Professor: Goldstein Course format: Lecture Number of respondents: 55 Total Enrollment: 94 Class Composition: Froshs: 1 Sophs: 18 Jrs: 34 Srs: 36 Concs: 27 Non-Concs: 23 Don't Know: 1

Instructor Average: 1.82 Course Average: 1.80

Have you ever wanted to know what happens to your body when you run, or wondered why your athletic coach makes the team perform certain drills? "Principles of Exercise Physiology," a course which explains how exercise affects body systems and performance, is just the class to answer those questions.

For the most part, students praised Professor Goldstein. A few students remarked that he occasionally mumbled and was hard to hear, and others complained that he oversimplified complex material, but most reviewers enjoyed his slow and meticulous style of teaching. He was also described as a clear and organized lecturer who was enthusiastic about teaching and was always available to meet with students. The class also had a number of guest lecturers, who received mixed reviews from the respondents. While many class members liked the guest lecturers, a good number of students felt that there were too many such lecturers and that they often went through material too quickly.

This class has a stated prerequisite of either BI 6 or BI 80, but students reported that an interest in the subject and a basic knowledge of biology and physiology was sufficient for success. The course included three exams, which students felt were well suited to the material, and one five-page paper. Students spent between zero and five hours per week on homework during a usual week, and eight to ten hours per week while studying for exams. Not all reviewers felt that the assigned reading was necessary, as many felt that the text repeated lecture and the other readings were not very useful.

Most students were very satisfied with this course. It gave a useful knowledge base in an interesting field. Many students reported that as athletes (both on the varsity and recreational levels), they found the information presented to be particularly pertinent, as it allowed them to truly understand the mechanics of exercise and what it does to the human body. The few students who were dissatisfied with the class felt that it was rather simplified (especially for a 100-level class), that it offered little opportunity for independent thought about the subject, and it did not go into further depth about a subject they found fascinating.

View BI/0116 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.