Andy is so funny and interesting. It's a computer class and we make our own web site. There's no homework and he's extremely helpful and available. He brings us food to class. Reccommended for everyone...even non-education majors.

Boring class, but it is required, so Van Shaack does his best to make it interesting. He brings us food, lets us out early, tells funny stories. He wants us to do well, and is not out to get us. If you have to take 1700 take it with Van Shaack.

I love Andy Van Schaack! He is the most caring, sincere, and humorous professor I have ever had. He makes the class as easy as possible-it's hard to get below a B+. There are two exams (SO easy) and 2 papers (not bad). He brings us brownies and donuts on occasion and is an overall great guy. Take him for 1700!

He is the best teacher I have ever had at Vanderbilt. He takes a boring topic and makes you think about it and makes it apply to your life. He cares so much about his students. If you have to take 1700, take it with Andy.

1700 isn't the most interesting class, but Andy makes it practical and interesting. He grades fairly, helps you out, and is an overall great guy.

you are choking if you don't take 1700 with the van man. I bombed the first two tests and with all the extra credit he offers, ended up doing well. The only way to do bad in this class is to make a concerted effort to do so. Plus, he is by far the coolest teacher at Vanderbilt. Also, will tell you exactly what to study for his tests if you see him.

Amazing teacher!! Keeps you engaged with class material. Friendly, understanding, & intelligent. MUST take 1700 with him!!

Don't take 1700 with anyone else or you are just an idiot. Plan and simple...Van's the man.

AMAZING TEACHER!!! my favorite at vanderbilt. do anything you can to take any of his classes. he gives you more than half of the questions on the tests the class before and is a really fair grader. makes super boring subject material pretty interesting. really easy to talk to outside of class.

Van Schaack is an awesome teacher. Go to class, and it really pays off. If you pay attention, you will do well!

THE BEST TEACHER EVER and the smartest guy i've ever met!

One of the best professors at Vandy. Extremely helpful, esp at office hours. Makes it clear what he wants. overall great class and prof.

Makes a dry subject (basically research methods) fairly entertaining and funny. Expectations are very clearly laid out, so if you do the work, you should get an 'A'. He gives you all the material on the tests beforehand. Lots of small assignments here and there. I would highly recommend taking him. He's the best HOD professor I've had so far.

Cool Guy

He is what every HOD professor should be. He is also the most helpful and available professor I have ever had. Wonderful, caring person.

Amazing. I wish I could take this class over & over again, sad it's over

Brings a lot of experience to the class. Makes a boring topic more interesting. The topic itself is not thrilling, but if you have to take 1700 with somebody, take it with Van Schaack

I LOVE Andy! Offers you help outside of class, such as with resumes, even with jobs and contact information! He has lots of interesting anecdotes to offer you--so he connects otherwise boring statistics with the real world. Realizes his class material is dull, so he does everything he can to make it not so dull...Take it!!!

Great professor. He does everything he can to make a boring topic as interesting as possible. He makes a big effort to get to know the students in this lecture-style class and be relevant to us. The only imaginable complaint against him is he might say something offensive if you hold strong traditional values. Take this class.

Van Schaak is an absolute legend. He is very clear and understanding and he has a very good teaching style. I definitely recommend taking his class.

BEST TEACHER AT VANDERBILT. absolutely take this class. he is an unbelievable teacher. so helpful, extremely successful, smart, interesting...i could go on and on

Take Van Schaack. Only one assignment during the semester requires any sort of time commitment. He is very engaging in class and easy to understand. Makes boring concepts interesting.

Van Schaack is the man! Take 1700 with him for sure. He makes the class interesting, and doesn't use a textbook because he puts all the assignments online. He's pretty easy and willing to help you with just about anything. He's super nice and pretty funny too. One of the best profs at Vanderbilt hands down!

Best teacher ever!!! Most useful class I have taken at Vanderbilt. He is a comedian and makes the material interesting. He is extremely helpful. Do your work and you will get an A

This class is a must. Even if you are not an HOD major, take this class. Material is very useful, and Van Schaack is hilarious. Classes are fun. No textbook, minimal reading, easy quizzes.

Van Schaack is the man. hilarious and engaging. no textbook. straightforward grading. interesting and useful class.

