AI Rate Professor

Computer Information Systems

Ben Allen

CIS27 · CIS36A · CIS6 · CIS25 · 18 lifetime ratings

AI rating
88/100
RMP rating
4.6/5
Take again
83.33%
Difficulty
3.3

The decision

if you want strong CS teaching and are ready to put in .

Best fit · Effort For RewardAmazing LecturesAssignment HeavyCaring MentorHilariousChallenging But Fair
  • Students repeatedly call Ben one of .
  • mini-assignments, labs, and reading, but as fair and supportive.
  • Attendance is usually flexible; a few .

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

FairEffort

62/100

As are common if you complete the , but coding work is non-trivial and .

; in-person reviews stress challenging work with fair support.

Is the course easy?

Challenging

38/100

Students call coding hard with mini-assignments, reading, and light content ride.

Both online and intensity.

Is attendance flexible?

Optional

78/100

Most reviews mark attendance not mandatory, with flexible learning style; a minority note lecture importance.

Online ; in-person is mixed but often flexible.

Is this professor recommended?

MustTake

88/100

Overwhelming praise for lectures, care, and practical teaching outweighs a .

; online has slightly more logistics friction.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Lenient

74/100

Often called forgiving and and , though a few dislike grading style.

Format shift

Online mentions chill policies; .

Workload

Heavy

32/100

Lots of , and reading are recurring themes.

Format shift

Heavy workload appears in both online and in-person reviews.

Teaching experience

Excellent

90/100

Students highlight thorough lectures, humor, approachability, and deep subject knowledge.

Format shift

Teaching praise is strong across online and in-person sections.

Assessment method

FocusOnAssignments

28/100

Many sections grade mainly through progressive assignments and .

Format shift

Online CIS25 explicitly had no tests; .

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

12 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

and practical with , and mentorship for motivated programmers.

Main concern

Heavy mini-assignments and reading; a .

What students said

“Ben was really chill, and a good professor. He explained the material .”
CIS6
“If you haven't taken a class with Ben, you're missing out. His lectures are thorough and organized, and he's very engaging.”
CIS25
“He is one of the . He is one of the reasons I changed my major to computer science.”
CIS25

Remote format

Online

6 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

Online sections keep participatory lectures and , though one cohort saw late finals and slow grade returns.

Main concern

and slow grading can frustrate students.

What students said

“There were not a single test in the class, it was all graded by the you to work on them.”
CIS25
“ . I also took his CIS 25 class. He really tries to help every student learn and succeed.”
CIS27
“I'm still sour to this very day about him switching up on us last minute in 2020”
CIS36A

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Assessment often leans on timed assignments .

Assignment-focusedFew or no testsFlexible attendanceExtra credit

Assessment risk

StudentFriendly

72/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

and mini-assignments; some sections feel test-heavy, but comments rarely detail proctoring.

Lecture plus labMini-assignmentsSome test-heavy tags
“His class consists of hour to hour an half lectures that are full of information followed by hour of lab.”
CIS6
“be prepared to work on bundles of mini assignments and lots of reading.”
CIS6

Online

Online students report assignment-only grading in , and .

No single test in some sectionsAssignment gradedLast-minute final risk
“There were not a single test in the class, it was all graded by the you to work on them.”
CIS25
“he said he wouldn't give a because COVID, then 2 weeks before the semester ended, said there will be a final”
CIS36A

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“He is one of the . He is one of the reasons I changed my major to computer science.”

Voice snapshots generated from 18 reviews (6 online, 12 in person), highlighting teaching excellence and heavy but fair workload. Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

90/100

“Ben is easily one of the chance of learning from.”

📚 Workload Reality

32/100

“be prepared to work on bundles of mini assignments and lots of reading.”

👍 Recommendation

88/100

“If you haven't taken a class with Ben, you're missing out.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • His lectures are thorough and organized, and he's very engaging
  • Ben was really chill, and a good professor
  • Professor Allen makes every day of class a joy

Theme 2

💻 About Difficulty & Work

  • coding is not easy, but if you show enthusiasm for the subject, he's more than willing to help
  • you learn
  • Professor Allen will give

Theme 3

❤️ About Character

  • and understanding of students
  • he's funny

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

18

Recent reviews read by the AI

18

Lifetime ratings

82/100

Evidence confidence

Eighteen detailed reviews from 2019-2024 across online and quality.

Inside 18 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 514
4 out of 52
3 out of 51
2 out of 50
1 out of 51

Course coverage

CIS257 reviews
CIS67 reviews
CIS36A3 reviews
CIS271 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

12 reported outcomes

A range

8

A+ 1 · A 7

B range

2

B 2

C range

1

C 1

D range

0

No reported values

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

1

Not sure yet 1