Overall, I enjoyed this course very much; I found it to be engaging and interesting, and i would definitely recommend it to others. It was very clear that time and effort were dedicated to running the class (as demonstrated by the fact that a double space nested in my sources was spotted). I think some aspects of the class could be improved upon, however, even if kept as it currently is, I would absolutely retake the course.

For the good:

-The website was laid out in a clean and helpful fashion. I had no issues with it.

-The lab sessions were interesting and very entertaining. I definitely feel like it was necessary to complete at least one expriment within the science-based IDC.

-The 3D printing experience was one of a kind. It was a fascinating learning experience and a great skill to know. If it weren’t for this course, I don’t think I would have ever taken it upon myself to learn or experience 3D printing, so I am very grateful for the opportunity. I certainly will not forget it.

– The presentations were a great aspect of the class. From the PMOPs, to the poster presentations, to the plagiarism presentation, and the history of drugs and healthcare innovations, I was able to absorb a lot of information in an enjoyable and engaging way.

-We were very well prepared for the STEAM festival.

For the bad:

-The BioBlitz Diversity Report felt like a filler assignment that didn’t add to the class or teach anything. It was also quite a pain to complete. I understand that it’s purpose might be to incorporate the BioBlitz, but given the theme of our class, I don’t think it was necessary (unlike many other IDCs throughout Macaulay which use the BioBlitz as the backbone for their course).

-In regards to the poster creation phase, I enjoyed listening to the presentation about scientific posters, however I think it would be tremendously helpful if, in addition, there could be some guidance about creating posters specifically designed for our class and our projects. There was a lot of confusion when it came time putting the posters together (section titles, what should go where, etc.) and I think that could be cleared up with a quick mention and examples of how to structure our poster for the 3D project. This way, I think we would be able to shorten the time dedicated to practicing and critiquing our poster presentations.

-The three science senses were confusing because, as we found, they’re not clearly defined categories as there is plenty of overlap between them. I don’t think it added anything to the course.

-I was pleasantly surprised by the STEAM Festival as I didn’t have very high expectations for it. It was very interesting to listen to the presentations of others and run into other Macaulay students that I hadn’t seen since Macaulay orientation. I was disappointed that there was no longer the competition for best poster (because I think our class would’ve killed it). I know this isn’t related to our class, but I thought the “maker space” portion of the Festival was useless. It seemed like a filler piece geared towards a kindergarten arts and crafts class. It was wasteful.

-My aspirin contained way too much salicylic acid for my taste 🙂

Thank you for a great semester! I feel very fortunate to have been able to take this course with the both of you.