2004 Summer Seminar Series Comments

Essentials of Electronic Publishing Workshop Course Evaluations:

Did the Workshop with David Gants live up to your expectations?

Absolutely! Covered a very good range of XML related technologies. Demonstrated useful applications.
Yes, it has been a excellent experience. David is such a fine teacher and has an excellent sense of humor – what a privilege to work with him.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes. I definitely have the understanding and tools to teach myself more about XML and web publishing.
Yes. The course is a bit too short. I hope there can be a 3-4 week course, maybe even a credit course on-line.
Yes, definitely.
Yes – I achieved my objectives of learning an overview of XSL technologies and something about applying them.

What did you like best about the Workshop?

Instructor speaking from plenty of experience. Very interactive, hands on experience.
David's approach to the material and his interaction with students as well as the opportunity to find out more details about the text centre.
Introduction to new software and a look at how XML and XSLT are being used.
David's enthusiasm and especially patience! Seeing the sample finished product was very helpful in grasping the concepts of what we were doing and why..
Presentation of information was well thought out, showing careful pre-planning and consideration for student's varying levels of experience.
Hands-on. Meta-tagging. Instructor and Lisa are very friendly.
The course provides a wonderful overview of the "Essentials of Electronic Publishing". In only 5 days it is possible to move from knowing virtually nothing to having an understanding of the concepts needed, although self-learning will be required to move from a general understanding to a working knowledge that can be implemented.
Informal, hands-on, good atmosphere

How could the course have been improved?

Use more examples/applications and many seemed to find it hard to see how XML was useful until applications were demo'd. (Hamlet Play, Atlantic Canada Portal)
It is always difficult when there are diverse backgrounds. Switching to marking up smaller documents was a very good idea for many of us were getting "bogged down" with the masque (and it was a foreign object to many – I thought it was great)
More carefully selected examples! They should be shorter, in modern English, and structured to teach the concepts. Also the file names should be shorter. We should aim to do all our own work in one directory, if possible.
I couldn't easily get hold of some of the print materials in the reading list, given the time constraints. Would a "course pack" be possible?
More concrete examples; a slower pace at times.
Use professional version of note tab. Use other software like XML Spy. Offer it as a three-week course. On-line Course? (possibilities).
More concrete examples. More time for "hands-on" – although I realize with only 5 days that is difficult.
Sticking more to the script – would have been useful to see the Johnson masque work through to the end – a better feeling of accomplishment. Also, more about the context of using XML in a publishing situation – restraints, barriers, economic/resource considerations.

Were the facilities and social events amenable? Enjoyable?

Great!
Yes, very nicely organized.
Yes, insofar as I took advantage of them.
Yes. Caffeine at afternoon breaks, please.
Yes.
Yes.
They were fine (although I was unable to attend social events). Facilities certainly good.!
Yes.

Any other comments you would like to add?

Great coverage in the week time frame. Wished we could have seen the masque through to completion. An advanced course is a great idea!!
I'll perhaps write with more details but for me this was exactly what I want – a good approach to the topic, treating it in an academic, humanistic way.
I would have preferred more emphasis on the internals of XML and XSLT and less on conversions to HTML. The transformations are important but not specifically to HTML. HTML problems got in the way.
Thank you for an educational and enjoyable week.
Lisa and David are very helpful. I really enjoyed the course. You have convinced me that XML is the future for E-publishing. Good Work!

EAD Workshop Course Evaluations:

Did the Workshop with Daniel Pitti live up to your expectations?

Yes. It presented a fine balance between history, applications, & actual EAD encoding practice.
Yes.
Yes, definitely; both in class and outside he was very approachable. The topics covered were wide-ranging and helpful for putting EAD use in a broader context.
Yes, I got to learn the basics and more about that topic.
Yes, my expectation was an intensive introduction to EAD and although it was intensive, the technology was well described and easily related back to my own work. Great instruction!
It was extremely helpful! Since I have little experience, I had almost no concrete expectations except that it would give me a path to persue. That it did and more…
It surpassed them. I had very little exposure before I arrived and now feel that I can effectively use this tool when I go back to my home institution.

What did you like best about the Workshop?

