'Chaos Gremlin Vince is too loud' (mid module feedback)

In class today you all took the time to write comments as part of mid module feedback (officially now called mid module “enhancement”). Thank you for taking the time to do this.

There were a total of around 90 comments (you can find them all below)

Positive Comments

Your positive comments mean a lot. I don’t want to dwell on them too much but I do want you to know that they mean a lot: I value teaching as the part of my job I prefer the most so it means a lot to read some of the nicer comments.

I don’t want to dwell on them too much as there’s not much action I can take as a result of them however I do want to highlight that there are a few that comment on my approachability and/or helpfulness. I am not highlighting this to pat myself on the back but more to say that I know that I do not always come across that way: if you are reading this and don’t agree and/or do not feel that you can approach me so that I can help you please know that I want to help and others have found me effective at doing so.

Again: thank you for the kind words.

Things I can do better.

Worried about being prepared for the exam.

There are around 20 comments that want more solutions to problems. This one specifically stood out to me:

“More exam questions examples would be really helpful - I appreciate you don’t like exams, but ultimately it’s how we achieve the majority of our grade so the more practice questions the better.”

Whether or not I like exams is completely irrelevant and I apologise for giving the impression that that’s why you do not have more examples. I 100% understand and expect you to optimise behaviour to maximise your mark in an exam and I understand that having a number of examples with solutions is helpful for this.

If I can reassure some of you, here is the plan going forward:

1. There are more 7 sessions that are currently scheduled as “slack” in the class schedule: we will use every single one of the slack sessions to do exam type problems. I will work through them on the board.
2. There is an example exam on the class site (under assessment). I wish there was more than 1 but time constraints with the change to this module mean there are just one. There are also 2 scheduled sessions at the end of the Semester for a mock exam.

A number of other comments asked for solutions: please know that I agree with this and am not withholding solutions from you. I probably will not be able to provide them this Semester, the best I can offer you is that if you work through any of the problems (even if on the back of a napkin in crayons) I will write you a detailed set of feedback within a week. I know that this is not what you are asking for when you ask for solutions but hopefully it is somewhat helpful.

I completely hear your worry about being prepared for the exam: I will make sure we use our class time appropriately towards the end of the Semester to prepare for the exam.

Pdf version of the notes

A few of you asked for pdf versions of the notes, I can actually generate these although they’re relatively broken (references don’t work etc) and they will be immediately out of date (thanks to those of you who have been pointing out typos). So I’ll add a set of notes to learning central but please do use them with caution and I’d recommend using the online version (even if you print the web page to a pdf which most browsers can do).

Programming

A few of you mentioned being not remembering much programming. I completely understand. First: you did not need to do any programming for the exam. For your group project, I am more than happy to be accommodating and give guidance. Depending on what your project is you might not even need much programming but I’d hope that this module is an opportunity to re-engage with programming (even if only to have something regarding programming on your CV) and so I really would like to help you do that.

Other things.

I asked chatgpt what it thought was the funniest comments. It said that this comment was the funniest:

“The competitiveness of the games makes me see the bad in humanity (calling people losers and getting way too into it when it’s just a game) and I don’t like it.”

It commented:

It’s unintentionally hilarious because it reads like a moment of existential despair caused by a classroom game, perfectly contrasting the overwhelmingly cheerful tone of the rest of the feedback.

Now. First of all, I don’t think it’s the funniest comment and I don’t pretend to know the intent with which it was written BUT the chapter we recently looked at on Repeated Games is actually one of hope!

Coupled with what we just saw today (Replicator Dynamics) we can actually use game theory to show that selfishness (cooperation) can be completely rational and evolutionarily beneficial. This is one aspect of this subject that I love: being completely rational and acting with self interest leads to selflessness.

The comment that I did find funny was:

“Chaos Gremlin Vince is too loud”

I sent this to some of my friends and they pretty much all agreed with you (and many regretted not thinking of “chaos gremlin” themselves).

There might be more to this comment that just a well received bit of teasing, I know that when I speak loudly and you’re under a speaker the mic makes it “unpleasant”: I will try and remember to move the mic further away perhaps (if anyone has any other suggestions I welcome them!).

