuttering.
I would love to hear more about your experiences as a SLP.

Course Feedback: About

End-of-Semester Course Evaluation

Undergraduate Course "Child Language Disorders"
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Instructor, 2013

Responses: 18 out of 23

Key
5: Strongly Agree
4: Agree
3: Neither Disagree Nor Agree
2: Disagree
1: Strongly Disagree

Part 1: Average (mean) responses

This first year seminar was excellent: 4.667
I learned a lot from this course: 4.722
The instructor was an effective teacher: 4.722
The instructor was one of the best I have had at UNC, fully deserving of a teaching award: 4.056
I would recommend this first year seminar to my friends: 4.611
Was this first year seminar effective without a prerequisite?: Yes (100%)

Please list any suggestions you think would improve this first year seminar

Since this course was taught by a PhD student, she was able to have her colleagues come in and talk to us about their work in the field, which was extremely interesting and helpful.
I am not sure how realistic this is, but I think that direct interactions with children who have the language disorders that we study would be extremely beneficial to our learning experience, as well as incredibly interesting. This would be such a great way to incorporate a real-life application and ensure that every student has the opportunity to observe and interact with a child who has the symptoms that they are learning about. It also might be interesting to visit a clinic where SLPs work, in order to see what that environment is really like. As far as class time goes, I thought that the handouts were very helpful, but the majority of the class did not utilize them properly, so it may be helpful to provide further opportunities for the handouts to be used, whether that is through (optional) weekly quizzes or homework assignments. This also gives students the opportunity to contribute to their grades.
N/A
None

Part 2: Average (mean) responses:

clearly communicated what was expected of me in this class: 4.500
used class time efficiently: 4.222
evaluated my work fairly: 4.222
provided me with helpful, timely feedback on my performance: Mean 4.611
was available for individual help if I needed it: 4.647
expressed ideas clearly: 4.556
used relevant examples to explain or demonstrate concepts: 4.588
handled questions well: 4.444
effectively encouraged students to participate in class: 4.444
showed enthusiasm for teaching this class: 4.667
treated all students with respect: 4.778
recognized and was sensitive to individual differences in the abilities of students: 4.556
interacted positively with first-year students: 4.722

Please provide any additional comments about your instructor

I thoroughly enjoyed Jessica being our instructor; she was so helpful in making sure that we completely understood the material that we were learning about, and she provided a multitude of resources for us to utilize in our research projects, including herself.
Kinard put a lot of time and effort into the class; she gave a lot of feedback and ways to improve; she was enthusiastic and loved what she taught
I thought our Professor did an excellent job providing us with lots of information on a broad range of topics. We truly learned a lot during the semester! I also loved that she would bring in panel members of parents and professionals who had experience in various fields and disorders so that we got a close up experience and got to hear a first hand account of what a career in this field would be like. She is also incredibly experienced in her field so it was really interesting to hear her experiences in and outside of class on various panels that I attended.
She was so sweet and helpful! Definitely made class really interesting!
So sweet and genuinely cared about helping us better understand the material. It was apparent that she cared about the material.
She was really genuine and was interested in helping us learn. Because she was an experienced SLP it was interesting to hear her opinions and experiences from actually working in the field.
She was great. She loved what she was teaching which made all of the students more engaged in the class.

Part 3: Average (mean) responses:

included well planned, effective in-class activities: 4.500
challenged me to think deeply about the subject matter: 4.333
encouraged me to work with my classmates and learn from them: 4.706
promoted my critical thinking about issues raised in the course: 4.333
had homework assignments that were helpful: 4.444
contained a workload that was appropriately challenging: 4.444
included helpful materials for reading, viewing, and/or listening to: 4.722
helped me become aware of current issues in this field: 4.556
led me to a deeper understanding of the subject matter taught in this FYS: 4.667
taught me academic skills that I will use in other courses: 4.444
improved my ability to express myself and contribute effectively to discussions: 4.278
allowed me to experience the excitement of creative accomplishment: 4.500
allowed me to work with my instructor and classmates in a shared intellectual adventure: 4.556
encouraged me to establish social relationships with my classmates: 4.444

Please provide any additional comments about the first year seminar

This was by far my favorite class this semester and I look forward to being able to further my knowledge about speech and hearing sciences
Very informative class; I loved it!
The reading reflections were a little much, I thought ten was a lot to get done in addition to the assignments and interviews that we had to get done for our projects and our other coursework from other classes. However, I thought this class was amazing and very beneficial to me. I learned a lot about the different career options there are in this field, and I appreciated how practical the information we learned in this field was for persons going into any field. I really feel like the information that we learned are things that every person should know, especially individuals who want to have or work with kids. This is an excellent course and professor that should be kept around!
Very good class for those who are interested in pursuing a career in speech therapy (Me)
We had group projects which allowed me to develop relationships with my peers. Also, the guest speakers we listened to allowed me to make connections with adults in the field of study.
This is a great FYS [first year seminar]. I would definitely recommend it to other students

Course Feedback: About

Feedback from Faculty Mentor

Undergraduate Course "Child Language Disorders"
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Instructor, 2013

Ms. Kinard has enormous potential as a teacher. My interactions with her over the course of this semester have shown a lot of thoughtfulness and responsibility with regards to teaching. She is already, at this early stage, a very good teacher. I observed her class on Tuesday, February 5th, 2013, from 9:30 to 11am. Ms. Kinard showed very good, extensive class preparation, distributing outlines for the class, comments on papers, comments on student’s readings, and note-taking guides! The amount and appropriateness of her feedback to students was impressive. So was her ability to put herself in the students’ shoes to know what guidance they may need during that particular class period.