I'm glad I attended a 5-day version of intro. EAD. Having 3-4 days of encoding solidified the concepts for me and repetition & mistakes& asking questions & making more mistakes & finally knowing how to do it right was ultimately most satisfying. The rapport between Daniel and the class put me at ease and made me more comfortable undertaking a very new challenge.
Juxtaposition of EAD in relation to other ways to provide accessibility.
The hands-on experience was good as was getting feedback on my work. . As well, questions were encouraged and the group dynamic rendered an overall pleasant atmosphere.
The fact that the group was small, we got to interrupt when in doubt, asks questions and be able to follow the rest of the class. The teacher was giving instructions in a language and in a (debit) that was easy to understand and follow the session. The teacher was friendly not intimidating with the fact that he had more knowledge than the rest of the class.
The hands-on instruction and instruction by example. It's the best way to learn! There was also enough time for one-on-one instruction which is uncommon in many workshops.
You took us where you found us and brought us further. in my case much further.. and I failed to feel threatened or lowly. I appreciated the "dumb" metaphors because they worked and lightened the mood.
The instructor's easy manner and sense of humor. He made the week a lot of fun.

How could the course been improved?

Don't know!
A practical guide ahead of time in the "nitty gritty" of EAD tags in relation to archival arrangement and description. Explanation of the function of the did and other elements of the structure would help to demystify the abbreviations and other jargon. An overview of why you would use EAD would be a good starting point.
The only awkwardness in the course came from the fact that some were there only for 1 day, some 2 and some for 3. I thought Daniel handled this very well but the course might have been paced a bit more evenly.
No.
None, the recommended readings will fill in the blanks.
I don't know really since I have no comparison. Perhaps more time? With that said, good use of our time seemed to be in the forefront on your presentations.
I think it was just right.

Were the facilities and social events amenable? Enjoyable?

Facilities were excellent, and coffee and snacks were much appreciated. Also enjoyed the outing to King's Landing and the many opportunities, e.g. the dessert reception, to mingle with other Summer Institute attendees.
Enjoyable.
Yes.
Excellent. Nice room, a lot of space.
The facilities were great. Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to participate in the social events due to scheduling difficulties.
Certainly were!
The chairs are a bit loose at the back – good for a short time but not so great for a long time. The social events were great!

Any other comments you would like to add?

All in all, this was an excellent workshop. Pitti was an excellent and personable instructor and classmates added many kernels for me to take away. Susan & Lori were fantastic! Thanks.
Great open discussions, a real learning environment.
Very enjoyable. The course must have been almost nightmarish to teach because of the vast range of expertise in XML, EAD, and archives. Despite this, Daniel did a great job of making us all feel at ease.
The long breaks were convenient in order to go in details with some of the questions we had and to put the knowledge in perspective according to our context of work (how does it apply to our institutions, based on our needs, resources, etc.)
The relaxed atmosphere made learning very technical subjects much easier and more fun. The readings we were to do before the workshops DO make much more sense to me now.
I certainly want to offer my thanks and appreciation for your patience and insightful comments. They were delivered in a timely fashion—you seemed to sense the level of individuals and taught accordingly.
I really think the instructor should be given high praise for achieving a balance for all of the students and meeting the needs of a very disparate group. It was very a enjoyable week and I will walk away with a much better sense of the issues and the concepts relating to EAD.

Fundamentals of Digital Imaging Workshop Course Evaluations:

Did the Workshop with Marc Bragdon live up to your expectations?

Yes, it was a good introduction to a range of things.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.

What did you like best about the Workshop?

Hands on tinkering with equipment & files. I appreciate the handout booklet.
It covered many aspects associated with digitization: access, preservation, management, etc.
The focus on fundamentals – an excellent introduction to the topic. I now feel that I know enough to go off and learn more. Previously, I felt way overwhelmed and didn't know where to start.
Providing a good overview of the issues and procedures associated with digital imaging.

How could the course been improved?

Perhaps another session where we could each try out something specifically related to the types of materials we may be dealing with.
Cover some areas in more depth – may need a separate workshop.
Warn people about the air-conditioner – I nearly slipped into hypothermia one day!
It is fine as is.

Any other comments you would like to add?

I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere – dealing with lots of new technical information can be mind boggling at times, but I felt the pacing of this course avoided that – didn't feel rushed but I learned a lot. Thank you!
The workshop was informative, well organized.