A sample of anonymous student comments on SOC 241, Sociology of Work, taught by Kenneth Westhues in Spring 2007, at the University of Waterloo

Students have the ability to participate substantially in the course, which helped to learn the material. A few of the assigned articles did not have a lot of substance and were unnecessary. Great class. Recommend for everyone.

Amazing course. The strong presentation of material offers a compelling perspective to understand our own society and the way capitalism and work affect our own and others' lives.

Strength was the professor's interest in the subject, engagement in class discussions. Weakness: I really wish there were slides on powerpoint, so that note taking would be easier.

Good. Strength was ability to maintain students' interest. Weakness was that the course was poorly organized.

Prof very knowledgeable, also very passionate. Course has been an eye-opener, very interesting. Lectures could have more structure, with an agenda at the beginning.

Good. Liked the essay, relation to real life. Also liked the field trip, and the different options for ways to get more marks. A lot of readings.

I thought the first midterm was worth too much, marks should have been split with second midterm. Essay interesting.

Strength was professor's ability to integrate examples from his own personal experience into the course.

Instructor very knowledgeable and helpful. He knew almost all the names of students in the class, which to me showed he put a vested interest into his students. I liked how he shared stories of his own and others' experiences.

I learned a lot, from politics to human resources. Very well-rounded course. The student presentations were really only tailored to extraverts.

Mr. Westhues made it interesting and captivating so we were much more willing to pay attention.

Fantastic, great learning experience.

Group presentations slow down the pace, can be boring and miss critical info. Great professor with a rich personal background from which to draw examples. Fun, informative, and mentally stimulating.

Excellent! My favorite class this term. Mr. Westhues makes the class extremely interesting. He's passionate about his work, which makes it fun. Midterm was a little too hard.

Well thought-out, interesting and provocative topic areas. Great professor. First half of course was less structured. Second half was well organized.

Amazing prof, would definitely take another class with him. I like the two options provided, gives students the chance to choose their involvement.

Strength is that Mr. Westhues doesn't require students to simply reiterate information but instead critically apply it. The comment box is a great way to encourage students to ask questions. Course notes would have been beneficial.

Wonderful course, I learned a lot, very important subject especially because of UW co-op program. Rinehart text was great. Sometimes there was too much overlap between student presentations and the lectures. Also, presentation length should be stated and enforced.

Could have been more to it: more engaging, up-to-date material on today's workplace trends.

Overall, this course was well worth my time and effort. Course has inspired me as a student. Would recommend to others.

I loved this course. Professor had a genuine interest in teaching, and a truly reciprocal relationship with the students.

Excellent. Too short. Prof. Westhues has taken his unique teaching style and incorporated it perfectly with the course material.

I loved how you could relate the topics to the real world. I wish marks and assignments were more spread out. An absolute pleasure, I would recommend the course to anyone.

Strength was relation of coursework to real life work, and encouragement of thought about what kind of choices are available to us regarding type of lifestyle and work. Some arguments presented only one side, i. e., credentialing vs. education.

Lectures too complex, hard to understand. Textbook hard to follow. Teacher interesting to listen to.

Too many readings. Lectures were interesting. Need slides showing main points, to help with studying.

Okay. No online course notes is bad. Ability to use real-world examples is good.

Course is excellent, instructor helpful and kind.

Fantastic, interesting material. Great prof.

Great learning experience.

Nice to have trip to Working Centre. Interesting, well-taught. Could use a few more slides/powerpoints.

Rinehart is boring. I really enjoyed coming to class.

Would recommend 100%.

Excellent course. Too much reading. Incredible instructor, has the ability to get students' attention through personality and knowledge.

Excellent professor. I really enjoyed this class.

Not well structured.

Prof took interest in what students had to say.

Multiple-choice questions on exams are too difficult.

Strength was the professor's care for students and respectful attitude toward them.

I like the trip to the Working Centre and some of the readings. First exam was too specific.

Good idea to have both left-wing (Rinehart) and right-wing (Westhues) views presented.