Official Course Evaluations |
"I really liked the way the topics and units were broken down. It was obvious that this topic was as interesting to the instructor as it was to the students, thus it was easy for me to really get into each unit. The lectures were short and to the point with plenty of time for discussion and questions. I really wish more classes at IU were like this one. Also, the study guides were very helpful. Thank you so much for a great semester!"
"I think Professor Vales was super interested in her students learning, I could see she was excited to teach about development, and always wanted to make sure we understood. This was really good, and thoughtful. I think her exams covered the material, and having graph analysis was super nice to see, because it allowed us to apply our knowledge to new findings." "I loved that she added some of her personality to the slides -- by adding cat memes as a way to take a step back, slow down, and let the students ask questions about what was just covered." “I appreciated Professor Vales shortening our exams after everyone felt extremely rushed on exam 1. She is also very understanding our family situations and doctors’ appointments and allows students to drop an exam and one paper. I have never had to utilize a drop in a class before, but I was forced to this semester, and I could not have been more grateful for how understanding Professor Vales was; I felt no judgement from her for missing an exam.” "I liked how a lot of the material learned was from active research and rarely emphasized textbook like content." "I loved the empirical papers. They really pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me become a better learner. I also thought the quizzes were different from what I've seen. I appreciated that." "The fact that Dr. Vales is leaving is really upsetting because I would recommend this course and instructor to a student who needs to take [this class]" "She was prompt in response to questions and always had multiple ways to explain difficult topics.” “She made hard materials and big papers extremely easy to understand and write. Super amazing teacher.” “Very enthusiastic about the subject and is very knowledgeable about the material.” “Very willing to help students do well in the course. Goes out of her way to answer questions/concerns about the class and course material.” “Her enthusiasm/energy made it easier to enjoy the class. She made the material fun and relevant to what we are familiar with.” “She always seems excited to be teaching, is very open to questions/discussions, and treats all students very nicely. Videos make class more interesting.” “This was my last semester before graduating and Catarina was the most prepared and helpful A.I. I have had in my entire 4 years." "She always worked with me if I needed. Very understanding." "Thanks for always being available to answer questions! You're so helpful!" "Great teacher! Clearly explains concepts, makes class fun, engaging, and very invested in each of our projects. I feel like this class taught me very much, while doing so in a non-stressful and enjoyable way:) Thanks!" |
Solicited anonymous feedback & unsolicited emails |
"I like the papers [we discuss in class]. I think the Psychology department doesn't always focus on empirical results, even though it's an important part of psychology."
"I think the papers [we discuss in class] are very helpful because they put our knowledge into context." "I like the papers [we discuss in class]. I fell like it is a time investment because it takes some time to read and complete the worksheet but it's good to reinforce stuff we learn in class." "Lectures are really nice, you are very excited about the topic, which always helps." "Lecture is very helpful to me, I like all the examples used and how the experiments are used to explain topics." "I think lectures ate at the right pace, and all graphs are explained in a way that helps me understand the data." "You are a wonderful teacher who is great at explaining results and relating those to real world situations." “Very helpful in office hours and emails back right away. Really likes to make sure students understand the information.” “I think Catarina did a very good job with teaching our lab's class. She made it fun and she was a great instructor. I liked how the assignments were not too much of a load, but kept us up-to-date on what was happening in the class. She was always GREAT about giving me feedback on my papers via email before they were actually due. I really appreciated this because sometimes it is hard to make it to office hours!” “Catarina, I think you do an excellent job as a discussion leader and a teacher as well. Your input for this class has been extremely helpful, and I frankly don't have any complaints. I'm excited to see how this class will progress and I believe you're going to help me become a much better writer as far as research papers are concerned.” “I really enjoyed you as a lab instructor. You are very clear about instructions and the material that is covered. Participation seems welcome and you're very approachable.” “I also wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed your class and that being able to use scientific methodology and apply that to problem solving is an invaluable skill that I will undoubtedly use for the rest of my life. ” |