Tim Patterson - Carleton University, Ottawa, ON

Professor: Tim Patterson

Department: Geology

College: Carleton University, Ottawa, ON

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ERTH2402
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

A lot of ground was covered; not surprising since it covered climate change through all of geologic time. I expected that there would be a lot of coverage of modern concerns over climate change, but there wasn't. To give some coverage to this topic he had five interesting speakers in as part of a panel during the last class. Excellent course!

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ERTH2316
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

This was a very interesting class. Although it didn't seem like it at the time we covered a surprising amount of material. Hidden in the stories were a lot of tough test questions, which caught a lot of people off guard. I liked doing the group poster presentation at the end, and liked it that the final exam was done in class.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ERTH2402
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Excellent class. It covered the various controls over how Earth's climate has changed and what the various controls were through the last 4.5 billion years. I found it fascinating. The multiple choice tests were dead easy. There was no interplanetary content at all despite claims of student? (Hmmmm) who even got the course number wrong (GEOL??)

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: GEOL2402
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

This was a paleoclimatology course. I was really hoping to view climate change through a long lens. It turns out he was receiving funds from Shell Oil, and was therefore pushing the climate denial point-of-view. I was really disappointed that his bias wasn't evident up-front. He also spent a lot of time on irrelevant interplanetary information.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ERTH2402
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

almost fell asleep every class. class topic was not what i was expecting it to be at all. lecture slides are pretty confusing. has a few books which he assigns reading from, as well as papers he posts online.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ERTH2312
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Good luck if you have to take 2312

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ERTH2312
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Tim is one the best professors I have ever had. He is very clear and organized, passionate about his topic, always willing to help and answered any and all questions. His grading is fair and he explains clearly as to how we could do better. Attendance was mandatory. Probably just as well since the class was at 8:30AM...

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ERTH2402
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Excellent Prof. Great lecturer, good sense of humour, friendly. A lot of material to study for a general interest course. The little video clips that he played to go with some of the concepts really helped me understand the material better. An interesting group of guest speakers as well. I recommend this class.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ERTH2402
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Great Prof! Very complicated lecture material -- but the combination of Powerpoints, videos and clear instructions made comprehension easy. Also a really funny guy, which made the course fun. The guest lecturers made for a nice change of pace too. Caution: If you are looking for a bird course do not take this course.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ERTH2402
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Great course of the geological history of climate change. There was a lot of material to cover but the professor made it interesting with good slides and nice animations/videos. There were some interesting guest speakers as well. Exam was multiple choice, mostly from slides. A geological time scale is always on the exam.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ERTH1009
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Excellent overview of the history of geological science! I am now hooked on geology and have switched majors to Earth Science. Thanks for a great course!

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ERTH1009
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Excellent course. I thought that it would be really boring as it covers the history of the field of geology. However, the professor was passionate about the subject, which brought it to life for me. Some complained about the multiple choice exams. Good grief. The questions were dead easy if one listened to the lectures and read the text.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ERTH1009
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Brutal, the last thing this guy cares about is teaching. His midterm and exams were on specific facts rather than over all ideas, his ego was too big when you asked him about his approach to teaching and would always tell me to "come another time" during his office hours.

Rating # 14

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

I took a field trip course with him. He was preoccupied looking after his family (who came along on the trip) while the grad students taught the course. It was a long trip because his kids needed bathroom stops constantly. I just don't think people should bring their kids to work with them. It wasn't very professional.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ERTH1009
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

First year that course was offered. Professor very good speaker. Ably explained how science of geology evolved in context of what was known when ideas were developed and what we know today. Very interesting stuff. Highly recommend.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ERTH1009
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Not dependable. Doesn't put notes online prior to class like he says, only uses two thirds of the time every lecture. Exams are dumb (multiple possible answers for one scantron question. Labs do not reflect on material learned in class. Try to avoid if possible.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ERTH2312
• 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:

Excellent introduction to paleontology. Good lecturer. Fair exams and assignments.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ERTH2402
• 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:

Excellent class. All that one has to do is watch the lectures and study. As a student in Science I found it easy. Arts students might have to put in more effort. Weekly participation news group requirement is a nice alternative to a term paper.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ERTH2402
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Dunno why people find this course hard. Read the notes a few times and watch the lectures and you're done. As a prof in general this guy is fine. Lectures are interesting, exams are straightforward. He likes them a) dog b) bird c) horse d) a and b e) a and b and c. Forum participation is worth 25% which some people like but I hate.heh

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ERTH2402
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Very interesting class. Was interesting to learn that there is more to climate change than the usual sound bites that we hear on the news.