All the comments

# Please note any features of this module that you feel work well, and why they help you to learn.

Vince knight = GOAT
Style of lectures
lecture note website is really well laid out and helpful
Interactive and entertaining lectures
I like Vince s method of teaching
Practical games and examples
Good explanations. Fun topic to learn
Interactive games are engaging.
Vince responds to questions well
Interactive style lectures keep me engaged and curious
Topics divided into weekly chapters is useful, along with structure of topics
Visuals on the screen and animations/simulations or examples.
The interactive classes help with understanding and engage class
I like the practical aspect of the lectures and focusing on applications of the notes in classes.
I enjoy the application of the topics in lectures, gives real world application to content
Having all the notes available ahead of time is very helpful so that I can work on my understanding ahead of time
Interactive - so more engaged
The interactive nature of the lectures
visual class of the application of the notes
The interactivity of the lectures. They’re engaging and I actively look forward to them! And I like doing the notes myself, as for other modules I have to do that anyway.
Group work
Try to be accommodating to people who don’t understand coding at all. Even tho we did it in first year, it’s hard and I don’t understand. Also
The in lecture interactive game examples. The advice available from vince
The lectures are very helpful and like the fact we have coursework as well as an exam
Not enough theory or example exam questions shown in class
The lecture structure: notes online and different in person teaching
detailed notes provided, engaging examples in classes, lecturer is enthusiastic and engaging!
good
the notes are clearly written
Interactiveness makes sure what’s being said is understood not just copied down
Explanations
You are a very nice teacher who is approachable
detailed notes
The interactivity is very engaging, makes me actually want to learn
I like that we do the content in our own time and the lectures are using the concepts from the notes in an interactive and engaging way
Interactivity
Menti
Having physical games helps
Enjoy looking at the ideas from a conceptual perspective via in-lecture games rather than just reading/notating the lecture notes
The lectures feel interactive and I don’t fall asleep
I like that all the notes and resources are spread out very quickly week by week, makes it easy to catch up if u fall behind
Clear assessment criteria help with knowing what is expected
Well written and organised notes compared to other modules
Organised structure for the content, questions in it. Interactive lectures. Makes me feel less all over the place
It’s interactive, well documented,!has lots of practice questions, the problems given allow us to think logically and learn the theory well, also Vince is nice and fun
Prizes of candy make me motivated
Having examples and a quick overview during the lecture helps me understand the notes when I go through them after
class notes online
clear notes
Format of the lectures is really engaging and gives a great overview and understanding of the content.
The way you talk
Motives
CBAU
I'm not a fan of the non classic lectures as it is different to others
good
Happy birthday peter
The classes could be closer to the notes. And explain more the math behind the games that we play.
I can't remember a single thing from the first year computing module

# Please note any features of this module that you feel have not worked well, and suggest any potential changes that might help to address these.

Group project
I feel like I’m not being taught stuff that will come up in an exam
I would most definitely love more exam style questions to be attempted during lectures, perhaps some which arent in the notes.
I would prefer a bit more mathematical explanation in class, as well as self-study outside of the lectures.
Some of the numbers in the lecture notes don’t make sense
Wish coursework had more weight to grade as topics are interesting
Less emphasis within lectures on the material and mathematical foundations to the problems that we see
Sometimes i come out of lectures with a good understanding of a game but dont know what relevant questions in an exam would be
more going over the key terms and examinable content during lectures - going through exam style questions
I don’t feel entirely confident on how I’d apply what we’re learning in an exam and I’m not sure how to improve this feeling
Although the interactive news is good it would be more helpful to have the notes followed a little closer along side to be more aware of how it works and would help when trying to complete exercises.
Answers to the exercises posted
clearer explanations of how class examples link to theory (in particular with linking to vocab used in the notes)
The interactive classes leave alot of independent study which can be difficult to keep on top of with other modules
the games are good and definitely make me want to learn, sometimes I feel like it’s harder to see what we are being taught through the games
Happy birthday peter
solutions to exercises on the notes missing??
If I don't understand a written example it feels awkward to ask about it during the lecture because we have technically already gone through it and I don't know when to bring it up
More past papers
spend more time going over the notes in class pls, more explanations needed
None. I'm behind because I've been ill
People aren't very willing to join in with games which puts people who do on the spot more!
Answers to exercises
Try be more accommodating to people who don’t understand coding even tho we did it first year
"Not enough pizza
But seriously it’s great"
Follow notes slightly more as exam is now introduced
Chess Battle Advanced
Module is not structured so well. We don’t discuss exam questions in the lectures or much relevant content. Can’t download lecture notes. Not a big fan of the lecture style
Not yet clear what exam questions will be like (might become clearer with more examples later in course)
Would like to have more exam style examples as i feel confident in the theory but i am not sure on how to apply it in a exam setting
I’d like more exercises / problem sheets with solutions as I don’t know if I’m working through the ones in the notes right or not
A little more focus on applying things to exam style questions would be good
Problem sheets featuring exam style questions for each section pls I want to know how the exam will test me. Some content at least once a week in lectures wit the interactive sessions
Beard itchy
Halim is behind because he was ill
need help with applying to written questions
it would be nice to have the solutions to the exercises made available as i have no idea if i’ve done them right or not and don’t wanna ask
Sometimes difficult to know why we're learning the different things and how they link together
This is Spike Glennons first lecture
The competivness of the games makes me see the bad in humanity (calling people losers and getting way to into it when it's just a game) and I don't like it.
 good
You need hopecore videos at the end of the lecture so you regain confidence in humanity
Chaos gremlin Vince is too loud

# If you would like to add any additional comments related to the module, please include them here.

Really engaging I like that
Favourite lecturer
Have some solutions for exercises available to help getting started to then be able to do more and give to you for feedback.
more games
A structured pdf version of the ‘lecture notes’ on learning central as well as on the website.
"But that’s just a theory A Game Theory Thanks for Watching"
More pizza in future
Peter liked the Lizard
Are you sponsored by patagonia?
avani thinks you’re our coolest lecturer
The person who saw the bad in humanity or something is mad because bad
Would be better if cousework was more weighted
Dressed
More exam questions examples would be really helpful - I appreciate you don’t like exams, but ultimately it’s how we achieve the majority of our grade so the more practice questions the better.
Would be better if coursework was less weighted
CBAU 🐸😇
Love the interactiveness
I like the lectures but the vagueness of the coursework worries me