This page contains selections from my teaching evaluations. Excerpts
from questionnaires are
given for every class that was evaluated. Some semesters are
missing because of fellowships
or research assistantships, and a couple of classes were not evaluated.
Several different evaluation questionnaires were used; quantitative
information is given
whenever it was gathered.
University of Utah (Fall 2003-Spring 2004)
For All Utah classes: 1: Strongly Disagree; 2: Disagree; 3:
Mildly Disagree; 4: Mildly Agree; 5: Agree; 6: Strongly Agree
Spring 2003, Epistemology (graduate/undergraduate)
Overall, this was an effective course.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
Overall, this was an effective instructor.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
Some comments:
“Prof. Weiner is a stud!… Prof. Weiner knows his stuff, and more
importantly, he knows how to teach it. The philosophy department
should be honored by his stay, and regret his departure.”
“Matt made class fun, I always enjoyed going to class. The drawings
on the board helped to clarify the concepts and made things clear and easy
to think about.”
Spring 2003, Theory of Knowledge (two sections)
Overall, this was an effective course.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 9 |
Overall, this was an effective instructor.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 16 |
Some comments:
“Very difficult class for a first year college kid, but he did a very
good job of explaining what these philosophers were thinking and that is
NOT an easy job.”
“Explained information very well, the instructor is very intelligent
and knowledgeable and is not even slightly condescending.”
“The instructor was very good. His lectures were interesting
and insightful and he always maintained a good sense of humor. He
also helped break down very complex material in a way that made it easy
for us to understand.”
“Matt’s humor kept everyone’s attention and also, helped to explain
some things (even if he didn’t know it).”
“Dr. Weiner’s examples are generally very helpful in clarifying difficult
concepts.”
“I really enjoyed this class and would hope to take something from
this instructor again. I enjoyed his sense of humor. :o)”
Fall 2003, Philosophy of Action (graduate/undergraduate):
Overall, this was an effective course.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
Overall, this was an effective instructor.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
Some comments:
“Overall, a very effective professor who has turned a major requirement
into one of the most enjoyable philosophy courses (or any course) that
I have ever taken.”
“This has been a great class. Dr. Weiner is very intelligent
& very funny. His use of stick figures was critical in conveying
the main concepts of the texts relating to the philosophy of action.”
“Matt is a great teacher, knowledgeable & fun. I would recommend
him to anyone!”
Fall 2003, Deductive Logic (two sections):
Overall, this was an effective course.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 12 |
Overall, this was an effective instructor.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 16 |
Some comments:
“Matt explains concepts very well; his ability to understand what even
the most confused student is asking, and to respond in a way that benefits
other students, is excellent.”
“Thanks a lot for the great class! I have recommended this course
to my fellow Enviro Studies friends.”
“If Matt wasn’t such an awesome teacher I would probably be failing
this class.”
“Very good at explaining things and very patient; very approachable
and genuinely concerned about students; great instructor, good course.”
“The instructor explains things very clearly, encourages questions
and gives good answers. He is very respectful of the students &
seems genuinely interested in helping us understand the subject matter.
Matt is one of the best instructors I have had at the U and I’ve been here
forever!”
“Matt’s teaching style is excellent. He presents the material
in a way that is unparalleled with other professors at the U. He
takes the time to make sure his students are learning the material.”
“I really enjoyed this course.”
University of Pittsburgh (Fall 1995-Spring 2003)
Fall 2002, Introduction to Symbolic Logic (lecture course
with teaching assistants)
How would you rank this instructor relative to others you have had?
1: one of the worst 2: worse than most 3: average
4: better than most 5: one of the best
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 0 | 4 | 9 | 28 | 17 |
Some comments:
"Fantastic, created a great environment and taught a difficult subject
very clearly."
"Kept class interesting & was extremely well educated on the subject....
Great job
explaining everything."
"I would not have passed without his clear teaching method....
I would recommend him
to everyone."
"He was very informative and funny."
"Good, funny, smart, helpful."
"I actually enjoyed class."
"He was very funny. He likes what he is teaching. I would
recommend him to anyone
interested in taking logic."
"Very, detailed, thorough.... Matt Weiner is a really good teacher."
