Douglas Wallace - Northern Illinois University

Professor: Douglas Wallace

Department: TBD

College: Northern Illinois University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PSYC300
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He had everything in blackboard before the class even started. Very organized and easy to contact via email. Watch and take notes on his video lectures and you will do well. Extra credit was offered. He is an overall fairly easy grader on project. Tests aren't curved though so make sure you know the material.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PSYC411
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Wallace is one of the better instructors in the Psychology department. The class consists of 3 exams, lecture quizzes, and the lab. Animal Cognition is a difficult class, there are a lot of difficult topics but it was an overall interesting and well-constructed course.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PSYC300
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I think this class is challenging. The exams are tricky and not easy. The majority of the questions are unique to his lectures. Especially as the course goes on, it becomes increasingly difficult. It's manageable, but the work has to be put into it. Don't expect this online class to be an easy A. He does offer extra credit, which helped my grade.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PSYC300
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Challenging as an online class but expected in terms of a 300 level class. His lectures are all recorded and easy to follow. Look for the transcripts with the TED talks and podcasts and you'll save a ton of time with your writing assignments. He makes you work for a good grade but offers a lot of extra credit. Stay on top of deadlines!

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PSYC300
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If you are someone who needs all the content on the lecture slides, or if it's hard for you to pay attention, you will not pass or you will be stuck re-watching all the lectures online like me.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PSYC300
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

This online class was a breeze. Im very interested in the material so i was kind of disappointed in how easy this class was. BUT, its a great GPA booster. Hes quick to respond to emails and his blackboard page is easy to navigate. There was one research paper but I wrote it in 3 days and got 100%.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PSYC300
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The best psychology teacher yet. The class covers a lot of material and Wallace does a wonderful job explaining every concept. Powerpoints are simple, which makes listening to his lectures a lot easier. He records his lectures and posts them online for later review. Open note pop quizzes: great grade boosters! Tests were straight-forward.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PSYC300
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Really knows the material and has a lot of research experience that is very interesting and applicable to the course.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PSCY431
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Avoid taking Douglas Wallace at all costs. Unless you absolutely love the brain, do not take this man. He grades like his students are getting their doctorate degrees. I've had him for 2 courses at NIU and every single student in my class has complained about him.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PSCY431
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This class is impossible for anyone that works, does anything outside of school, or is taking difficult classes. Has a "anything is fair game" approach for ESSAY exams, which is hard for an undergrad class. Hard to keep up during his lectures. Easy to fall behind, difficult to catch up unless you dedicate huge amounts of time outside of class.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH431
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

i liked going to class to absorb his lectures because wallace is very knowledgeable and shares details with you. the lab is pretty cool. i would not take a class with him again though because he grades quite harsh. you really have to go above and beyond to get an A+ (meaning you have to spend tons of your freetime/resources to show your effort).

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PSYC300
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He was an alright professor. You can tell that he knows a lot about the subject and really enjoys it. He puts only a few phrases on the power points as a vague guide then just talks. It's nice because it's not just a professor reading off a power point like a robot, however it is easy to get confused if you don't pay attention for a minute.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PSYC431
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Wallace is a very good professor. Lectures are very interesting, so I suggest taking a lot of notes and actually going to class. Attendance isn't mandatory, but he does random lecture assignments so you might as well go. The essay exams are challenging, so take the time to understand the material and answer the questions completely.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PSYC431
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Attendance isn't mandatory, but if you miss one of his in-class lecture assignments, you'll be sorry because they are worth the same as a test. The three tests are all essay, but if you put the time in to study, you can figure out which topics he's most likely to ask questions about. I loved the class, and he's a fantastic research mentor.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PSYC431
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Wallace is a very good teacher. I would recommend him to anyone who is interested in the area of physiological psychology as well. He does push his information to challenge you but in a good way. I learned the most out of his class than any other class or lab at NIU. Write down what he says when taking notes to do well on tests and in the class.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PSYC411
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Wallace has, by far, the hardest psyc lab at niu. He teaches a lecture from powerpoint and then he tests you. Unfortunately he doesn't put his powerpoints online, he doesn't use information from the book, and he doesn't go over things slow enough to even take proper notes, let alone absorb the material. His tests are almost impossible.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PSYC411
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I took this class during the summer. This professor teaches as if he is giving a presentation to his peers. He is very passionate about the subject, but he is difficult to follow because this class is taught at such a higher level. During the summer he gives a midterm exam and a final exam. The GA gives 2 computational quizzes and 1 paper.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PSYC410
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Anyone who hates Dr. Wallace simply hates putting in work. His class is incredibly interesting and he is always willing to help anyone in need. In addition, he goes out of his way to help people seek out more information on topics that they are interested in. Amazing as a professor and as a lab boss/independent study mentor.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PSYC411
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This class is interesting, but the lecture lacks structure. His lecture is hard to follow and his PowerPoints are brief, but maybe that's to be expected in an upper-level class. Nevertheless, he is passionate about this work and the class is interesting for those who have an interest in neuroscience.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH411
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Amazing. He really enjoys what he teaches and he's good at it. Lab is difficult unless you really pay attention and take LOTS of notes. Brain and Behavior class is pretty easy too and VERY fun. The classes changed the field of psychology I'll be going into.