Student Opinions: Fall 1998

STUDENT OPINIONS FROM PROFESSOR KEELING'S

FALL 1998 GEOGRAPHY COURSES

POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY 425

You are a great teacher who conveys topics to everyday life as well. You do a good job giving study sheets.
He needs to break the information up a little more. He had too much information and chapters on tests, especially the 1st test we had. [Professor's response: Well, this is an upper-division course It's supposed to be hard!]
Dr. Keeling is an effective instructor. He makes the class interesting. I recommend him to everyone mainly for his teaching style and his willingness to assist.
Give him a raise! [Professor's response: Yes, I deserve one!]
** You do a great job relating the concepts and theories to real world situations. The study guides are very helpful. I enjoyed this class very much. I think it should be offered more often.

** (Note: Course grade distribution was A=10, B=9, C=1, D=1)

TRANSPORTATION GEOGRAPHY 423

Have had Keeling for several classes and I've enjoyed all of them. He is a very helpful instructor.
This class was well designed and organized, which makes it wonderfully enjoyable. The teacher is very enthusiastic about all his topics of interest.
Keeling is an excellent teacher. This is the first class I have taken from him and I hope to have him again in the future.
Wonderful teacher, always prepared and willing to help.

** (Note: Course grade distribution was A=4, B=4, C=2.)

LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES 200 - INTERDISCIPLINARY

This class was very interesting, but I must say having 4 teachers made the course difficult.
Overall, this is an excellent course. Drs Keeling and Salisbury are two of the most dynamic speakers I have ever heard. I do not like the attendance policy. Life happens and as long as the student keeps up with the reading and notes and does well on the exams, he/she should not be penalized. [Professor's response: The attendance policy only hurts students who are chronically absent. I do NOT penalize students who have genuine excuses for missing class.]
My evaluations are for Dr. Keeling only. Class was effective but too much reading (packet and book) for a 200-level course. Book was hard reading, stories were interesting and history was hard to follow. [Professor's response: The reading assigned is barely 30 pages each week. Elementary school children read more than this! I suggest you rethink what UNIVERSITY means!]
Dr. Keeling is an OK instructor but we rarely got to hear him speak. Keeling did not seem interested in teaching the class himself. [Professor's response: You must have been in another class! I gave 1/3rd of the lectures in this class and demonstrated tremendous enthusiasm for Latin America. Are you sure you're talking about the right professor?]
Latin American studies is an interesting class and I enjoyed learning some of the things taught. Dr. Keeling is a great teacher. The other teachers lacked an interesting quality and I often found myself day dreaming. The tests were a bit confusing in terms of how the questions were worded and many people got them wrong because of that reason. [Professor's response: NO! People got them wrong because they didn't study!]
I like Dr. Keeling; he is a good teacher who really strives to make the information fun and interesting.
The course was very interesting and I found it neat that we were taught from 4 different teachers' points of view. Each was able to teach us their interest. It is a great class and I wish I had tried harder.
Excellent class! I have enjoyed all of the sessions and I feel it has really enriched my knowledge of Latin America. Thank you.
Also, Dr. Keeling I enjoyed having as a teacher.
I felt it was harder having more than one instructor. This was a hard class and it was hard to get good notes. The instructor (keeling) was easy to listen to.
I did not like having four different teachers. I found it very confusing.
I really enjoyed the format of this class with more than one professor. It's good to see different perspectives by specialists.
This course is different. It sometimes is hard going from one teacher to another. Some of the teachers actually gave us notes, while others talked the whole time. It's hard knowing what to study for on the test.
Way to go! Right on! Quelle enthusiasmo! Mucho bueno!
Dr. Keeling needs to teach this whole course. His teaching style was much more effective than the other professors.
An excellent class that challenges you on several aspects of Latin America.
Dr. Keeling is an effective instructor. I didn't like having that many lecturers, as you have to get used to different styles.
Dr. Keeling is an inspired teacher. He knows his subject and knows how to transmit his enthusiasm to students.
Dr. Keeling is overall the most effective teacher in this course.
I did not like having a different teacher for each part of the course. By the time I got used to one teacher and their technique, the teacher would change and I would have to re-learn the teaching technique and strategy.
** The tests were incredibly hard because you wouldn't grasp the ideas as actual concepts. [Professor's response: Perhaps you needed to study harder and to ask questions about things you didn't understand!]

