Melvin Duvall - Northern Illinois University

Professor: Melvin Duvall

Department: TBD

College: Northern Illinois University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BIOS305
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He is an amazing teacher when you are interested in the material. He is so passionate about his field and it shows. He uses edmodo instead of blackboard but it works fine. I took this class as someone interested in the material so i studied a lot. Test questions are straight from the power points and the practice questions.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BIOS305
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Duvall knows his plants. He's great at explaining things in easy terms, so attend class if you want to understand anything . One 1 page paper, plus easy weekly HW assignments. He posts practice test questions online to help students study, so pay attention to those. The lab can be confusing, but the TA is REALLY helpful. Read the lab manual!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BIOS305
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Duvall is an excellent professor and an awesome guy to talk to. His over exuberance in class was really funny. However, there were grueling tests and quizes with way to much detail required. Take this class only if you're REALLY into plants

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIOS305
• 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:

if you are genius in botany, go for it. if you are genius enough to read his mind, go for it. Otherwise, you never will be able to figure out his ridiculous exam questions. Im sure he much retake ENG 103 before he teaches this class.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BIOS305
• 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:

Good, caring professor. The class had some difficult material, but Dr. Duvall explains everything thoroughly. He's enthusiastic about the subject too, even though it gets dry sometimes. I would recommend him to anyone interested in botany or molecular biology.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BIOS209
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

he is a real nice guy, but basically going to class is not necessary. he tests straight out of the book. maybe 1 or 2 questions come from lecture. just know the book and youll do fine.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BIOS1
• 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:

This guy is HORRIBLE! i hated attending class. he is soo anal retentive! he had this black organizer he would bring to class and have his pens just so.hes a freak. His exams are all essay and tough.he wants you to anwser just right and gives you no idea what direction he wants.he definately has a chip on his shoulder b/c his research got rejeced!

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BIOS430
• 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: N/A

Comment:

It's the third class I take with Dr. Duvall, and it just keeps on getting better! He is very well organized, very enthusiastic about what he is teaching, and has the amazing ability to inspire you even if you weren't quite into the subject at first. He is very fair and open minded, and he puts a lot of thought and effort into teaching this class.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BIOS439
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

You must be totally into plant taxonomy to be able to live through this class. I thought it would be more about how plants work but it is basically memorizing scientific plant names. I hate my M/W because I have to go to this class. It says there is a lab and a lecture this day, but that is not true. It is 2.5 hours of him doing the same thing.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIOS209T
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

His final was nothing about the concepts, just a lot of off the wall facts that had nothing to do with your understanding of ecology. His classes were a bore, and a complete waste of time.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIOS209T
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Duvall's test are confusing, he put a lot of trivial facts on the final, and did not test us on what he taught us. He apparently is one of the profs in the Bio dept who has a large chip on his shoulder because most of his students don't care about what he teaches. Dont be confused by his jovial demeanor, he is a jerk.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BIOS439
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Awesome teacher, awesome class! Lot of written assignments and take home exams - you spend hours of time, just to make sure you are learning. He will explain everything very well and has lots of enthusiasm about the subject. Highly recommend!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIOS209
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Good teacher, but will kind of drag on about somethings that are not particularly important. Subjective testing, but overall very fair.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BIOS209
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I'm in the minority when I say that Gasser's section was easier. Duvall's tests were one of the most exhausting experiences of my life. Material that I knew well was presented in a manner that made it exceedingly difficult to answer. He is a very nice man, but this class was hard and I got a rare B.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BIOS209
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The second two thirds of this class was so much easier than the first. The tests are really involved, but they're taken directly from the notes and practice exams. You can tell he really likes what he's teaching, most lectures are interesting.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: BIOS209
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

informative, very clear in his notes and what will be on the test, gives pracitce exams with material just like that on test, tends to call alot on students and storytell in lectures, but second two thirds of class with him better than first third of class

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: BIOS209
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He was an okay teacher, but I didn't like his manner of teaching class. I almost had to stab myself with a pencil to focus on his lectures.