Professor: Kniesche Course format: Language Number of respondents: 6 Total Enrollment: 7 Class Composition: Froshs: 0 Sophs: 1 Jrs: 3 Srs: 3 Concs: 0 Non-Concs: 6 Don't Know: 0

Instructor Average: 1.31 Course Average: 1.37

"Classical German Literature: Goethe" is an intensely German experience, designed for those fluent in German, although even those with significant experience with the language had some problems. This juxtaposition of lecture, seminar, and language course delves into the works of the German writer, Goethe.

Professor Kniesche was very highly regarded by all of his students. In fact, none of the reviewers had anything negative to say about him or his teaching style. He was praised as being a clear lecturer who was very knowledgeable about the subject. Students also described him as being friendly and very well organized. Respondents were also happy with his use of in-class discussions to help them better understand the material. In addition, students were appreciative of his ability to draw clear connections between various works studied throughout the course.

Because the course was focused on literary analysis, reading assignments included a total of eight books and some poetry. Each of the books was accompanied with a short paper. Students were also required to write a longer paper or create a web page. The reviewers found the readings to be both useful and valuable to the course, though some mentioned that the readings could get overwhelming at times. For the most part, students spent between six to ten hours weekly on work for this course.

Respondents found the course to be intellectually stimulating. Although a few of the respondents found some of the readings difficult, the students agreed that Professor Kniesche did an excellent job of tying the works together. The course not only satisfied the general goal of analyzing Goethe"s literary works, but also helped to improve the students" handle on the German language. Every one of the reviewers was glad to have taken the course.

For those fluent in German and yearning for some experience in German literature, this course is a particularly good choice. Those prepared to deal with the readings stand to gain a lot from taking this class.

View GM/0132 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.