"Outstanding! Actually made this boring material interesting."
Summer 2001, Philosophy of Religion (independently taught)
Overall Teaching Effectiveness:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
Some comments:
"[This course] raised new questions in my mind that weren't there before."
"Helped me learn to make an effective argument."
"He had a full and complete knowledge of the subject matter... He was
able to argue effectively and clarify points not understood."
"Good course."
Fall 2000, Introduction to Existentialism (large lecture
course)
Some comments:
"Excellent lectures."
"Very good job. In depth, concise summaries of the readings.
Interesting."
"Very good lecturer; got point across clearly and concisely."
"Interesting and humorous."
"Very clear lectures. Made difficult reading easier to understand."
"Very able to explain a complicated topic in a more understandable
way."
"I found him to be very spunky and likeable--overall a very clear thorough
teacher. Without his aid, I'd probably not have gotten through some
readings."
"Spoke clearly and distinctly--communicated complex and abstract ideas
and concepts well."
"No complaints at all. Gets the material across, keeps it interesting.
Knows how to explain it so we'll understand."
"His lectures were always interesting and easy to follow."
Summer 2000, Philosophy of Religion (independently taught)
Overall Teaching Effectiveness:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 0 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 4 |
Some comments:
"He managed to keep things interesting. His enthusiasm and jokes
(bad as they are) are great. Also, he made sure to get people involved."
"Stimulated thought about subject."
"Very interesting--informative."
"Explained subject matter very well."
"Interesting and animated--smart."
Spring 2000, Introduction to Philosophical Problems, Michael
Perloff (recitation sections)
Would you recommend this lab/recitation instructor to other students
who are going to take this course?
| No | Probably not | Probably yes | Yes |
| 0 | 1 | 9 | 13 |
Some comments:
"You are a great teacher. You clarified everything we needed
to know and gave us efficient feedback on assignments."
"Gives good examples to clarify concepts and gives good feedback on
questions that are asked during class."
"Clarified concepts that were difficult to understand from readings
and lecture. Amusing examples kept the class's attention."
"He goes over the readings very well and his examples to help us understand
are wonderful. He has helped me understand the readings well."
Fall 1999, Introduction to Philosophical Problems (independently
taught)
Overall Teaching Effectiveness:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 0 |
Some comments:
"You presented tough material in an understandable fashion. I
feel I got an understanding of the major themes."
"Very intelligent, quick thinking."
"He encouraged class participation and made the information interesting
while teaching it."
"Very good use of example to clarify concepts and always amusing even
at such an ungodly hour [8:20-10:45 pm]."
Summer 1999, Introduction to Philosophical Problems (independently
taught)
Some comments:
"He knows the material, is able to present it well.... Good communication
skills."
"Was understanding, helped students when a problem occurred.
Gave good feedback on papers we wrote."
"He was entertaining and always kept the class interesting which made
learning easier. He also clearly explained the readings so you could
understand them... Helped my writing skills a lot."
Spring 1999, Introduction to Symbolic Logic (independently
taught)
Overall Teaching Effectiveness:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 10 |
Some comments:
"His friendliness, politeness, knowledge of the material, humor, made
class enjoyable and fun and easy to attend and pay attention."
"Organized, calm, and very friendly in class. Kept the class
lively, and the course material was well presented and explained."
"Very approachable, cares about students, explains things clearly,
grades fairly; all around good instructor."
"[Major strengths:] Clarity, ability to answer questions wll using
examples, HUMOR."
"I finally got my quantitative reasoning requirement out of the way,
and I actually enjoyed it."
Fall 1998, Introduction to Symbolic Logic (independently
taught)
Overall Teaching Effectiveness:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 4 |
Some comments:
"[Major strengths:] Making lecture interesting, providing humorous
analogies to what we were learning, relaxed class atmosphere yet a lot
of participation... the class went by fast every week."
"He explains materials thoroughly with a sense of humor.... Matt's
methods are very successful, in my opinion."
"He knows a lot about logic and is able to teach a complicated subject
in a comprehensible way. Overall, he is a good instructor."
"I am surprised that this is actually one of the classes that I really
like this semester!"
