Here are some student evaluations from the 2020/2021 course on History of Economic Thought we taught at the University of Bristol (this was my third and the last year teaching the course as a unit director at Bristol):
| Both Danielle and Pavel were excellent and to me the best professors I have had at Bristol University. They peaked my interest in history and provided me with the opportunity and possibility to delve deeper into the topics I found most interesting. The tutorials with Pavel were very helpful for me to develop my skill to quickly synthesise knowledge and apply it in discussion. |
| I didn’t engage with the lectures (fault of my own) but I still found the module to be engaging through my own research + the resources on Perusall and BB + the MCQs. I thought the structure of the module is this best I’ve seen in my time at university so far and it provides a great way to be intellectually stimulating yet not stressful, at all: the flexibility of topics on both essays makes it 10x more interesting, the MCQs challenge me to think critically whilst engaging with the material regularly, and the lack of an exam is great for my mental health. This has been by far the most enjoyable yet stimulating module for me during my time at Bristol. |
| This unit was by far the best unit I have taken at this university. I found my own academic interest in this unit and because of it I now know that I want to pursue History of Economic Thought for my postgraduate degree. Both professors were excellent in terms of explaining, quickly responding, giving feedback and provided excellent suggestions for further readings on topics of personal interest. |
| The unit was challenging but rewarding. The volume of reading was difficult but was always interesting and it usually felt as though it was contributing to my understanding of HET and economics. Writing the essays was a big challenge, especially as there are few assignments that ask for critical evaluation prior to HET. The formative assignment was helpful. It helped build some of the skills needed but more guidance could have been useful. The wait for feedback on essay 1 was not too long but it was a little frustrating that marks were not available on the date specified in the PDF. The feedback was helpful, and more in depth than I’m used to in other modules. It helped make the process particularly rewarding. Perusal worked well for the texts (though the experience on an IPad was not the best). It was good to see others’ comments and questions as I read the texts – it helped challenge and guide my understanding. However, small groups on perusal meant there was only 1, sometimes 2, other person contributing. It could be good if we were able to see the comments of more people. Overall, I really enjoyed the module and I’m very glad I took it. It helped brighten an otherwise grim COVID term. Thank you |
| It’s a minor point, but I’ve really liked the MCQs. In other units, questions can be far too complicated for the MCQ format, with a combination of many true-or-false statements needed for a correct answer. Here they were challenging but helpful revision on each topic, increasing my confidence in the subject. Taking the best 5 out of 8 struck a good balance between making sure we kept up with content and letting any poorer weeks slide. |
| Best course of my university career so far. I learnt some great lessons and feel like it wouldn’t have been the same without the commited tutors. |
| I wish there would be a third year offering too as I would have done that after having enjoyed it so much this year. My favourite unit of the year hands down. |
| This is the unit which I most enjoyed studying for during this year and it was very helpful to build my confidence t develop my own ideas as well as enhancing my writing skills. Thank you for the time you put into it to deliver a useful unit. |
| It was really a great unit. I feel like I have a much better understanding of my degree and economics as a whole because of this unit. It’s definitely the most interesting and engaging unit I’ve done so far. It should be compulsory! |
Pavel Kuchař 