Dr. Doe's new course on World War I Aviation is one example of how he has revised the manner in which he structures a course. This begins with incorporating primary source readings with projects tackled by small groups of students and de-emphasizes the traditional lecture format in favor of directed discussions.In addition to creating a this new course, Dr. Doe revised each of the four other courses offered during this academic year, a significant undertaking. The success of these efforts is evident by both the evaluations of his students (compared to both his previous course evaluations and evaluations of other course in the department).
As mentioned, Dr. Doe's student evaluations are a testament to the effectiveness of his course revisions. While one can argue over the merit of relying upon course evaluations, the comparisons of Doe's current evaluations with previous years evaluations and with those of others in the department show a remarkable positive change in the perception of the instructor and his courses. Such dramatic changes are the result of significant and continuing efforts by the instructor.
Dr. Doe is one of two in our department who are working on a comprehensive advisor training seminar and manual for the rest of the department, based upon the training provided by Student Advisement and enriched by department specific policies and procedures. This is the first step to be taken in the department to react to the poor perception of our current advisement process.
Aviation historians view that Cross and Cockade, The Journal for World War I Aero Historians is the leading scholarly journal in the area of WWI aviation. Dr. Doe was invited to submit a paper on his recent research on the Liberty engine, which appeared in the first issue of 2001. While based on research from the previous year, this paper was substantially written and revised early in the 2000 academic year.