Summer 1998, Introduction to Symbolic Logic (independently
taught)
Overall Teaching Effectiveness:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 4 |
Some comments:
"Very thorough in clarifying concepts--made good use of examples; was
very accessible; straightforward approach, yet not without humor/humanity."
"Open[ed] up his schedule to meet w/students who needed extra help.
He taught w/patience and made our learning experience both worth striving
for and intriguing."
"Presented material in an effective manner and seemed concerned that
everyone had concepts down. Was open for discussion and questions."
"Was accessible to students. Used inventive examples to clarify
difficult sections of text. Kept a long class upbeat and enjoyable."
Spring 1998, Introduction to Philosophical Problems ,Michael
Perloff (recitation sections)
Some comments:
"The sections were very helpful because it was more of a discussion
atmosphere.... Matt clarified most of the material and made a great
effort to prepare our section for the main points on the exam.... Matt
was great in making everyone feel comfortable participating."
"Made specific topics and arguments much clearer."
"He made great (funny) use of examples.... His grading was fair
and his comments were helpful."
"[Recitation] is where I learned everything.... Very good examples
to help explain difficult issues.... The review sheets were great!"
Fall 1997, Introduction to Symbolic Logic, Robert
Clifton (recitation sections)
Would you recommend this lab/recitation instructor to other students
who are going to take this course?
| No | Probably not | Probably Yes | Yes |
| 0 | 1 | 7 | 40 |
Some comments:
"I thorougly enjoyed the tinker toy recitation [don't ask--MW].
It honestly helped me better comprehend things. Matt has a knack
for presenting logic in a way that is considerably more understandable
than the lectures! Recitation is a lot of fun and we get stuff done!
Ho matter how much we tease Matt he's still a great teacher!"
"Humorous, knowledgeable, condensed info very well so that we could
understand and apply it. MATT saved my life in this course!"
"Quite witty and able to clarify rather confusing material quite well."
"You explained the material very well and you are a good TA.
(One of the best ones that I've had.)"
"He explained the harder concepts especially well and was always there
to help w/ questions we had."
"Most of the students I have talked to--myself included--have learned
most from the recitation. Matt conveys his knowledge well, is easy
to understand and follow."
"Very effective teacher, very caring, very understanding. Will
become an excellent professor in time."
Fall 1996, Introduction to Existentialism (recitation
sections)
Some comments:
"When the room would get silent, he would alter his questions to help
lead us in the right direction.... We had quite a few different personality
types and levels of understanding. He managed to treat each question
and opinion with respect."
"Matt helped to explain many of the class subjects clearer to students....
He always encouraged questions and answered them well."
"He is very encouraging and always answers questions.... He teaches
in a fashion that allows participation (not lectures) to grasp concepts."
"[Sections] pared down the lectures to the most salient points....
He did explain important concepts that were brushed over in lecture."
"He encouraged student input. I felt he did an excellent job."
"Keep up the good work."
Spring 1996, Philosophy of Religion, Richard Gale (recitation
sections)
Would you recommend this lab/recitation instructor to other students
who are going to take this course?
| No | Probably not | Probably Yes | Yes |
| 2 | 2 | 12 | 10 |
Some Comments:
"Did very well in clarifying abstract ideas."
"Explained well the difficult content of this course. Presented
interested discussions to interesting topics."
"I think that he was very good at clarifying the lecture material and
I feel that without the recitation this class would be very difficult."
"The recitation is very well organized and often leads to very interesting
discussions among the group. The examples given to clarify points
were very helpful."
Fall 1995, Social Philosophy, Tamara Horowitz (recitation
sections)
Would you recommend this lab/recitation instructor to other students
who are going to take this course?
| No | Probably not | Probably Yes | Yes |
| 1 | 4 | 30 | 16 |
Some Comments:
"The information given was clear, precise, and easily understood.
He was always well prepared and answered any questions we had and was always
respectful and constructive when a question was answered incorrectly by
someone in the class."
"Most of the major ideas of the lectures and the text are discussed.
Questions are answered skillfully."
"He uses excellent and easy to understand examples to explain difficult
and complex concepts presented in the reading. His recitation also
helped to straighten out misunderstandings that I had in lecture."
"Everything was fine, an excellent TA. I am a Phil. major and
believe Matt is top-notch."