- "David Spencer has done a magnificent
job in teaching Introduction to Structural Geology this semester.
As organized by David, the course consisted of:
- Weekly illustrated lectures that closely
followed the assigned text, and that involved active student
participation, primarily by having them identify structural features
in David's superb collection of slides.
- Weekly laboratories that included standard
field-oriented homework problems from a standard laboratory workbook,
and student-interactive computer exercises that illustrated standard
techniques of structural identification and analysis, including
stereographic plotting.
- Five unannounced "mini-quizzes"
designed to monitor student progress during the course.
- Periodic student evaluations of the course,
particularly the lectures, to keep the teaching at a high level.
David and I also evaluated each other.
- Three writing exercises designed to hone
student writing skills and to encourage more in-depth thinking
of selected topics in structural geology. These were preceded
by a presentation from an instructor in the University's Writing
Center.
- Three field trips, including a superb weekend
trip led by Douglas Reusch on the tectonic history of the Appalachian
orogen and an excellent trip led by Daniel Lux to the Norumbega
Fault Zone.
- Keeping field notebooks during field trips
that were turned in and graded, and that were held to a specified
professional format.
- Midterm and final examinations that were
designed to test the interpretive skills of students, in addition
to identification skills.
- Supplementary material provided as handouts,
lecture notes, and in-depth treatments that were kept in a large
ring-bound notebook available to all.
- The added incentive of a personally signed
set of Modern Structural Geology books by John G. Ramsay, as
a prize to the top student in the course.
- Never have I witnessed a more competent,
organized, comprehensive, fascinating, and conscientious demonstration
of teaching excellence.
-
- On a personal level, I learned a tremendous
amount about structural geology, about teaching structural geology,
and about teaching undergraduate students from my exposure to
David Spencer and his teaching methods. It was a great experience!
-
- David Spencer deservedly received the highest
possible marks in the student evaluations for Structural Geology.
He is truly a natural and outstanding teacher. David did establish
a marvellous rapport with our students. He brought a ray of sunlight
and youthful vigor into our aging department. Although I'll never
be the natural teacher that David Spencer is, he and I worked
very hard to bring my teaching up to his standards"
T. J. H.
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