Students appreciated learning about programming methods and they liked the idea of doing an independent project. As for negative aspects of the course, the professor was disorganized, which often led him to change the due dates and details of assignments. Several students said that they were unsure of what was expected of them throughout the class. They thought the course could be improved if it were better organized and structured. As the course is focused on programming, students should be comfortable with doing so. 15

15 Students liked learning about the R programming language and felt that many of the things they learned were practical and useful. Many students noted that the professor seemed disorganized, and that the quizzes were difficult and did not reflect the content covered in the homework assignments. Students suggested reorganizing the lectures to provide more details about the information being taught, as well as providing outside resource they could use to help them study. Students also wanted the homework problems and the quizzes to cover the same materials. Prospective students should be prepared to study and learn the materials on their own time using the textbook as reference. They should do the homework assignments sooner rather than later and would benefit from knowing statistics before taking this course.

Students most appreciated the real world applicability of this course’s content. They also praised the effective teaching of the professor. Many students disliked the course’s heavy workload. Students thought the course could have benefitted from additional guidance and examples for the projects. They also thought it was most important for potential participants in this course to know that some knowledge of programming with MATLAB would be especially useful for this class.

The best aspects of this course included the opportunity to learn theory as much as application, the chance to learn R and LaTeX, and the interesting material. Some students felt the instructor was disorganized and that he didn’t clarify expectations of assignments well. Students also felt the instructor was difficult to follow. Suggestions included moving slower throughout the semester and adhering to a 14 structured syl abus. Prospective students should know that the course is work-intensive, and they are expected to figure out certain concepts independently.