Professor: Quevedo Course format: Lecture w/section Number of respondents: 12 Total Enrollment: 19

Class Composition Froshs: 11 Sophs: 3 Jrs: 4 Srs: 1 Concs: 2 Non-Concs: 8 Don't Know: 2	Instructor Average: 3.49 Course Average: 2.84

"Charles Darwin's Creativity" is cross-listed as both a biology and a university course. As such, the class is designed to be an interdisciplinary approach to the theories of the world's key evolutionist. The course examines the historical context in which Darwin formulated his theories, the criticisms of his theory, and the impact his theories had on a variety of academic fields, including science, literature, sociology, and religion. No formal prerequisites are required.

While most students registered for this class with a strong interest in the material, they were soon discouraged by Professor Quevado. At best, many commented that he was extremely enthusiastic about the material; yet this enthusiasm could not compensate for his lack of teaching ability. His stream-of-consciousness style made it very difficult to follow his lectures. Quevado was also criticized for not encouraging student discussion, not even in sections. He did not appear to be receptive to students' needs nor did he entertain open discussion or even questions on the subject matter. Most lamented that he was not able to transfer his obvious enthusiasm for material to the class as a whole.

The workload for this class was relatively light, with most students spending, on average, four hours a week. Three papers were assigned that were of two, five, and eight pages in length. Although designed to be creative essays, students commented that they were "creative" in name only; they tended to be stifling and only allowed for one viewpoint to be articulated. In addition to the papers, there was also one midterm and one final. Section meetings were also required for the course.

Most students felt that Professor Quevado's attitude discouraged them from this course. While the workload did not involve much effort, respondents did not find that material as interesting as they expected it to be. A very heavy reading load of mostly handouts was also not appreciated. The readings were rarely incorporated into the lectures and were considered by most reviewers as irrelevant to the rest of the course.

Students who took this course came in with a very strong interest in the theories and implications of Charles Darwin. They were discouraged by the professor and the lack of discussion. Most reviewers mentioned taking this course only if you have a very, very strong interest in the material.

View BI/0031 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.