AI Rate Professor

History

Deborah Van Ells

HIST300 · HIS310 · 330HIST · HIST310 · HIS330 · HIST330 · HISTORY330 · HIST101 · HIST311 · 104 lifetime ratings

AI rating
44/100
RMP rating
3.1/5
Take again
47.06%
Difficulty
3.8

The decision

if you like , and are comfortable with a demanding and polarizing instructor.

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerPolarizing lecturerHeavy readingDisorganized structureTough but engagingExam and quiz focused
  • many praise her passionate lectures, while many criticize rudeness, disorganization, and .
  • The course usually , and careful lecture notes.
  • Online reviews are somewhat , but both formats require steady work.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

38/100

A good grade is possible, but students , and exam preparation.

Online and in-person reviews both require steady work, while and attendance.

Is the course easy?

Challenging

34/100

The , and historical thinking beyond memorizing facts.

Online reviews describe manageable challenge, while , reading-heavy, and hard.

Is attendance flexible?

Mandatory

18/100

as mandatory or say students will not pass if .

Both formats include attendance pressure, but .

Is this professor recommended?

Depends

47/100

Students recommend her when they value engaging lectures and deep learning, but because of organization and tone.

Online reviews are more favorable overall, while and include stronger warnings.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Strict

34/100

Some quizzes and exams are described as easy, but many comments , and high expectations.

Format shift

Online grading evidence is mixed, while grading.

Workload

Heavy

26/100

Students repeatedly mention lots of , and assignments outside class.

Format shift

Both formats require reading and assessments, with .

Teaching experience

Average

58/100

Her lectures can be memorable and engaging, but organization, tone, and clarity are major recurring problems.

Format shift

Online teaching reviews are more positive, while .

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

78/100

Comments mention quizzes, unit tests, midterms, finals, and .

Format shift

Online reviews mention discussion boards and unit tests, while , and finals.

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

46 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

In-person reviews are highly polarized, with strong praise for engaging lectures but , and strict expectations.

Main concern

Students often report lots of , and a harsh classroom experience.

What students said

“Lots of reading required. and exams.”
HIS310
“A !”
HIS310
“You MUST do all the reading and attend class if you want to get an A.”
HIST311

Remote format

Online

4 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

Online reviews are mixed but lean more positive when students keep up with , and assignments.

Main concern

The workload and if students fall behind.

What students said

“Professor Van Ells' class was a challenge, but her engaging lectures and resources like unstuck study made it rewarding.”
HIS310
“She is all over the place with assignments.”
HIST300
“ , and final, no essays.”
HIST310

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

, and finals, but do not clearly prove open-book rules, closed-book rules, webcam use, Lockdown Browser, or strict proctoring.

QuizzesUnit TestsMidtermFinalLecture-Based Exams

Assessment risk

Standard

45/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

, and finals, but do not clearly prove closed-book rules, open-book rules, or proctoring requirements.

In-Person QuizzesIn-Person TestsMidtermFinalLecture-Based Exams
“Most of the quizzes&exams are based on her lectures,she .”
HIST310
“quizzes and and videos online outside of class.”
HIS310
“Quizzes and if you do the reading and !”
HIST311

Online

, and a final, but do not clearly prove proctoring, webcam, Lockdown Browser, open-book, or take-home rules.

Discussion BoardsUnit TestsMidtermFinal
“ , and final, no essays.”
HIST310
“Stay on top of readings and .”
HIS310

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“If you come to learn and be inspired, you will leave successful and enriched.”

Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews, highlighting key themes in teaching, workload, assessment, and student experience; credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

58/100

“Her lectures just feel like a friend telling you a dramatic story!”

📚 Workload Pressure

26/100

“You MUST do all the reading and attend class if you want to get an A.”

⚖️

34/100

“the and all over the place.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • She is very knowledgeable in the subject, she's just all over the place with her teaching.
  • Never a boring lecture.
  • She is passionate but summarizes too much and redirects you to book.

Theme 2

📚

  • Lots of reading required.
  • Be ready to dive in deep to the topic of early American History.
  • This is not an easy class,I do think she is awesome

Theme 3

⚠️ About Organization & Tone

  • A !
  • She would cancel the class without any notice.
  • She is rude, unhelpful, and will consistently talk down to you like you are stupid.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

50

Recent reviews read by the AI

104

Lifetime ratings

92/100

Evidence confidence

Fifty reviews over many years provide rich and consistent themes, though opinions are strongly polarized and some older reviews may be less current.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 529
4 out of 527
3 out of 59
2 out of 521
1 out of 518

Course coverage

HIST33017 reviews
HIST3118 reviews
HIS3107 reviews
HIS3305 reviews
HIST3105 reviews
Show 6 more courses
HIST3003 reviews
31120121 review
3301 review
330HIST1 review
HIST1011 review
HISTORY3301 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

15 reported outcomes

A range

5

A 4 · A- 1

B range

5

B+ 2 · B 3

C range

2

C 2

D range

0

No reported values

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

3

Drop/Withdrawal 1 · Not sure yet 2