Eric Rabkin - University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Professor: Eric Rabkin

Department: English

College: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: COURSERA
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: No
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I have following Dr. Rabkin's online course "Fantasy and Science Fiction - The Human Mind, Our Modern World", which has been a really rich, insightful and powerful experience. I have had the chance to develop in my literary interests in directions I did not foresee, thanks to his keen analysis and tremendously clear explanations.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: FANTASYSF005
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: No
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

A great literature and writing course, with minimal instructor interaction. The videos were insightful, but all pre-recorded - Prof. Rabkin never made an appearance nor answered emailed questions. Essays are graded through peer review, which a hit-or-miss system. The forums were better for critical reviews and peer interaction, and the TAs rocked!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: COURSERA
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: No
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Fantsay Coursera Course. His lectures are okay, a bit on the side of maybe putting too much meaning into little things that might just not have a deeper meaning. The class grading system is awful, but I am not sure the professor set that up or someone else.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: COURSERA
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: No
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Rabkin teaches a Coursera course "Fantasy and Science Fiction". His pre-recorded essays do reveal a lot, but Rabkin never interacts with the class. Some videos contain factual errors that remain uncorrected. He has a lot of knowledge to share, but doesn't use the technology fully to reveal more to students.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: FANDSF
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: No
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I am plain amazed by the quality and depth of the material I'm receiving from Professor Rabkin. His course is extremely enlightening. I recommend him to all aspiring writers. If you seek a deep and panoramic understanding of science fiction and fantasy, his is THE COURSE to take.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENG341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Very smart guy and I highly encourage office hours. His lectures go off in EVERY direction, but most end up at religous readings. since his knowledge of Catholicism and the bible clearly affects how he reads things. The papers are manageable once you figure out the grading system, but the reading load is too heavy.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENG341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He expects every student to prove something unique about every book you read, the grading system is hard to grasp and his lectures are really radical (mostly religious) critiques of each book. the papers are tolerable, but there's too much reading. Very smart guy, but the class just isn't worth it (it doesn't fulfill the major requirement either)

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENG342
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I agree that the grading system is a bit confusing at first. But like it or not, the man is an absolute genius. He's brilliant and therefore at times trails off on these tangents that may seem a bit irrelevant to anyone not deeply involved with English literature. Overall, the class was challenging... but in a very, very good way

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENG341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The worst class I've ever taken. I love Fantasy literature, but the obtuse grading system and the unnecessary rants you have to sit through in lecture are not worth it. Don't take this professor. You will be miserable.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENG341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He obviously know what he is talking about but goes off on random speechs nearly every class (for the whole lecture). The literature read is interesting but the weird grading standard makes it hard and depressing.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENG341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

An egoist, but an immensely intelligent, knowledgeable egoist who can be of tremendous help if he can be derailed from his often-eccentric readings of texts.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENG341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

After taking this class, I agree with most of these ratings. He is the MOST arrogoant person I have ever met. At first, his ego wasn't a big deal, but by the end of the semester I could no longer listen to him go on about his fame in Italy and great vocabulary and accomplishments in Physics. Readings are fun but many and can be overwhelming.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENG418
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Incredibly arrogant and rude, regularly berated students (one in particular) during classtime. Allowed section discussions to drift aimlessly. Required over 20+ books but usually only discussed a page or two from each. Comments on papers were not helpful at all. There was no dialogue with this prof, instead only echoes of what he wanted to hear.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENG342
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I don't understand the point of lecture for this class, I began doing better when I realized how ridiculous this class was, and I got sick of hearing Rabkin finding a biblical or sexual reference in EVERYTHING. I stopped going to lecture about half way through the course and still got full scores on all my papers, even for books I never opened.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENG341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

like the people below me said, one of the people in my section knew that the stuff he said about one of the books was wrong and let him know, and he ignored her and never corrected the error. he has pet theories - most of them about straight sex and/or the bible - and ignores what does not fit. also rude, arrogant. good booklist though!

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENGLI341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

His research for one of the books was flat out incorrect. When a student went through the trouble of finding the research to back up her claim and point out what was wrong with his research, he ignored her. His refusal to correct his misinformation and his dismissal of her were disrespectful. His readings are male-centric and hetero-centric.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENG341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The short weekly papers that "enrich the reading of an intelligent senior in the class" are supposed to improve writing skills, but mine has gotten worse - I'm so worried about word count. His teaching style is often unprofessional, like stopping lecture and causing more distraction than anything to yell at someone for talking while he is.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENG341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He makes it seem as if your attendance in lecture is absolutely necessary, but it's not. In fact, the readings are discussed in the class sessions following the due date for the assignment on them. His interpretations of the texts (sexual readings 80% of the time!) are usually way out there and not helpful at all.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENGL341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

he's extremely smart, has an interesting way of looking at things, and he's pretty entertaining. he's also obsessed with himself. plus, a wonderful reading list was inhibited by the way the papers - focusing on very short strictly graded papers rather than longer ones where you can develop a lot more ideas. not the worst class, but disappointing.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENG341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He is an egoist, but he's an intelligent, knowledgeable, and entertaining egoist. He gives good lectures and expects a lot out of his students. You'll learn a lot writing the papers for this class. The grading scale is weird, but it lets you have some freedom over what to write on and when.