Ms. Kinard solicited student participation a fair amount, and obtained good answers from a range of students in the class. Her class showed a very good balance of lecturing, group work, and interactive student-teacher conversation. She used visual props very effectively. For example, she completed with students’ answers the reading guide she had previously distributed on the computer and showed it to the class on the screen. This way she ensured everybody was following and everybody would have written down the most relevant information.

Overall, what she had planned to do was perfect for the time she had, and was also perfect for the level her students were at. Although her class felt very directive to me, this didn’t mean students were passively sitting, or bored, or not engaged: the contrary, rather. It is clear that this style of teaching suits Ms. Kinard and enhanced the student experience. Perhaps Ms. Kinard could work a little on her phrasing of questions: sometimes her questions are too open-ended for what she wants to achieve with them. Overall, however, my assessment of her performance is very positive.

Course Feedback: About

Personal Reflection about the Course

Undergraduate Course "Child Language Disorders"
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Instructor, 2013

I learned a great deal from teaching IDST 190-002: Introduction to Childhood Language Disorders. This course was sponsored by a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) grant, which allowed me to attend the Future Faculty Fellowship Program at the Center for Faculty Excellence. At this week-long seminar, I learned many ways to strengthen my work as an instructor, including: (a) using active learning strategies; (b) targeting advanced learning goals; (c) giving students experience with “real-life” issues; and (d) giving students opportunities for free choice. Teaching IDST 190-002 allowed me to put what I had learned into practice. I modeled my syllabus after the previous course, but was also able to make modifications based on my areas of expertise. These modifications included a larger focus on speech-language pathology than in previous years, but with a similar focus on language disorders in developmental disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorders and fragile X syndrome.

Previously, I co-taught a master’s level course with two other Ph.D. students, but this was the first course I taught independently. As a result, I gained a great deal of practice with the following: creating lesson plans; planning assignments; arranging participants for the students’ research projects; creating and implementing grading systems; arranging guest panel members; guiding discussions and in-class activities; creating an online class website; and managing undergraduate students. My faculty mentor provided excellent guidance with unexpected issues that arose, such as extended student illnesses, and also gave me valuable feedback about my teaching style. I also collaborated with: (a) a graduate student research consultant (a fellow Ph.D. student), who was immensely helpful with the students’ research assignments; and (b) a clinical professor from the UNC School of Social Work, who helped me locate family members for the guest panels and student assignments.

Compared to previous teaching experiences, I feel that I was successful in creating active learning opportunities for the students, both in class and outside of class. In class, the students engaged in a variety of activities, such as think-pair-share, language scavenger hunts, fish bowl discussions, competitive games, interviewing one another, and role-playing. Outside of class, students completed a group research project, where they could either (a) interview family members and/or a speech-language pathologist about a language disorder topic of choice, or (b) make behavioral observations about children with language disorders from research videos. This research project targeted advanced learning goals, as well, requiring students to think critically about the following issues: (a) what background information exists on their topic; (b) what research questions are important to ask; (c) how to find the answers to those research questions; (d) collecting and analyzing the data; (e) comparing and contrasting their findings to outside sources; and (f) brainstorming limitations and future areas for research.

I also wanted to bring the students as close to “reality” as possible, and feel that I was successful in doing so. In addition to the group research projects, students met with family members and professionals in class, during several guest panels we hosted throughout the semester. We also watched videos of families and children, both typically developing and with a variety of language disorders. I also wanted to provide the students with opportunities for free choice, in terms of what they learned this semester. Therefore, they were able to choose: (a) the topic of their research project; (b) the readings that they would write reflections about; and (c) the topic we would discuss on “open-topic day,” a class session toward the end of the semester. I also collected student feedback at midterm and incorporated student requests in the second half of the semester. Overall, I learned a great deal that I will continue to implement in future courses.

Course Feedback: About

Course Feedback: Masters Course "Interdisciplinary Autism Seminar"

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Instructor, 2012

Mid-Semester Student Feedback

Learn More

End-of-Semester Course Evaluation

Learn More

Feedback from Co-Instructor

Learn More

Personal Reflection about the Course

Learn More

Course Feedback: Portfolio

Mid-Semester Student Feedback

Masters Course "Interdisciplinary Autism Seminar"
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Instructor, 2012

Overall Impressions

I think the course is going very well
I think overall the course is going well.
So far I have really enjoyed the class.
All education students should take this class.
Nice environment.
My thoughts on the course so far are generally positive.
Great course.
I like the class a lot
You all are doing a great job, thanks!

Assignments

The practical assignments that we can use in the future are nice.
Positive: assignments that are relevant
I think that the assignments everyone has done will be very helpful resources to look back on
The resources assignment is very helpful
Resources handouts assignment are a great way to gather a tool kit as we will all be new practitioners and educators

Readings

Reading selection is excellent.
Readings relevant to the topic being covered that day
I’m glad the readings are all relevant and don’t seem unnecessary
We typically don’t discuss readings in class
The reading expectations have been fair.
I've enjoyed the readings as well.
Readings: if readings are assigned, focus on reflecting/commenting on material
I think the workload is good, but there are a few too many/long readings to keep up with.
I don’t always get to the readings in time, but when I do go back and read I find them really relevant. I don’t dread them like I do for other classes.

