Questioner

Age? 22
Sex? Female
What is your degree subject (both if joint)?
Drama & Performance and Philosophy.
Does ‘Being Bad’ relate well to the other modules you are taking?
Not at all.
If so, how? And if not, why not?
Because the module seems to be geared more so to creative writing students than philosophy.
Have you found ‘Being Bad’ too demanding, too easy, or at an appropriate level?
Too easy to begin with and then too demanding with the same deadline for the blog and the second assessment.
Do you think the list of topics covered on the module was appropriate?
Other than smoking, yes
Are there any topics not included in the module that you would like to see included?
Do you think that the format for classes has worked well?
Not really as it did not encourage people to attend regularly.
What did you think of the module team?
Some we less interesting than others, but this could have been due to the subject content i.e. smoking
Do you think it would have been better to have had more:
Small group discussions?
Definitely. Seminars would have been much more appropriate as not everyone feels comfortable discussing certain subjects from the module in such an open way.
Discussion and debate among the class as a whole?
Not in the form of lectures.
Information and talk from lecturers?
Yes as it would have provided more information for the assessments and blogs rather than other students opinions which were often aside from the point.
The approach taken in the module is interdisciplinary (drawing on perspectives from English Literature, Film Studies, Creative Writing, Philosophy, Media Studies and Politics): do you think this a useful way of approaching the topics covered in the module?
Not of philosophy students who may prefer to focus on essay writing but have only had the opportunity to write one essay, half the size of a normal one.
Do you think that interdisciplinary modules are a good idea?
Not really as electives are supposed to give students studying one degree, a taste of another subject. It is not be a true reflection of the subject if the interdisciplinary approach is taken.
Do you think you have benefited from the interdisciplinary approach taken in the module?
Not at all.
Would you like to see more modules that cover this kind of subject matter?
Yes, but in a way which relates more to my chosen subject.
Are you planning to take the follow-up module PH2004 ‘It Shouldn’t Be Allowed’ at level 2?
It depends on the structure of the module.
Would you recommend ‘Being Bad’ to a friend?
If they were studying creative writing then yes.
Do you think that the blogs (web logs) were a good idea?
No, because they essentially forced a hobby onto people for several months, that they may not enjoy. Not everyone is comfortable with airing their opinions in a completely open forum.
What did you think of the other assessments (e.g. would it be better to have one longer assessment rather than two shorter ones?)?
For a philosophy student, one full length essay where you could actually delve into the topic without running out of words would have been much better.
What have you learned from the module?
Some interesting historical facts about thing we consider taboo.
What parts of the module have you found most useful and why?
The factual information given in lectures because it give you another way to argue something in a social situation
What parts do you think were a waste of time and why?
The seminars because they were not mandatory and so nobody attended them.
Are there any other comments you wish to make regarding ‘Being Bad’?
I think that the module code should be changed to one for creative writing because. Other than touching on a few modern ethical questions, the structure and way the course is run does not seem to have anything to do with philosophy. This was not intended as an elective for me but seems to deviate from other philosophy modules to the point that I don’t feel that this has aided me in my goal of a philosophy degree at all.