EPS SCI 133
Historical and Regional Geology
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, two hours; field trips. Requisite: course 61. Recommended requisite: course 112. Principles of historical geology. Physical evolution of Earth, especially North America. One area of Earth to be investigated in detail, with emphasis on its geologic evolution through time. Letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2024 - Kevin is an excellent lecturer, and his engaging teaching style made this class highly enjoyable. His enthusiasm and expertise significantly enhanced the learning experience. However, there are several structural aspects of the course that could be improved to enhance student understanding and retention of the material. Firstly, the course is structured in a way that begins with the present day and moves backward in time. While this unconventional approach initially seems intriguing and aligns well with the field trip (which was incredibly fun and educational), it ultimately proves to be confusing. The backward progression is counterintuitive because cause and effect naturally move forward in time. As a result, the sequence of historical and geological events becomes jumbled, making it difficult to form a coherent understanding of the material. Another issue is the heavy reliance on student presentations. While peer-led presentations can be valuable, the quality and effectiveness of these presentations vary widely. Some students deliver excellent presentations that enhance understanding, but many others fall short, leading to gaps in knowledge and a fragmented grasp of the sequence of events. This inconsistency makes it challenging to develop a comprehensive understanding of historical and regional geology. To address these issues, I believe the course would benefit greatly from Kevin taking on a more central role in lecturing. If Kevin delivered the majority of the content, the course would be far more cohesive and structured, significantly enhancing our grasp of the material. Additionally, if student presentations remain a component of the course, it would be beneficial for Kevin to meet with each student a week or two before their presentation. This quality control step would ensure that the presentations meet a certain standard and are effective in conveying the necessary information. Overall, I still enjoyed this class and would recommend it. Learnt a lot of cool things but I really wish I had learnt more.
Spring 2024 - Kevin is an excellent lecturer, and his engaging teaching style made this class highly enjoyable. His enthusiasm and expertise significantly enhanced the learning experience. However, there are several structural aspects of the course that could be improved to enhance student understanding and retention of the material. Firstly, the course is structured in a way that begins with the present day and moves backward in time. While this unconventional approach initially seems intriguing and aligns well with the field trip (which was incredibly fun and educational), it ultimately proves to be confusing. The backward progression is counterintuitive because cause and effect naturally move forward in time. As a result, the sequence of historical and geological events becomes jumbled, making it difficult to form a coherent understanding of the material. Another issue is the heavy reliance on student presentations. While peer-led presentations can be valuable, the quality and effectiveness of these presentations vary widely. Some students deliver excellent presentations that enhance understanding, but many others fall short, leading to gaps in knowledge and a fragmented grasp of the sequence of events. This inconsistency makes it challenging to develop a comprehensive understanding of historical and regional geology. To address these issues, I believe the course would benefit greatly from Kevin taking on a more central role in lecturing. If Kevin delivered the majority of the content, the course would be far more cohesive and structured, significantly enhancing our grasp of the material. Additionally, if student presentations remain a component of the course, it would be beneficial for Kevin to meet with each student a week or two before their presentation. This quality control step would ensure that the presentations meet a certain standard and are effective in conveying the necessary information. Overall, I still enjoyed this class and would recommend it. Learnt a lot of cool things but I really wish I had learnt more.
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2020 - This professor is an absolute ass. I have never taken a class with a professor who acted like a such a prick. The textbook for this class is absolutely useless, and we had weekly quizzes with a class average of 3-5/10 most weeks. Everybody hated this professor due to the way he acted, and how shitty of a teacher he was. He was absolutely no help when it came to learning. I am surprised people don't switch out of the major because of him. Avoid this class/professor at all costs. If he didn't have tenure, I'm sure he would be teaching 4th grade math.
Spring 2020 - This professor is an absolute ass. I have never taken a class with a professor who acted like a such a prick. The textbook for this class is absolutely useless, and we had weekly quizzes with a class average of 3-5/10 most weeks. Everybody hated this professor due to the way he acted, and how shitty of a teacher he was. He was absolutely no help when it came to learning. I am surprised people don't switch out of the major because of him. Avoid this class/professor at all costs. If he didn't have tenure, I'm sure he would be teaching 4th grade math.