Interdisciplinary Approach

I like getting a multi-disciplinary perspective
I like the interdisciplinary approach; it’s helpful to see how other professionals that you will be collaborating with approach this population.
I feel like we are getting a diverse perspective. I appreciate that what we are learning is very applicable to my field but also helps me to understand a multidisciplinary perspective.
Discuss more cross-disciplinary approaches in the class.

Activities

I liked the week we broke out by disciplines
I really enjoyed the break-out discipline groups too—although it’s great to be in large group with all cohorts, it was also helpful to meet individually to discuss issues/topics specific to profession.
Discipline-specific day was helpful
I think one of my favorite days was the break-out lecture where we met with those only in our field. I liked the small-group feel and ability to discuss aspects most relevant to us.
I would very much like to have at least 1 more of these days [discipline-specific break-out].
More small group/break out activities would be helpful to learn the info.
Something I’d like to do more of is small group discussions/activities. Perhaps discuss/apply the techniques and theories we are learning to small group activities.

Content

Jessica did a great job teaching intervention strategies for the SLP lecture
The PowerPoints have been very comprehensive
This course covers a lot of great information
Positive: wealth of information, resources provided
Variety of topics covered on the syllabus
I think the content covered has been great. Very informative.
I think the lectures have been appropriate (the right amount of information).
The topics covered so far have been informative.
So far all of the PowerPoint presentations have been really easy to understand and helpful.
The level of content is challenging, but not too high above people’s heads
Most of us probably already have a good deal of knowledge and experience re: autism, so I don’t feel like we need so much background knowledge about characteristics of children with ASD
I feel like a lot of what has been lectured on so far has been really basic surface area knowledge. So far, I have known most of the information provided.
Very organized; I like how each topic is segmented specifically
The ppts are well thought out and concise
Like that the class is a little different each week.
Lectures: I like that the PhD students alternate lectures. Everyone has a different style, but it makes it seem like a team environment.
The research on the various etiologies was invaluable. I will save the articles and PowerPoints for future reference.
I particularly liked the lectures on different theories of autism.

Guest Panels & Speakers

The lady who came for ABA was awesome, so were the families
Also, I think it’s nice to have different lecturers between the three of you and guest speakers.
The speakers have been great.
Overall, I am enjoying listening to the speakers and guest presenters.
I enjoy the guest speakers and wouldn't mind having more of them.
Love the guest speakers.
Great speakers ([professional], parents, and TEACCH!)
Guest speakers have been great so far
Positive: guest speakers
I've really enjoyed the guest speakers this semester. The information is practical and can be used in therapy that I currently provide in the school.
Also it may be helpful to tell the presenters what might be good to talk about. For example ABA we got a ton of theory, but little with what’s available and resources, but TEACCH was the opposite.
I have really enjoyed the first-person accounts of working with kids with autism (ABA, TEACCH)
I really enjoyed the guest speakers, especially the overview of both ABA and TEACCH. These are both approaches that I've heard a lot about and have been interested in learning more about for a long time
Longer presentation for ABA
I think I liked how the speaker tonight on TEACCH was able to relate her own experience to the methodology.
Wonderful guest speakers! (esp. ABA and TEACCH!)
Loved ABA talk, as it was very applied
I really have enjoyed our guest speakers because they have given us real life applications of things they are currently doing and that we can do. I really enjoyed our guest speaker tonight [TEACCH], and gave us tons of helpful information about schedules and work areas. She also gave us some information about adults with autism, which is something I would love to learn more about.
Hanen presentation was great.
The Hanen talk related specifically to speech, and I found it less helpful than other classes
As a non-speech student, I felt like the presentation about the Hanen program didn’t really apply to me
Really liked the parent panel
I didn’t love the family panel, but mostly because it was so unstructured.
Did not really benefit from family discussion.
Great guest speakers—very helpful to see different ways to approach treatment and especially enjoyed the parent panel—validating to see how much parents appreciate therapists/educators who have a vested interest in their child.

Course Feedback: About

End-of-Semester Course Evaluation

Masters Course "Interdisciplinary Autism Seminar"
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Instructor, 2012

Responses:

15 out of 24

Key
5: Strongly Agree
4: Agree
3: Neither Disagree Nor Agree
2: Disagree
1: Strongly Disagree
0: Not Applicable

Average (mean) responses:

Overall Course Assessment

Overall, considering its content, design, and structure, this course was excellent: 4.20
Overall, considering the constraints and opportunities inherent in the subject matter, the instructors were effective teachers: 4.40
Overall, I learned a great deal from this course: 3.86

Course Characteristics

This course challenged me to think deeply about the subject matter: 3.87
I was able to get individual help when I needed it: 4.33
The course materials (coursepack, textbook) helped me better understand the subject matter: 4.14
The course assignments helped me better understand the subject matter: 3.80
This course was very exciting to me intellectually: 3.93