** (Note: Course grade distribution was A=5, B=8, C=14, D=8, F=2.)

WORLD REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY 110

I am considering a geography minor and would definately take another course with Dr. Keeling.
Teacher really likes to teach class. Map part of test is too difficult.
You get out of it what you put into it. Dr. Keeling is a great professor; howeveer, a lot is required. I am a sophomore and I work a 35 hr/wk job plus take full-time hrs classes here at college. He has done a great job and has taught me time consumption. I think he knows his stuff and enjoys the course. I just did not have all the time to put into all the papers and studying as much due to work. Nothing he has done, just me. Good job!
Class was challenging. Instructor was very effective.
Mr. Keeling has a good understanding of his job and the skills and information from this class will help in my geog100 class. He should be a valued professor and WKU needs more professors like him.
Liked the class but Keeling went over so much stuff it was hard to learn all the things for the test. Otherwise I liked the class. Map quizzes were too long. But the projects were interesting.
David Keeling is a well-prepared instructor. Other professors at Western need to be as well prepared and show the enthusiasm he does.
I've really enjoyed this class. I just wish we could have taken each realm slower in order to learn more about it.
Dr. Keeling is probably one of the few professors that captured and held my interest throughout the semester.
This class should be included in the writing component because of the amount of writing we did in this course.
Dr. Keeling is a good teacher; however, this is not an English class and the class does not count as a writing credit. In other words, writing research is nothing but something that came out of the south end of a north-bound male of the bovine species. [Professor's response: Obviously, you don't have much idea about the VALUE of writing as a communication skill in our society! Any person who cannot articulate his/her thoughts clearly and concisely in writing will experience serious problems in society. Ignorance of writing is not a value to be cherished!]
Exciting, fun, inspirational. David Keeling gets two thumbs up!
Keeling is too hard for a 100-level class. His expectations and goal levels are way too high. His papers are graded too strictly again for a 100-level class. He needs to seriously consider either reducing his class work load or get a new job. [Professor's response: I think you need to rethink seriously why you are in college! This is a UNIVERSITY-level course, not primary school. There is NO substitute for hard work!]
I understand that map quizzes are a very vital part of this class, but I feel if more were given over smaller amounts of information it would be easier to learn the info rather than just cramming for the exam and not remembering anything 30 minutes after this test. [Professor's response: You probably have poor study habits if this is your strategy. Cramming before the test rather than learning the material in increments over the course of the semester probably results in poorer performance and less retained knowledge. I suggest you rethink your study habits]
There is too much writing for this class not to be considered a writing component. you need to rethink your strategy.
Tests are a little inefficient. Map quiz will blow your mind. [Professor's response: Your study habits probably lead to inefficiencies. The tests are actually a well-constructed measure of your achievement and the time you invested in studying]
I don't think the issue debates were a worthwhile part of the class. Nobody could put together a good group presentation when they just met for 5 minutes. I also think the first research paper was too general, which made it hard to write. Be more specific on what you want. [Professor's response: The paper instructions are very explicit. Read them more carefully! Obviously, if you only met for 5 minutes to prepare your group presentation, you didn't put much effort into the debate.]
You need to lighten up. Explain more of what you are looking for on papers. Slow down when going over some material. I have not learned anything in this class. It is almost like we have to fail before we understand what you are looking for from us. [Professor's response: You probably need to ask more questions in class if you don't understand material. How many times did you visit during office hours? Probably none! If you didn't learn anything in this class then you should be ashamed of your performance. You are obviously not a self-motivated individual.]
