What were your most/least favorite parts of the class?
What were some central themes?
What can I do to improve blog participation?
10 comments:
Lyle McCutcheon-Schour
said...
I would say my favorite parts of the class was the lectures and the way in which you incorporated real life examples. I find some professors just try and show how to find answers without really explaining why any of it matters. By showing us how all this information actually holds true in the real world it allowed me to want to learn and remember the information. I am a person who is highly into fisheries because I grew up in a fishing community and it has been an intricate part of my life. I really enjoyed being able to see how many of the studies of environmental economist affect fisheries today. The least favorite part of the class for me was the multiple choice part of the test. I am a person who believes that open response test better allows a person to show the information they know. I think a way to improve blog participation is to require a certain amount a semester and they cannot be done all at the end of the semester. For me the biggest reason I never posted was because I always forgot. I know this is not the most valid excuse but it is true. I think the blog is a great thing because it expands on what I mentioned earlier and shows students why all these topics we study matter in the real world. Overall I really did enjoy class and feel as if I learned some great information.
The subject matter in general was my favorite part of the class. I found almost every topic interesting, which directly applied to current events. Similar to what Lyle above said, professors may give solutions to problems (some professors do not). In this class, Dr. Schuhmann not only gave the problem, gave the solution, but also was successful in giving the explanation for why the solution is what it is. One central themes I gathered was that incentive based systems are much more effective than command and control standards. Another central theme is the infamous "MB=MC" this concept came up in numerous like the fisheries topic. Other central themes were the "Free Rider Problem" and Cap and Trade systems. One of the main reasons I personally did not participate in the blog is that I read posts in the blog, but I did not have much to say on the topic. I did not want to post statements like, "Interesting article" or "I've never thought of this." The posts were informative and appropriate, but I did not know what to post in the comments. A suggestion to improve participation is to give assignments with regard to the blog to increase participation. The requirements were rather vague and that did not get people to participate.
As in all of Dr. Schuhmann's classes, the lecture material is delivered in a clean, concise manner that not many professors can replicate. The actual examples that were used for each topic really correlated with the material and definitely helped me to understand certain concepts. Another perk from this course was hearing Chet Akiri talk about GE's involvement in nuclear energy and their plans for the future. Another thing I really liked about the class was the use of optional essay questions within the tests. This helps because it doesn’t penalize students for studying too much on certain topics and possibly neglecting others. The only parts of the class that I can even think of as a least favorite would be the true/false portions of the exam (I found myself guessing a lot) and the assigned book for the course (never purchased the book but it seemed that I could find all the information on the internet).
“People will take care of their own property” Throughout this course, many themes are highlighted again and again. However, the strongest theme that I came away with was the idea of ownership and how people will take care of what belongs to them. This appears relevant in each topic because conservation doesn’t happen until it matters to each individual. Regardless if it is cap-and-trade or the “free rider” problem, the evidence of ownership (or NO ownership) extremely impacts the resulting amount of conservation/abatement/maintenance that occurs.
As for blog participation, I honestly wouldn’t change anything. Something that might help would be to add new posts based on a pre-determined schedule (maybe once every Monday) so that students know they have another opportunity to participate. I understand this presents inconvenience issues (I am sure new posts happen because you find something very interesting) and it would probably diminish the blog’s authenticity. I disagree with Lyle and Mark in regards to transforming blog participation into an assignment. This would certainly detract from “smart” discussion because not all students would take the time to read the necessary information and therefore would not provide any real contribution to the blog. It shouldn’t be all about a grade. It should be about getting involved with the science at a hands-on level that actually pertains to this world. In its current format, it serves as a supplement to the subject matter for students. Those who do not participate are losing out on this supplement while those who participate are benefiting.
I would say that my favorite part of the class was how you presented it through real world examples and in a pretty easy to understand, step-by-step process. The way the class was organized allowed us to get the basics down that we could then apply over and over again to the proper situations. I don't really know how you would make it better but I don't think that's a bad thing. I enjoyed the class very much.
I found the lectures to be very entertaining and the material to be intriguing. I think it is very interesting how too maximize the costs and benefits of pollution and fishing. You always hear environmentalists calling for lower pollution but you never really hear a viable methods of doing so. I also thought it was kind of crazy that the level of fishing needs to be lower from Assn economical standpoint than a environmental standpoint. Overall out was nice to see numbers and real solutions behind many of the pressing environmental issues of or generation and i hope that people in power take charge and implement effective incentive based systems and not just take the easy way out. On another more i found the blog very informative, and i don't know how you could improve participation.