Individual Instructor Characteristics

Clearly communicated what was expected of me in this class: 4.40
Evaluated my work fairly: 4.47
Seemed concerned about whether students learned the material: 4.47
Expressed ideas clearly: 4.47
Showed enthusiasm for the subject matter in this course: 4.47
Showed enthusiasm for teaching in this course: 4.47
Treated all students with respect: 4.67
Provided me with helpful feedback on my performance: 4.13
Was one of the best I have had at UNC, fully deserving of a teaching award: 2.93

Feedback for Use by Students in Selecting Courses

The instructor handled questions well: 4.13
The instructor used examples that had relevance for me: 4.13
The instructor used class time well: 4.20
The instructor effectively encouraged students to participate in this class: 4.20
This course was designed to keep me engaged in learning: 4.20
The workload was appropriate for what I gained from this class: 4.07

Comments about this Class

This class was by far my favorite class I have taken all year. The material was current and relevant to my interests and field. Classes were engaging and provided great information.
Excellent course. All education majors should take it. Loved having guest presentations.
Too much time was spent in "free discussion time" during class. -I appreciated all the guest lecturers. -I do not think that I gained anything academically from [guest speaker's] lecture. -I think more time should have been spent discussing how to go about doing an evaluation for a child with autism. -Overall, this was a wonderful course and I will definitely be recommending it to other students.
Excellent course! Well designed, appropriate workload, and the assignments all enhanced my knowledge of the subject. My only recommendation would be to put all the presentations on one day and use that additional class to cover another topic.
For a seminar in Autism at the Master's level, I feel like it needed to have more elaborate information, beyond the basics. A significant amount of time was spent at the beginning of the semester discussing the basics of Autism, all of which many of us had heard lectures on numerous times in undergrad.
The course was very good; however I feel it wasn't challenging enough. I did not learn as much as I'd hoped to. My favorite presentations were the DIR/Floortime and ABA lectures by guest speakers.
I felt the work load was way too easy and not even close to the same level as other graduate courses. Autism is a complex disability and students need to leave this course with an awareness of how to go about getting further training. The three women leading must have worked so hard to prepare excellent lectures with tons of good references. I was impressed by their preparation.
Would've liked more instruction on how to treat autism in an interdisciplinary team.

Course Feedback: About

Co-Instructor Feedback

Masters Course "Interdisciplinary Autism Seminar"
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Instructor, 2012

In the spring of 2012, Jessica Kinard co-taught an Autism Seminar with me (a doctoral candidate in Education) and another doctoral candidate (in the Division of Occupational Science). This interdisciplinary course was taught to speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, educational psychology, and special education students. Jessica’s responsibilities included the following: help create the course syllabus, help choose readings, create and grade assessments, help write case studies for students’ final presentations, help grade students’ final presentations, find and arrange a variety of guest speakers, and teach a variety of lessons. These lessons included: a session on the history of autism, a lesson on theories and etiology of autism, a lesson on myths of autism, a lesson on communication development and autism, and a lesson on multicultural perspectives of autism. Jessica also taught a session on communication and autism to the speech language pathology students. Jessica took a leadership role as a co-instructor. Not only did she prepare and teach several lessons, but she also guided class discussions consistently throughout the course. In addition, while planning and preparing for the course Jessica took a leadership role in organizing materials and guiding planning sessions. In the subsequent paragraphs, I will provide a reflection on Jessica’s contributions to this course as a co-instructor.

Areas of strength
Jessica was invaluable as a co-instructor for this course. She really took a leadership role in both organizing the course content and delivering instruction. Jessica’s diverse experiences as a practitioner and breadth of knowledge helped guide the creation of the course curriculum, syllabus, and assignments. She challenged the class to think beyond their discipline and engage in interdisciplinary discussions.

Jessica’s organizational skills were exhibited in how clearly she communicated with the students and co-instructors, as well as how clearly the Sakai site was organized and frequently updated. Jessica developed positive professional relationships with both her students and the co-instructors. She demonstrated respect for all students, co-instructors, and guest speakers. She always made time for students before or after class if they had questions or wanted to continue a discussion started in class. It was easy to collaborate with Jessica as a co-instructor; she was always eager to hear everyone’s ideas as well as share her own perspectives and ideas.

Jessica’s passion for children with autism was demonstrated every time she taught a lesson. She captured students’ interest when she taught. Her experiences with and knowledge about children with autism were crucial for this course. In addition, Jessica’s experience working with multicultural families was very valuable when discussing interventions and theories and the implications they have for families.

I observed several of Jessica’s lessons and truly enjoyed participating in the discussions and questions she posed. Jessica was well prepared for every lesson she taught. She always had a PowerPoint presentation prepared with well documented research to support the content to be covered that day. Jessica always engaged the class. During each lecture Jessica provided time for class discussions, small group activities, or individual reflection to engage the class. She was a friendly and engaging speaker. It was evident that students enjoyed her teaching by their active participation in class. Jessica shared her experiences and provided real world application examples which grabbed students’ attention. Jessica was a reflective instructor. Throughout the semester she asked students to provide feedback on the course and adjusted her teaching style as necessary to fit the needs of the students.

