Python evaluation 2023-10-17

Overall, how would you rate today’s training event?

Today’s content and feedback to the lecturers (e.g. materials, exercises, structure): – What did you like best?

  • Formatted ReadTheDocs
  • materials
  • I liked how easy it was to ask questions, how friendly the lecturers / organizers were and that there was time for trying it yourself. The course material is really nice to read and helpful.
  • Course materials are really nicely put together
  • The instructions and code given in the course material on GitHub
  • That materials were extensive and provided (both in advance and during the day). The break-out session was good to let me ask the stupid questions to fellows that could help out or make me catch up.
  • I liked the ‘code along’ parts, when it worked and was an appropriate pace one could actually follow.
  • Materials
  • Very good material, but a bit chaotic
  • Good material
  • structure

Today’s content and feedback to the lecturers (e.g. materials, exercises, structure): – Where should we improve?

  • Maybe have two streams, since most Python programmers already know about venv, etc.
  • a little bit too much information too fast during the zoom call. It’s not possible to fit in all your superb infos from the material in the course itself
  • For some tasks, there was too much time allocated, for example for the pip installs at the start. I would suggest checking in with students more frequently about if they are done or not, and then continuing. Or students could be instructed to join the main room again when they are done. This way, if someone takes longer, you could see who is left in the breakout rooms and check in with them.
  • Lectures should be given more time (or the contents reduced). Unfortunately it was at times a hard to follow. Perhaps, also, make it a bit more clear what is expected from the exercises.
  • It looked like everything was rushed up and it was not clear what we were supposed to do in the breakout rooms
  • Create one single entrance point for all the material where links to the rest are to be found. I got lost with five or more different links, folders and the information overflow as it got started. I also missed the big picture of the super computer (no previous experience), how the different systems are related, the main difference of Rackham and hp2cn/kebnekaise and so on. I felt I have too little information to make informed choices. For example, it would be easier if everybody used the same server, and only one…
  • Much more time spent on code along and instructions, this would improve the course a lot I think!
  • I understand and respect that for you this is very clear and it flows really easily. But
    • for us who is watching over zoom: scrolling up and down fast while screen sharing makes it impossible to follow;
    • as it is over zoom the instructions for the exercise part needs to be much clearer in my view, also do this - BEFORE - entering breakout rooms;
    • additional thought about exercises is what really are the exercises, the ones stated at the end of each lecture part or the text/instructions embedded in the ‘slides’ in the instruction pages;
    • the ‘messages’ that can be sent out to the breakout rooms are hard to notice sometimes while working on exercise, perhaps paste this in chat and/or document so one can re-read;
    • please specify clearly how long a task ‘should’ take approx. (is the whole time in breakout rooms dedicated to the assigned task, or is the time also there for break);
    • specify in start of each part/‘lecture’ what the plan is maybe?;
    • ‘slides’ can be a bit clearer I would say.
  • Thank you, though! I understand that this is no easy feat to lecture and teach HPC over zoom. You didi a great job, but these are things I wish for at least.
  • It will be good if you give a small introduction about different uppmax servers and what are the differences at the beginning of the course.
  • Maybe actually follow the material that is there. It’s hard for us to do exercises and go back and check later when one of the presenters just had his own material. Also, maybe make actual parallel sessions instead of going break rooms. Too much time in break rooms in general, and then other sections got rushed.
  • The first should be how to run a simple script. “batch mode” should come before “virtual environments”. Also, avoid “pip” at the start, take that later since modules are enough for standard tasks
  • materials

Length of teaching today was

Adequate: 75% Too short: 17% Too long: 8%

Depth of content was

Adequate: 83% Superficial: 17%

The pace of teaching was

Too fast: 50% Too slow: 25% Adequate: 25%

Teaching aids used (e.g. slides) were well prepared

Agree (completely): 83 % Disagree: 8%

Hands-on exercises and demonstrations were

OK: 50% Few: 50%

Hands-on exercises and demonstrations were well prepared

Agree (completely): 75 % Disagree: 8%

How would you rate the instructors overall teaching performances?

7.08

Do you feel you achieved your desired learning outcome?

Yes: 67% Not sure: 33

Did today’s course meet your expectation?

Yes: 67% Not sure: 33

Do you have any additional comments?

  • Overall nicely put together course
  • No
  • generally, the teaching speed was a bit high and then lots of waiting time in-between, but if you get lost, it’s hard to catch up later when all is presented in a serial way. If the entire chain is provided (and I as participant know the path we are following), I could potentially use the breaks to catch up later and jump back in.
  • Thanks!
  • Drop the break out rooms and having people go there for exercises. Or just make a silent room for those that don’t want to discuss and rest can stay in main room. Wastes time.
  • Confusing with different setups for Umeå and Uppsala.
  • NA