Overall, I really enjoyed this class, and it is probably my favorite class I have taken since I've been here at UNCW. Your enthusiasm made class interesting everyday, and made me want to be there. I also felt as though the class was a good difficulty level. It wasn't the easiest class in the world, but with some hard work and time put in, a good grade was definitely possible. The central themes of research methods, the depletion of resources, taxation and subsidy techniques, valuation, incentives, and more were all quite interesting. I felt as though I learned a lot of information that I wasn't aware of, considering that I'm not an environmental studies major, and would like to dive deeper into this information in the future. Honestly, I feel as though you should continue teaching this class the exact same way. The grading was fair, the lectures were informative and exciting, and I feel as though I learned a lot for just one semester. Thanks, and hopefully I can take another one of your classes soon. -Riley Andrews
I really enjoyed this class. I am particularly interested in fishery management, but I find the other natural resources interesting too. It was great to find real world solutions to the real issues that we face. I considered the material as actually important and applicable. I would say that valuation of non market goods is the thing that I will take with me because I didn't ever realize that a dollar amount could be put on environmental services or goods. I think that the blog is a good resource with interesting topics, but I think planned class discussions about the blog would increase participation.
Like others have said my favorite part of this class was actually going to class. Dr. Schuhmann knows how to make any subject matter interesting and really encourage you to learn. The homework assignments also helped with solidifying the material. This class is great in offering alternative uses of economic ideas and has helped encourage me to apply for graduate school in natural resource economics. I am really interested in studying the economic impact that humans have on beach communities with projects such as renourishment, construction of piers and jettys, and zoning laws enacted to protect beaches.
Central themes of this class that can be applied to any sort of issue is the idea of Piguovian taxes and Coase's idea of giving property rights. Both of these ideas have many uses in both environmental issues and others. It makes sense to make sure that all cost are accounted for and it has been shown that they can create a more efficient market.
Blog participation is not for marks (incentive). It is left as a matter of personal interest (self-regulation). However, since the economics of environmental management is vital to what some of us wish to do after we finish studying, promoting that link could help. The blog is a forum for continued discussion of what we learned as well as a forum for continued learning. Maintaining student contact and promoting the themes of each blog (like a public notice which each student may give permission to receive from you) is a suggestion.
As for me, I loved the course in its entirety and will comeback to the blog from time to time.
I don't know if this post is also for CERMES students but I'll add my two cents. I'd have to agree with Lyle McCutcheon-Schour in terms of my favorite part of the course as whole being the way in which you incorporated real life examples in your lectures. In many instances, students are given a host of information but no accompanying real world examples as to how the information can be applied, so they can fully understand. The moodle discussions were just that, discussions! Many times students would post and lecturers would not reply, but you took the time to comment on and reply to each student's post. My least favourite part of the course would have to be the lack of face to face lectures unfortunately due to the differences in location. This is the first online course that I have thoroughly enjoyed and actually learnt a wealth of information and my guess is it would have been even greater with face to face opportunities. The main central theme I saw was cost-benefit analysis. This theme popped up not only in the economics of non-renewable resources, but also in forestry and fisheries economics.
10 comments:
I would say my favorite parts of the class was the lectures and the way in which you incorporated real life examples. I find some professors just try and show how to find answers without really explaining why any of it matters. By showing us how all this information actually holds true in the real world it allowed me to want to learn and remember the information. I am a person who is highly into fisheries because I grew up in a fishing community and it has been an intricate part of my life. I really enjoyed being able to see how many of the studies of environmental economist affect fisheries today. The least favorite part of the class for me was the multiple choice part of the test. I am a person who believes that open response test better allows a person to show the information they know. I think a way to improve blog participation is to require a certain amount a semester and they cannot be done all at the end of the semester. For me the biggest reason I never posted was because I always forgot. I know this is not the most valid excuse but it is true. I think the blog is a great thing because it expands on what I mentioned earlier and shows students why all these topics we study matter in the real world. Overall I really did enjoy class and feel as if I learned some great information.
The subject matter in general was my favorite part of the class. I found almost every topic interesting, which directly applied to current events. Similar to what Lyle above said, professors may give solutions to problems (some professors do not). In this class, Dr. Schuhmann not only gave the problem, gave the solution, but also was successful in giving the explanation for why the solution is what it is. One central themes I gathered was that incentive based systems are much more effective than command and control standards. Another central theme is the infamous "MB=MC" this concept came up in numerous like the fisheries topic. Other central themes were the "Free Rider Problem" and Cap and Trade systems. One of the main reasons I personally did not participate in the blog is that I read posts in the blog, but I did not have much to say on the topic. I did not want to post statements like, "Interesting article" or "I've never thought of this." The posts were informative and appropriate, but I did not know what to post in the comments. A suggestion to improve participation is to give assignments with regard to the blog to increase participation. The requirements were rather vague and that did not get people to participate.
As in all of Dr. Schuhmann's classes, the lecture material is delivered in a clean, concise manner that not many professors can replicate. The actual examples that were used for each topic really correlated with the material and definitely helped me to understand certain concepts. Another perk from this course was hearing Chet Akiri talk about GE's involvement in nuclear energy and their plans for the future. Another thing I really liked about the class was the use of optional essay questions within the tests. This helps because it doesn’t penalize students for studying too much on certain topics and possibly neglecting others. The only parts of the class that I can even think of as a least favorite would be the true/false portions of the exam (I found myself guessing a lot) and the assigned book for the course (never purchased the book but it seemed that I could find all the information on the internet).