Areas for improvement
Jessica was an invaluable instructor of this course and I do not have any concerns about her contributions to the course. However, at the end of the semester, all of the co-instructors discussed how we might improve our teaching styles in the future. Students provided a variety of feedback at the end of the semester, ranging from (a) that this class was one of their favorite courses, to (b) that this class was not challenging. These different opinions may reflect students’ backgrounds and experiences with autism. Students with less experience may have found the class more challenging than students with more experience. In the future, it may be helpful to give students more choices in the assignments they complete, so that they can individualize their level of learning.

Overall, Jessica was an exceptional co-instructor and it would be a privilege to teach with her in the future.

Course Feedback: About

Personal Reflection about the Course

Masters Course "Interdisciplinary Autism Seminar"
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Instructor, 2012

I gained valuable experience while teaching the Interdisciplinary Autism Seminar. This course focused on autism from an interdisciplinary perspective, allowing me to teach an interdisciplinary group of students, and teach with two professionals from other disciplines. From my co-instructors, I learned about perspectives of autism from a teacher’s viewpoint, as well as from an occupational therapist’s viewpoint. In addition, observing their different teaching styles helped me to develop my own teaching style, and brainstorm ideas for future class lessons. Planning the course and grading assignments with my co-instructors was also helpful, and widened my understanding of different organizational styles and approaches to grading.

In this course, I also created lessons for a variety of professional backgrounds, including speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, educational psychology, and special education students. In the process, I learned more information about professional organizations and approaches to autism assessment and treatment. I also helped students from different disciplines collaborate together on group assignments and during in-class discussions. This experience also gave me practice with technology. I had never used Sakai as an instructor before this course, so I had a chance to practice the different features of an online classroom.

Something special about this course, for me, was that it was my first experience as a primary instructor, rather than a teaching assistant. At the same time as I was teaching this course, I was taking a course entitled "Teaching and Professional Development," which prepares PhD students to teach at the university level. As the semester went on, I applied the teaching skills I learned in the "Teaching and Professional Development" course into my lesson plans for the Autism Seminar. I also began drafting a syllabus for the "dream" course I wanted to teach, which later turned into a real course for undergraduate students: IDST 190: Child Language Disorders (see the description of this course above). After the Autism Seminar had ended, I participated in a week-long program with UNC Chapel Hill's Center for Faculty Excellence, and incorporated many of the techniques I learned during that program into my second course, Child Language Disorders. Thus, when I compare the Autism Seminar to the Child Language Disorders course, I see how much my teaching skills have grown. My 10 principles of teaching (see my teaching statement) developed out of my experience with the Autism Seminar and my teaching courses, and came to life during my experience with the Child Language Disorders course.

Course Feedback: About

Course Feedback for Doctoral Seminar: Research Methods for Appraisal, Dissemination, and Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Instructor, 2019

Peer Review of Classroom Teaching

Learn More

End-of-Semester Course Evaluation

Learn More

Personal Reflection about the Course

Learn More

Course Feedback: Portfolio

Peer Review of Classroom Teaching

Doctoral Seminar: Research Methods for Appraisal, Dissemination, and Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Instructor, Spring 2019

THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL

Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences

Department of Allied Health Sciences

The School of Medicine

CB# 7190, 321 S. Columbia St, Bondurant Hall

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, N.C. 27599-7190

Telephone: (919) 966-1007

Fax: (919) 966-0100

Name _Jessica Kinard_______________ Reviewer_E. Crais_________________

Class _Evidence Based Practices Seminar__ Date: 2-21-19_& 3-28-19_______

Please respond to each of the statements below by circling the number that most closely corresponds to your observation of this instructor, using the key below.

1: To a limited extent

2: To a moderate extent

3: To a great extent

CONTENT

Presents a brief overview or outline of the content at the beginning

of the session or states the problem to be discussed. 1 2 3 N/A

2. States objectives for the session. 1 2 3 N/A

3. Distinguishes between factual material and opinions. 1 2 3

4. Presents divergent viewpoints when appropriate. 1 2 3

5. Includes an appropriate amount of material in a class period. 1 2 3

6. Presents ideas that reflect current theory and practice. 1 2 3

7. Has a good command of the material. 1 2 3

8. States relationship between today’s session and clinical practice. 1 2 3 N/A

9. Expectations for students (i.e., workload) are consistent with course credit. 1 2 3

10. Concepts presented in class are consistent with objectives for the day. 1 2 3 N/A

11. Emphasizes or restates the most important points. 1 2 3

12. Makes smooth transitions from one topic to another. 1 2 3

STYLE OF PRESENTATION

13. Speaks in a clear, strong voice that can be easily heard; uses microphone

if available. 1 2 3

14. Speaks at a rate that allows students to take notes. 1 2 3

15. Uses varied expression for interest and emphasis. 1 2 3

16. Facilitates active participation of students. 1 2 3

17. Encourages and responds positively to students’ questions. 1 2 3

18. Displays enthusiasm for the subject matter. 1 2 3

19. Asks different levels of questions (e.g., knowledge, interpretation,

comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.) 1 2 3

20. Asks reasonable questions that the students have a basis for answering. 1 2 3

21. Periodically asks questions to gauge whether students need more or

less explanation of a topic. 1 2 3

22. Pauses after questions to allow students time to think before responding. 1 2 3

23. Does not engage in distracting behaviors repeatedly such as using “um”

or “Does that make sense?” (list and/or describe any noted): 1 2 3

(1 indicates the behavior occurs somewhat, 3 indicates not at all)