Attendance policy is too strict. The instructor needs to be more tolerant of extenuating circumstances. [Professor's response: I always give students the benefit of extenuating circumstances IF they communicate with me those circumstances!] It's a 100-level class that has writing requirements of a 300-400 level class. This is not a writing component class and therefore should not be treated like one. A number of people need this course for an environmental component and therefore not their major. Remember it's a 100-level class and should be treated that way. [Professor's response: Even non-majors MUST learn how to articulate their ideas in writing! Poor writing skills will hold you back in the development of your career. Write early and often is my motto!]
I think more chances should be provided to make more grades and it should be illustrated what exactly will be put on the tests. [Professor's response: Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of examining the breadth of your knowledge? If I tell you what's on the exam what's the purpose of learning and studying? This course has two mid-terms, one final, two research papers, and attendance/participation points, plus unlimited chances to retake the map quizzes until a "C" or better is earned. How many more chances do you want?]
I believe this course is too much for a 100-level course. It is ridiculous the amount of work expected in this class. I have spoken with others who have had 110 with other instructors and they cannot believe what is expected of us. I will not recommend signing up for this course to my friends; it's absurd. [Professor's response: Well, you're in a UNIVERSITY-level course and hard work is expected if you are to achieve anything. This course has the same demands as other 110 courses offered in this Department.]
This class is very intense. It requires a lot for a 100-level course. I enjoyed the class but it was hard work. It's a lot of info to cram into one semester.
He requires too much for a 100-level class. He also has horrible tests. This is my hardest class and I have 300-400 level classes.
I feel that the instructor tries to cover too much information too fast. There is a lot of material to be covered and the instructor doesn't explain the material well. The tests are too particular about the material covered. I am a good student and I make good grades in all my other classes but in this class I am having a hard time. [Professor's response: How many times did you talk to me during office hours about your study difficulties? I would guess never! Remember, the professor is here to help you!]
First of all, I believe you need a writing component for this course. We wrote two well constructed research papers that were fairly difficult. Also, I don't believe test material is covered very well. You never know what to study and are expected to memorize 100 countries, cities, states, and physical features when there are only 24 to identify on the test. That's difficult for anybody to do especially when you have five other classes. [Professor's response: You are told in class that the exam material is drawn from places and features that we specifically talk about in class. You are supposed to use your analytical skills to determine which locations are the most important. Good students narrow it down to 25-30 choices, which is perfect for the exams! Many students earn an "A" on these map quizzes because they use their skills.]
This course has helped me to understand geography better than ever. However, as a 100-level course, the class is extremely demanding.
The course material is very relevant and useful and the instructor was informative , helpful, and entertaining. I felt that perhaps the material was a bit broad and therefore the tests required an extraordinary amount of preparation for a 100-level class. But perhaps this could not be helped. The class probably would be considered too hard for most students needing a general ed. requirement and not needing it for their major.
This is supposed to be a freshman-level course not a graduate course, which is how Dr. Keeling teaches it. He does an incomplete job of explaining and covering the material, as the pace he progresses at is very fast. He is extremely demanding on exams and expects pin-point accuracy on map exams. For a professor who expects so much, he is far too unthorough. [Professor's response: Huh?] The language he uses in class needs to be cleaned up as well. He curses more than any other professor I have ever had. [Professor's response: Damn, are you sure? I think you need to look in the dictionary for a definition of "cursing." I NEVER use hard-core explicit language, only the occasional "damn," or "crap." You might question your motivations about your sensitivity to more colorful language.] He has no business teaching undergraduate classes, although he is extremely knowledgable on the subject.

Grade distribution for this course: A = 15, B = 13, C = 14, D = 13, F = 4.

If you have any comments, you can email the professor directly at: david.keeling@wku.edu

Last updated on 2/3/99