Dr. van Veen is a super engaging lecturer who goes at his own pace- what he covers in the class is what the exam will be on. All tests are open note, and usually you can finish within an hour. A few of the classes are discussion based, where you read a paper and then as a class, go through it (mainly by examining figures). He only cares if you participate, but the papers are usually engaging enough that you want to talk through it. Even asking questions about things you didn't understand is good for participation. Highly recommend taking this class and C127 in the same quarter.