24. Begins and ends class on time. 1 2 3

CLARITY OF PRESENTATION

25. Defines new terms, concepts, and principles, giving examples where

appropriate. 1 2 3

26. Relates new ideas to familiar ones. 1 2 3

27. Uses alternate explanations when students do not understand. 1 2 3 N/A

28. Slows down when discussing complex and difficult topics. 1 2 3

29. Does not digress from the main topic. 1 2 3

(1 indicates the behavior occurs somewhat, 3 indicates not at all)

30. Effectively uses instructional media (e.g. Blackboard, Power Point,

handouts). 1 2 3

31. Uses audiovisual aids effectively. 1 2 3

STUDENT INTEREST AND PARTICIPATION

32. Notices and responds to signs of students’ confusion, boredom, etc. 1 2 3 N/A

33. Encourages students to participate during discussion. 1 2 3

34. Encourages other viewpoints. 1 2 3

35. Addresses students by name. 1 2 3

36. Varies activities during the class period. 1 2 3

SYLLABUS

37. Course objectives are clearly stated. 1 2 3

38. KASA standards are linked to course objectives and/or assignments. 1 2 3 N/A

39. Readings and assignments are current and reflect the best available

evidence. 1 2 3

40. Readings and assignments support the course learning objectives. 1 2 3

41. Grading policy is clearly stated. 1 2 3

42. Assignments and projects are fully described. 1 2 3

43. Readings/assignments are at appropriate level to support the learning

objectives. 1 2 3

OBSERVATIONS SPECIFIC TO CLASS SESSION OBSERVED

Both days of observation were about 1 hour in length and did not start at the beginning of the class, so there was no opportunity to see whether the instructor provided an overview of the class session and objectives. One of the activities Dr. Kinard had students complete was to look over types of methods for synthesizing qualitative data. Rather than the instructor describing each type, she had the students look up the types and then explain them to the other classmates that was a much more active way for the students to learn about the types. As students shared information, Dr. Kinard commented on some aspects of what was highlighted and asked them to talk about when/when not to use each type. She moved into the next topic by providing some contextual information about the topic and gave examples to illustrate some of the issues important. Then she had the students put together ideas for pros and cons of exclusion of particular articles in reviews. The second day of observation, the topic of implementation science (IS) was introduced. Dr. Kinard first gave an overview, and then had the students look up the major components of IS and give an “elevator” speech about that content to the other students. This opportunity provided the students with an active way to engage with the material and “teach” each other the new content being processed. The instructor took time to add to what the students reported and show them applicable materials that they may find useful. She also typed into the PowerPoint slides a list of the points each student made while talking. This process seemed to be an effective way for the students to learn introductory information about the content without the instructor “presenting” the information and allowed some “change up” of speakers and styles. Nice idea then to follow by taking the ‘test” from the National Implementation Research Network that follows their modules to learn about IS. This was fun for the students and gave them a quick review of the material! Very nice idea to consolidate learning. Then the instructor had the students discuss one of the readings. She started by having one of the students who had read the material, summarize some of the points in the article and the instructor added information to the content. It was a great idea to have the students read materials other than academic material (the readings were from the popular media). Then the instructor posed some questions to link the readings to IS that lead to discussion by the students and ended with a brief summary of the purpose of IS. The last activity was one of the students who gave a micro lesson to the other students on models of IS. This was another method to have the students present information to each other and be active in their own learning.

SUGGESTED AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

I assume that the activities in the course vary session by session and it was a coincidence that I observed a similar activity in both sessions (read, teach each other). This strategy is an effective way to have the students transmit information to each other, but could get repetitive if used too much. I did see a variety of teaching methods, particularly in the second session.

OVERALL COMMENTS

Dr. Kinard provided excellent learning opportunities in the two classes I observed. It was clear she had a thorough plan for managing the class and had prepared a number of types of activities for the students to enhance their learning and teaching skills. Dr. Kinard was organized, conveyed a good bit of information during the session, but also facilitated the active engagement of the students in their own learning. She varied the types of learning opportunities the students experienced and provided enough structure to keep the class running smoothly. She answered questions, made clarifications, and added comments in a positive manner that encouraged the students to contribute from their own experiences. She facilitated student discussion and had them move beyond just taking in the information to using it in a more applied way. Dr. Kinard exhibited excellent evidence-based teaching techniques and kept the students highly engaged throughout the session. Overall, she is a very effective instructor.

Course Feedback: About

End-of-Semester Course Evaluation

Doctoral Seminar: Research Methods for Appraisal, Dissemination, and Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Instructor, Spring 2019

Responses:

6 out of 8

(*Note: 1 student enrolled but never attended the course, so actual responses = 6 out of 7)

Key:
5: Strongly Agree
4: Agree
3: Neither Disagree Nor Agree
2: Disagree
1: Strongly Disagree
0: Not Applicable

Global Index:

Please complete the following questions regarding the course...: 3.50
Please complete the following questions regarding the instructor...: 3.83
Overall, this was an excellent course: 2.83

Please complete the following questions regarding the course...

The course expectations were clear: 3.50 (mean), 3.50 (median), 1.05 (standard deviation)
The course was well organized: 3.33 (mean), 3.50 (median), 1.37 (standard deviation)
The course materials (books, lab materials, web-based resources, etc.) helped me to develop my knowledge and/or skills: 3.67 (mean), 4.00 (median), 0.82 (standard deviation)

Please complete the following questions regarding the instructor...