“People will take care of their own property”
Throughout this course, many themes are highlighted again and again. However, the strongest theme that I came away with was the idea of ownership and how people will take care of what belongs to them. This appears relevant in each topic because conservation doesn’t happen until it matters to each individual. Regardless if it is cap-and-trade or the “free rider” problem, the evidence of ownership (or NO ownership) extremely impacts the resulting amount of conservation/abatement/maintenance that occurs.
As for blog participation, I honestly wouldn’t change anything. Something that might help would be to add new posts based on a pre-determined schedule (maybe once every Monday) so that students know they have another opportunity to participate. I understand this presents inconvenience issues (I am sure new posts happen because you find something very interesting) and it would probably diminish the blog’s authenticity. I disagree with Lyle and Mark in regards to transforming blog participation into an assignment. This would certainly detract from “smart” discussion because not all students would take the time to read the necessary information and therefore would not provide any real contribution to the blog. It shouldn’t be all about a grade. It should be about getting involved with the science at a hands-on level that actually pertains to this world. In its current format, it serves as a supplement to the subject matter for students. Those who do not participate are losing out on this supplement while those who participate are benefiting.
I would say that my favorite part of the class was how you presented it through real world examples and in a pretty easy to understand, step-by-step process. The way the class was organized allowed us to get the basics down that we could then apply over and over again to the proper situations. I don't really know how you would make it better but I don't think that's a bad thing. I enjoyed the class very much.
I found the lectures to be very entertaining and the material to be intriguing. I think it is very interesting how too maximize the costs and benefits of pollution and fishing. You always hear environmentalists calling for lower pollution but you never really hear a viable methods of doing so. I also thought it was kind of crazy that the level of fishing needs to be lower from Assn economical standpoint than a environmental standpoint. Overall out was nice to see numbers and real solutions behind many of the pressing environmental issues of or generation and i hope that people in power take charge and implement effective incentive based systems and not just take the easy way out. On another more i found the blog very informative, and i don't know how you could improve participation.
Overall, I really enjoyed this class, and it is probably my favorite class I have taken since I've been here at UNCW. Your enthusiasm made class interesting everyday, and made me want to be there. I also felt as though the class was a good difficulty level. It wasn't the easiest class in the world, but with some hard work and time put in, a good grade was definitely possible. The central themes of research methods, the depletion of resources, taxation and subsidy techniques, valuation, incentives, and more were all quite interesting. I felt as though I learned a lot of information that I wasn't aware of, considering that I'm not an environmental studies major, and would like to dive deeper into this information in the future. Honestly, I feel as though you should continue teaching this class the exact same way. The grading was fair, the lectures were informative and exciting, and I feel as though I learned a lot for just one semester. Thanks, and hopefully I can take another one of your classes soon. -Riley Andrews
I really enjoyed this class. I am particularly interested in fishery management, but I find the other natural resources interesting too. It was great to find real world solutions to the real issues that we face. I considered the material as actually important and applicable. I would say that valuation of non market goods is the thing that I will take with me because I didn't ever realize that a dollar amount could be put on environmental services or goods. I think that the blog is a good resource with interesting topics, but I think planned class discussions about the blog would increase participation.
Like others have said my favorite part of this class was actually going to class. Dr. Schuhmann knows how to make any subject matter interesting and really encourage you to learn. The homework assignments also helped with solidifying the material. This class is great in offering alternative uses of economic ideas and has helped encourage me to apply for graduate school in natural resource economics. I am really interested in studying the economic impact that humans have on beach communities with projects such as renourishment, construction of piers and jettys, and zoning laws enacted to protect beaches.
Central themes of this class that can be applied to any sort of issue is the idea of Piguovian taxes and Coase's idea of giving property rights. Both of these ideas have many uses in both environmental issues and others. It makes sense to make sure that all cost are accounted for and it has been shown that they can create a more efficient market.
Blog participation is not for marks (incentive). It is left as a matter of personal interest (self-regulation). However, since the economics of environmental management is vital to what some of us wish to do after we finish studying, promoting that link could help. The blog is a forum for continued discussion of what we learned as well as a forum for continued learning. Maintaining student contact and promoting the themes of each blog (like a public notice which each student may give permission to receive from you) is a suggestion.
As for me, I loved the course in its entirety and will comeback to the blog from time to time.
I don't know if this post is also for CERMES students but I'll add my two cents. I'd have to agree with Lyle McCutcheon-Schour in terms of my favorite part of the course as whole being the way in which you incorporated real life examples in your lectures. In many instances, students are given a host of information but no accompanying real world examples as to how the information can be applied, so they can fully understand. The moodle discussions were just that, discussions! Many times students would post and lecturers would not reply, but you took the time to comment on and reply to each student's post. My least favourite part of the course would have to be the lack of face to face lectures unfortunately due to the differences in location. This is the first online course that I have thoroughly enjoyed and actually learnt a wealth of information and my guess is it would have been even greater with face to face opportunities.
The main central theme I saw was cost-benefit analysis. This theme popped up not only in the economics of non-renewable resources, but also in forestry and fisheries economics.
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