Professor: Rosenberg Course format: Seminar Number of respondents: 23 Total Enrollment: 27 Class Composition: Froshs: 1 Sophs: 5 Jrs: 5 Srs: 16 Concs: 4 Non-Concs: 16 Don't Know: 1

Instructor Average: 1.95 Course Average: 1.96

"The Legendary American West" is a seminar course that introduces students to the folklore, legends, and history of the American West. No background is required for this course, although some students mentioned that some prior experience with American history could prove helpful.

Professor Rosenberg received generally good reviews as a lecturer. Students were pleased with his pace and demeanor, and most thought his lecture style was clear and easy to follow. Most respondents reacted positively to his tendency to show videos in class, which they found helpful in illustrating the material. The primary criticism of Professor Rosenberg was his inability to be heard clearly, which some respondents attributed to the fact that he seemed to be feeling ill much of the time. Some students were displeased with the fact that classes often ended considerably early, and some also expressed dissatisfaction with the class being cancelled on a number of occasions.

The workload for this course consisted of one book of reading per week in addition to two short take-home quizzes and a take-home midterm and final exam. Respondents typically found the reading to be interesting but not necessary for success in the course. Students found the workload to be light, and their main complaint concerned the lack of any discussion of assignments or due dates on the syllabus.

In general, students were pleased with their experience in this course. The readings and material in general were interesting, but students were frustrated with the format of the course in that the readings were not well integrated into the course overall. The majority of students found this class to be easier than most, and few students devoted much effort to this course. Students reported having many opportunities to participate in class and on average spent between one and three hours per week on this course.

Students in search of an easy seminar should seriously consider this course. This course has its share of faults, but students who have an interest in the material and are willing to deal with a less than ideal course format should be satisfied with this course.

View AC/0190 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.