The teaching techniques (lecture, discussion group, group work, etc.) used in this course helped me to develop my knowledge and/or skills: 3.33 (mean), 3.50 (median), 1.21 (standard deviation)
The instructor treated all students with respect and was open to different points of view: 4.83 (mean), 5.00 (median), 0.41 (standard deviation)
The instructor expressed ideas clearly: 3.50 (mean), 4.00 (median), 0.84 (standard deviation)
The instructor was available when I needed help: 4.50 (mean), 4.50 (median), 0.55 (standard deviation)
The instructor provided me with helpful feedback on my performance: 3.33 (mean), 4.00 *median), 1.21 (standard deviation)
The instructor's examples or demonstrations facilitated my learning: 4.00 (mean), 4.00 (median), 0.63 (standard deviation)
Grading was fair and impartial: 3.50 (mean), 3.50 (median), 0.58 (standard deviation)
Overall, this was an effective teacher for this course: 3.67 (mean), 3.50 (median), 0.82 (standard deviation)
Overall, this was an excellent course: 2.83 (mean), 3.00 (median), 0.75 (standard deviation)

Course Feedback: About

Personal Reflection about the Course

Doctoral Seminar: Research Methods for Appraisal, Dissemination, and Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Instructor, Spring 2019

For this course, my co-instructor and I were asked to modify an independent study syllabus to function as a doctoral seminar. The main challenge we encountered with this modification was the feasibility of completing the systematic review project in one semester. To meet the goals of this course, we felt it was important for the students to gain exposure to the systematic review process, but that it was unlikely that they could complete a full systematic review in the time allotted. Thus, when planning this assignment, we met with two research librarians to discuss how best to structure the project to fit within one semester while also staying “true” to systematic review methods. Suggestions included: limiting the number of databases students searched; refining the research question, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and search terms to yield a limited number of results; and creating a research poster as the final product, rather than a manuscript. Despite these efforts, the students gave us feedback that the project was difficult to complete in one semester. Students struggled to define research questions and search terms that would yield a limited number of results and also encountered unexpected technical difficulties using their citation and systematic review software programs. To address these challenges, my co-instructor and I met with groups individually to troubleshoot difficulties they were encountering, connected groups with outside experts, adjusted the syllabus to allow for more “workshop days” in class, and also changed the expectations for how much students needed to complete by the end of the semester. Students reported that these adjustments made the project more manageable for them and that they appreciated the flexibility in our expectations. Two other challenges noted by the students were the “scope” of the course content (i.e., too much content for one semester) and the “level” of the content (i.e., matching the content to the level of both the 1st year and 2nd year students, who came into the class with different experiences). Future iterations of this course could involve less content, focusing on topics that neither the 1st nor 2nd year students have studied in previous courses. Incorporating less content would also allow more time for students to submit revisions of their assignments if necessary. I also feel it would be beneficial to pair 1st and 2nd year students together on their projects, to allow the newer students to learn from the experience of the more “seasoned” students, although compatible interest areas should still be considered. Despite these challenges, I feel the students made great strides in learning about evidence-based practice over the semester. They demonstrated enthusiasm for their research topics and worked diligently to produce excellent micro-lessons, ideas for implementation research studies, and systematic review posters. I am grateful for the opportunity to have taught this course.

Course Feedback: About

Advancing Skills and Knowledge (ASK) Conference, 2013

Workshop: Language and Play Skills in Early Childhood
Chapel Hill, NC
Instructor, 2013

Responses

7 out of 10

Key
5: Excellent
4: Good
3: Average
2: Fair
1: Poor

We have spent the past couple of weeks reading and tallying the conference evaluations and we are now forwarding the scores and comments from your workshop(s) to you. We have that the evaluations from the A.S.K. Conference will help you as you prepare for future presentations.

Your score: 4.6 out of 5.0

Sincerely,
The A.S.K. Conference Committee

Participant feedback

I enjoyed your presentation. It was very informative and very helpful.
Great information. Research based. Great checklists and charts to help with understanding.
Wonderful and helpful info; presenter engaged; small group activities with visual; gained wisdom and knowledge I've wondered about for years
She was a good instructor on age appt things (great ideas for red flags)
Good, may need to provide more education first about the different languages before doing the group activity
Lots of visuals, hand outs, and games, explained where we could understand
Learned interested information about autism
Very kind and knowledgeable
Great group work
I liked the activities and thought it was helpful to talk about milestones in these areas
Enjoyed group problem solving, loved the flyers and brochures

Course Feedback: About

Advancing Skills and Knowledge (ASK) Conference, 2018

Workshop: Children with Disabilities from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families
Chapel Hill, NC
Instructor, 2018

Key
5: Excellent
4: Good
3: Average
2: Fair
1: Poor

We have spent the few weeks reading and tallying the workshop evaluations. We are pleased to inform you that your workshop received a score of 5 out of 5.0.

