FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Why are there so many student presentations? Why don’t you lecture more?
I firmly believe that the role of the teacher is that of a facilitator of learning experiences and not a conveyor of information. Also, and even more importantly, I strongly believe that you can learn as much as, or even more, from your own peers than from your teachers. So, I will only give –interactive and participatory- lectures during the first half of the course, where I will emphasize on sociolegal schools, and other fundamental theoretical issues. During the second half, classes will consist almost exclusively of student presentations. My role will be that of observant. I will provide individual feedback to those presenting and I will be working with all of you in my office to help you with the presentations and activities.
I wrote everything that is in the class notes and reader. Why is my grade lower than I’d expected?
The reader
and the class notes are just a guide. The important thing is what we actually
discuss in class. Also, your critical assessment is required. Please click here for more information about exam
evaluations.
Will all the questions in the test be taken from the test bank? Or will you include questions that are not in the test bank?
I
will only choose questions from the test bank.
I contributed a
question to the test bank, but you did not include it.
Yes, that is possible.
The reason may be that other students contributed similar questions or that
your question does not deal with a topic or an angle of a topic that we
discussed enough in class.
I contributed a
question to the test bank but you changed it. Why?
I
may change it a little bit, but only with respect to language or a non
essential aspect. I never change the substance of a question.
I missed the class
where you returned the tests. Can you email me my grade?
Yes,
I don’t mind
emailing you your grade. I understand that you must be anxious and want to know
your grade. But please get the test from me next class or come get it from my
office as soon as you can. Your test has comments and feedback about your
answers. These are much more useful for your learning process than a simple
grade.
I can’t come to class
the day of the exam. Is there a make up?
The
possibility of writing a make up test is restricted to those exceptional cases
where a student cannot come to class for reasons beyond his or her control. In
all cases, I have to approve the possibility of writing a make up test in
advance, preferably by email. Questions in the make up test will be DIFFERENT
from those asked in the regular test. The make up test may even contain more
questions.
Also,
it takes me longer to mark and return make up tests written on a different day
than the one assigned in the course outline. This is because I teach several
courses each term. When I plan these courses I tend to schedule tests -and
papers- on different days. So, even if you write your make up test two or three
days later than the originally scheduled day, I will probably have to grade
tests or papers for another course. So, your make up test will be returned to
you after I finish all papers or tests of that/those other course/s.
I don’t like speaking
in public. Will I have a low grade in this evaluation component?
If
you don’t like
speaking in public you can actively participate in other ways. For example, you
can talk and have a very active role in the small group discussions, you can
write your answers and email them to me immediately after the class, or you can
think of any other way in which you can actively participate without feeling
uncomfortable. The portfolio, where you can record all your participation, is a
device especially conceived for students that don’t like speaking in public.
I missed a class. I
read the class notes and the articles from the reader. Will I have a problem in
the midterm and with the portfolio?
If
you only missed one class you can meet with me in my office or talk to a
student about what we actually discussed in class. If you missed several
classes, you will be at a serious disadvantage.
I noticed that when
we do the small-group activities, you don’t walk around the groups, asking
questions or checking progress. Why is that?
I
think that this may be a little bit intimidating for some students, especially
those that are shy. They tend to speak freely if the teacher is not walking and
checking what they say. However, if you need to ask me a question, or discuss
something with me, please raise your hand or call me, and I will be very happy
to talk to your group.
You said that if a
student participates actively every single class, he/she doesn’t have to hand in
the portfolio. Is this true?
Yes,
that is true. The idea of the portfolio is to help those students that are shy
or don’t like speaking in public. So, if you have actively participated in
every class, you don’t need to hand in the portfolio.
I came to most
classes and I often/sometimes speak in class. Do I need to hand in the
portfolio?
You don’t need to hand in the portfolio. But that doesn’t mean you will get an A in class participation. I will judge your participation based solely on your work in class. Remember that, according to the Course Outline, in order to get a very good mark in the class participation component of the evaluation, you need to “actively participate in every class,” and volunteer to lead activities, debates or debriefs.” Also, “your participation must make a positive impact on the class activities” and “class attendance is a prerequisite to obtain the grade under the class participation-portfolio category.” So, if you didn’t actively contribute –orally- to some classes but you still worked hard in those classes, it would be a good idea to hand in the portfolio even if not required to do so.
Do you want the
portfolio to be typed up? Would you like it in a folder or binder?
The important
thing is the content. All else is irrelevant. As to formalities, please do
whatever you prefer or whatever is easier for you.
One of the evaluation criteria for the
portfolio is evidence that each of the activities was completed when discussed
in class. What does this mean?
This means
that you have to do the activities in class during the small group work and not
all together the night before the deadline for passing the portfolio in.
How can we show that we did the activities in
class?
There are
several ways. The best one is to volunteer to discuss them in class. If there
was no time, or you don’t like speaking in public, you can email me the activities
right after the class. You can also show me a draft of your portfolio every
month or so.
We have agreed to
meet in your office after 5, but access to the second floor is barred. What can
I do?
Access
to the second floor is sometimes barred after 5 PM. So, please call me from
downstairs (494-6278) and I will go down and let you in.
What is your
office-hours policy?
Please feel
free to come see me during my office hours. I am available not only for class
help but also for other academic-related issues, such as writing letters of
reference or helping with prospective graduate studies. I want to be available
to answer questions and meet with all students. So, in addition to regular
office hours and seeing me by appointment, I will every so often end class
early, and invite students who have questions to meet with me right then and
there.
I have sent you an email but you didn’t
reply.
During the
academic year, I make it a point of answering all emails within 24 hours. If I
haven’t
answered yours, chances are that I didn’t get it. Please email me again.
During the
summer, I carry out research and give lectures abroad. So, please be patient if
it takes me longer to answer your email.