Donald Distler - Wichita State University

Professor: Donald Distler

Department: TBD

College: Wichita State University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BIOL528
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

The materials for this class is very heavy-loaded. There is a vocabulary quiz each week which can range from 20-50 terms. His exams are manageable if you study well (study the handouts too). It can be difficult at times to understand Dr. Distler because he is an old guy--but he is very knowledgeable with what he teaches.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BIO528
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is smart and well-versed in Parasitology, but only spends 15 minutes teaching. He expects you to stay in class for 3 hours doing self study with little to no guidelines of what to actually focus on from the massive textbook. Expectations for exams are incredibly vague and sampled from a far too wide range of material.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BIO523
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Distler teaches some of the hardest classes I have taken - but they have all become my favorite classes. He is so full of knowledge from a lifetime of dedicated work. The tests are very difficult and a TON of reading is required (no lectures) but Dr. Distler is my favorite teacher and I learn so much from his classes.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIO523
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Be prepared to read and use about 300 new vocabulary terms every month that you've never heard before. Also, I hope you eyesight is okay because you're gonna look through a microscope 6 hours each week. If you apply yourself, ask questions, and read you should do well.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BIOL528
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Parasitology. Hardest class I've ever taken. You must read 10+ chapters for each exam, there are 4 exams. Likes to give vocab quizzes over 2-3 chapters, when there are 50+ words to know per chapter... QuizzesExams are never consistent... No clear grading scale... 57 students failed each quiztest. Curve is based on class average. Time consuming.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BIO370
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Attendance is mandatory. There is a quiz every single class over a 20-30 year old video. Would not reccomend unless you HAVE to take it. The book is useless. One good thing is that he is so old that he makes funny statementsjokes that he doesn't even realize are funny. You will not get an A in this class without working insanely hard.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BIOL640F
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I will say, I have learned more in this class than many other classes. We had to collect stream samples each week and identify the invertebrates. It was difficult but you learn your stuff. Definitely read the book and pay attention in class. Well worth your time if you plan to major in Biology, plus he will make himself available if you need help.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BIO370
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Distler was a terrible teacher, Did not answer questions, changed answers from quiz to test, movies were all from decades before, and most were from the discovery channel. Quiz questions were obscure facts that were mentioned once and not focused on. Tests were 50 percent book information that you are required to go over outside of class

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BIOL528
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Distler is an encyclopedia of biological information and a very interesting, nice person. His classes are very difficult, and he expects you demonstrate detailed knowledge. Parasitology was the most difficult and interesting course I have taken. All tests and exams were based heavily on the textbook.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIOL370
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The Enviro Science class is a "historical media" class which means we watched movies from past decades regarding the environment. Very easy class work, out of class work was challenging (text book and a book review). I wish it was a class where he lectured, this man has probably forgotten more about science than I will ever know, very knowledgable.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: EVR370
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Had to go to class to watch 2 movies, to answer a obscure quiz questions, which are your attendence points, so if you bomb you should not have came to class. You are responisble for reading the entire textbook, 1 test all vocab, 2nd some concepts, 3rd all comprehension. He asks little of you, but grades hard. Also there is a stupid book report.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BIO528
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Parasitology. Absolutely worthless, mandatory lecture. No clear grading method, does not follow syllabus. Clueless instruction. Painful. Kiss your grade goodbye. Half the class dropped. PAINFUL! AVOID AT ALL COSTS! Don't doubt me.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIOL370
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Distler is very knowledgeable about biology and the environment, but he is not an effective teacher. He is a field biologist and that is what he needs to stick with. Class was horrible, first it was Monday nights from 7:05-9:45 and then that he shows 2 movies a night with a quiz after each one. Wow, it was a horrible class. There is such inform

Rating # 14

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

I'm a business major, but this science class kicked my butt. Massive amount of reading. Test questions are based on numbers (%'s, dates, etc.) Read the yellow boxes in the book. Take the online tests available through the textbook (he never told me about them--but they helped me a bunch). Good man, good teacher.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BIO523
• 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:

I have had Distler for 3 classes and the first semester I was frustrated but then I realized how much I learned once the class was over. You have to go to class and you HAVE to read the book and you will do well. He knows so much you can not get away with not studying but you will learn. He is a great teacher!

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: BIOL370
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Worst was when everyone waited nearly half an hour while Distler rolled video tape back into a cassette after a VCR ate it. Later on, students sat through 20 mins of piercing static watching another degraded tape; we were tested on the content of all video. Each class, at least 15 minutes were spent waiting for him to fix his obsolete technology.

Rating # 17

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

HE IS WAY TOO OLD TO BE TEACHING, IF YOU CAN CALL WHAT HE DOES IS TEACHING. THE MOVIES ARE OK, BUT THE QUIZZES AFTER EACH MOVIE SUCK BECAUSE HE ALWAYS TALKS WHEN YOU ARE TAKING YOUR QUIZ - VERY DISTRACTING. HE FORMAT ON THE BOOK REPORT IS RIDICULOUS, AND MOST OF THE BOOKS ON THAT STUPID LIST WEREN'T EVEN AT THE LIBRARY. THE EXAMS ARE HARD.

Rating # 18

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Watch a movie, answer dumb opinionated questions, then while you are trying to answer the questions he'll start talking about dumb stuff. The videos basically say that we are all going to die and were horrible. Then we take tests over the book tests having to add over 16 points to the test is not a sign of their simplicity YUCK YUCK YUCK SLEEPY

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIO370
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Don't take this class if you intend to stay awake the whole time. Movies...movies...movies. The exams are hard b/c they're over the book, which you must read outside on your own. Book report!...blah. I hated this class.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: BIOL370
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Waste of time class! All we do is watch movies and take quizzes over them. The tests are VERY hard because he doesn't lecture over the book and thats what the test are over! He also takes questions for the test from pictures in the book!! Who looks at that!!?? Worthless teacher, worthless class! I am not feeling sorry for him because he is old.