Sincerely,
The A.S.K. Conference Committee

Participant feedback

Good information, organized
Good wealth of info, well organized
Very informative and enjoyed it. Thanks!
Excellent questions and answers to interact with us and kept us involved and engaged

Course Feedback: About

Advancing Skills and Knowledge (ASK) Conference, 2019

Workshop: Children with Disabilities from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families
Chapel Hill, NC
Instructor, 2019

Key
5: Excellent
4: Good
3: Average
2: Fair
1: Poor

We have spent the few weeks reading and tallying the workshop evaluations. We are pleased to inform you that your workshop received a score of 4.3 out of 5.0.

Sincerely,
The A.S.K. Conference Committee

Participant feedback

Very good
Gave great resources! Great class to attend!!
Great info from well educated speaker
Loved the videos and presentation
Well education
Lots of resources given
This workshop allowed me to get a better understanding on diverse families
Excellent info -- well delivered. Greatly appreciated! Thank you
Presenter was very engaging and knowledgeable. We were given lots of resources to use :)
Loved and enjoy this session. It was very informational.
She explained everything very well.
Great resources
Great personality

Course Feedback: About

Advancing Skills and Knowledge (ASK) Conference, 2021

Workshop: Strategies for Promoting Early Communication Skills

Chapel Hill, NC

Webinar Presenter, 2021

Number of respondents: 23

Was the trainer knowledgeable about the content?

Yes: 100%
No: 0%

Did the trainer maintain an open, approachable manner and treat others fairly and respectfully?

Yes: 100%
No: 0%

Did the trainer help to create learning environment that embraced and appreciated diversity?

Yes: 100%
No: 0%

Comments:

"I learned so much helpful information in this workshop! One of the best trainings I've attended!"
"I really enjoyed the training and received great tips and feedback."
"I was very pleased with the content and look forward to applying it in my classroom."
"Very knowledgeable, training very interesting & HELPFUL"
"Included Bilingual content"

Before this training, my knowledge of the presented topic was:

No Knowledge: 4.3% (1/23 responses)
Some Knowledge: 95.7% (22/23 responses)
A lot of Knowledge: 0% (0/23 responses)

After this training, my knowledge of the presented topic is:

No Knowledge: 0% (0/23 responses)
Some Knowledge: 13% (3/23 responses)
A lot of Knowledge: 87% (20/23 responses)

I feel confident in my ability to apply the knowledge and skills gained through this training:

Strongly Agree: 65.2% (15/23 responses)
Agree: 26.1% (6/23 responses)
Neutral: 8.7% (2/23 responses)
Disagree: 0% (0/23 responses)
Strongly Disagree: 0% (0/23 responses)

The learning objectives for this session were made clear to me:

Strongly Agree: 60.9% (14/23 responses)
Agree: 39.1% (9/23 responses)
Neutral: 0% (0/23 responses)
Disagree: 0% (0/23 responses)
Strongly Disagree: 0% (0/23 responses)

The training provided a learning environment that was open, cooperative and respectful:

Strongly Agree: 69.6% (16/23 responses)
Agree: 30.4% (7/23 responses)
Neutral: 0% (0/23 responses)
Disagree: 0% (0/23 responses)
Strongly Disagree: 0% (0/23 responses)

The information was presented clearly and in an organized manner:

Strongly Agree: 60.9% (14/23 responses)
Agree: 34.8% (8/23 responses)
Neutral: 4.3% (1/23 responses)
Disagree: 0% (0/23 responses)
Strongly Disagree: 0% (0/23 responses)

The training provided me with new knowledge and skills:

Strongly Agree: 69.6% (16/23 responses)
Agree: 30.4% (7/23 responses)
Neutral: 0% (0/23 responses)
Disagree: 0% (0/23 responses)
Strongly Disagree: 0% (0/23 responses)

ASK2021feedback

Workshop Evaluation: Language Development in Early Childhood

Durham’s Early Childhood Faith Initiative: Congregations & Early Childhood Lunch & Learn Series

Durham, NC
Workshop Instructor, 2012

Responses

7 out of 10

Key
4: Strongly Agree
3: Agree
2: Disagree
1: Strongly Disagree

Average (mean) responses

Content useful: 4
Objectives clear: 3.7
Handouts: 4
Main presenter knowledgeable: 4
Overall helpful: 4
Recommend to others: 4

Participant feedback

Excellent presentation—very helpful
Presenters really spent time developing appropriate resources & handouts for session: AWESOME!
I have disability issues. It was wonderful to learn some about how to communicate with people like me and what to look for.

Course Feedback: About

Feedback from Faculty Mentor: Introduction to Phonetics

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Teaching Assistant, 2010

Jessica successfully prepared an excellent lecture on phonological development which included multimedia illustrations of the concepts and an activity designed to help the students understand common phonological developmental patterns.

Jessica selected homework questions for each reading assignment and graded these independently with very little consultation (on an occasional as-needed basis) from the instructor. She corresponded with the students directly regarding their homework assignments and feedback. There were no complaints from students any time during the course regarding Jessica's management of homework assignments.

Jessica observed all the lectures and from time to time was able to provide examples from her own clinical experiences in support of the concepts discussed in class.

Jessica proctored two exams. In one case she had to deal with a suspected honor code violation, which as actually a good (although unexpected) experience for her to encounter. She handled this very professionally.

Overall, Jessica was a tremendous asset to the quality of the course and the consistency of grading from the students' perspective. I hope she will have the opportunity to use the skills she gained from this experience in the future.

Course Feedback: About