Student 1: I really think it would be beneficial for other students [not only the professor?] to participate in the revise and resubmit system. It would give students time for exposure to other viewpoints.

Student 2: Overall I found this course to be very helpful. The course provided the structure I needed and some tools to make strides in my research. The assignments were very timely and often forwarded my thinking at critical times.

I found the interaction with the students to be rewarding and interesting. However, the class activities were often not as useful to me as the at home work. I wanted more student-to-student interaction during class time.

Many students did not "finish" by the end of the semester. Some of them changed their topics midstream or were not sure what they were doing at the beginning. I would strongly suggest students have a good idea of what they intend to do before they start.

Student 3: I am very satisfied with the course overall. My project was reworked and reshaped thanks to the process. Some ideas for building in a structure:

- chart for students to check off assignments as they are written, revised, resubmitted

-I think the amount of text in the course packet was overwhelming and partly the reason people missed deadlines. Could the course packet be reorganized in a way to make it more user friendly? (As a disclaimer, I want to recognize the many hours and hard work you’ve put into the packet and to the course.)

The phases of research and evaluation are excellent tools to guide our writing.

Student 4: The course description explains the Practicum well. The student knows she/he will define some issue and engage in research to promote change in some well defined area. Learning about and experiencing new ways to design projects are the other goals of the course. Just talking about taking risks with unfamiliar methods creates automatic discomfort for most people. It is understood that this course demands some difficult self-assessment.

The classes themselves were generally productive and interesting. There were a lot of opportunities for dialogue with peers and with Peter. It was good to be able to try out new techniques that seemed so esoteric in the syllabus and course packet. I learned many new and useful ways to initiate and proceed with the work. Chances to actually write in class were less satisfactoy for me only because I need complete silence in which to work. I am sure writing in class was more helpful to others.

The syllabus provides too much detail about each class especially since the course packet provides much of the same information. I suggest that a stripped-down version of the syllabus would probably be less intimidating and more informative. Spending 10-15 solid minutes at the end of each class on the upcoming assignments would be well worth the time. Overall clarity would replace some of the confusion I often experienced as to the rationale and expectations for the next week.

I have a love-hate relationship with the revise and resubmit process. I am sure I am not alone. It is very hard to place your writing, your words, in the hands of others. After all, your mind and your heart are tied to those words. I know I can write a sentence, but one is never sure if that sentence is a form of meaningful communication. I think that the process helps you to be more aware of your writing.

Except for its use as a jumping-off point for the synthesis project, I wonder at the placement of this course so close to the end of the CCT program. It seems to me that the many processes studied and experienced would provide students with a larger repertoire of techniques. Students would be better prepared to successfully meet the requirements of other courses. Why not give this course earlier?

Student 5: The course was successful in creating a supportive atmosphere. It was a safe trusting environment wh[ich] motivated each student and provided the support for each student to be successful. More could be built into the class in terms of small group work/discussion. Some of the assignments - especially the briefing - seemed to be distracting from my main goal. I had to split my time , effort, and focus. I would have preferred to stay focused on assignments helped me in my journey to the final project.

Student 6: This course has been the most challenging one in my overlong university career. The design of the syllabus and course packet were useful for planning each week’s work. I found myself working longer hours, but was so enervated [energized] by the research that I did not miss my family and social life nearly as much as I thought I would. My family was supportive because they saw that I was passionate about the work I was doing.

My only complaint: more group activities with a revolving cast of students, rather than exclusively with the base groups.

Student 7: My progression in this course showed tremendous effort and application. You spent enormous time focusing me to improve and show[ing] me how to get help [and] showing me other resources. I enjoyed your interest and encouragement. You went beyond the call of duty.

Student 9: This course is one of the few courses I have taken that actually does what you initially set out to do. But there is a catch... you have to actually do the work to benefit from it. I know this sounds self-evident - but by combining these two ideas makes for some powerful learning experiences.

To get the most out of practicum, be sure to meet with the professor as soon as possible after the course begins to make sure your ideas/plans/goals are in sync with the course outline. If not, make changes now (early) to benefit from the class structures rather than later in the semester. This will put you at ease and give you the confidence to flow through the activities and utilize the tools you will learn.

Student 10: This course seemed scary and bigger than other courses I’ve taken. I wonder if a change in my approach early on would have helped ease my fear. I heard the words that this was an environment of trust and trust was an important part of it all, yet I did not trust. I continued to act as though first time perfection was necessary even though I know in heart it wasn’t.

Student 11: Practicum CCT 698 allows students the opportunity to systematically progress through the research process. The methods used include but are not limited to: written work with revise/re-submit, group process, freewriting, and improving public speaking skills. Small group size - cohort groups available.