Andy is awesome, extremely engaging, reminds me of Steve Martin a little bit. No textbook. The class readings are useful and interesting, and he is the fairest grader I've ever had.

Extremely funny. wants you to do well, and helps as much as he can. grading is a little difficult so be prepared. 1 point quizzes in almost every class-be prepared. class is out of 100 points. extremely nice guy, readily available.

Van Schaack is definitely my favorite professor I've had at Vanderbilt. HOD 1700 is extremely practical (not to mention interesting), and he is hilarious, helpful, and fair. Take this class!

GREAT professor. He's so hilarious, and genuinely wants the class to help you in the real world. Takes the time to learn the names and faces of all his students. Definitely take his class!

He tells you what he wants. No tricks. The class applies to real life.

Van Schaack is literally the best proessor at Vanderbilt and surely top in the country. HOD 1700 is extremely useful and class is hilarious because of him. Take this class no matter your major or interests. You will absolutely walk away a much more capable person. I would go to class on Saturday that's how much it rocks.

Van Schaack is the man! By far the best professor I have had at Vanderbilt. He is so straightforward with what is on the tests and how to do the projects. Easy A as long as you pay attention and do the readings, and his lectures are so interesting that it's not even an issue. I would recommend this class and any others he teaches.

Van Schaack ROCKS! I had it at 8:45 and it was well worth getting up that early. He makes the topics interesting; definitely take this class no matter your major or prior interests. It is well worth it.

Van Schaack rocks. He is so engaging in class. The only frustrating thing is it can be hard to meet with him outside of class. Reading quizzes every week are graded pretty easily. He tells you exactly what you need to know and everything is applicable to real life

Interesting instructor. The material taught is considerably different than in other sections of the course, for better or worse. While the extra things included are generally pretty practical, it would appear to come at the cost of the core material. My recommendation would be to consider taking this instructor in the event that you're not a major.

Van Schaack is a great lecturer and he is very clear about what you have to do to get an A in his class. He's a stickler about rules, deadlines, and random stuff, but as long as you hand stuff in on time and don't plagiarize you should be fine. The Critical Review sucks though...

Van Schaack is extremely clear about what you need to know and what you have to do. Class is very well organized. The material is interesting and useful, though he tends to drone and repeat himself. Daily quizzes. He gives the questions in advance. He posts/conducts extensive reviews for the midterm and final. The TAs can be really anal on grading.

Guy below me is right. And he's a stickler. Seems so "new age of education," so cool, but he's so self-involved. At least you don't have to go much the 2nd half of the semester. The quizzes are breezy, gives you the questions. Skim readings for answers. He gives you the midterm and final questions. Writing assignments take a while. Easy to get B+

The class is all mindless busy work. It feels like a class you would take in the beginning of high school. Also, Andy loves to talk about himself. a lot.

Great Teacher, cares about his students and wants them to do well. Class is important but is also interesting. As long as you make an effort to show up and do the reading you will enjoy the class and get an A.

Great prof teaching an interesting class. Lots of little quizzes and 4 short papers but they are easy once he explains them and he grades easy as well. Would definitely take a class with him again.

Really cool professor who gives very engaging lectures. Super helpful in office hours, and he has done a lot of cool things professionally. Would recommend him for 1700 for sure!

Great lecturer and useful learning material.

One of the best teachers I've had at Vanderbilt, period. Very enthusiastic about the material, be it HOD or ENGM. He was the major reason I decided to pursue an engineering degree after taking his Technology Forecasting and Assessment Class.

I absolutely loved Van Schaack's Systematic Inquiry class. It was by far the most interesting and practical class I have ever taken and I can honestly say that it has changed the way I think. Everyone should take his class. He is hilarious, fascinating and engaging. He is a tough grader, but he is clear with what he wants. I highly recommend him.

I honestly loved Dr. Van Schaack. He was incredibly helpful when I was sick in the hospital and had to miss class. Though he can be cheesy, he really makes lectures interesting and easy to understand. The second half of the semester is hellish because that is when all the papers are assigned, but he was always available when I had questions.

Every lecture with Van Schaack is amazing. One of the smartest, most interesting professors out there. He is better at keeping everyone in a large lecture feel involved than anyone else, and he is very likely the best professor I've had. The material is alright, but Van Schacck makes it seem awesome. Straight-forward guy, A or A- is very attainable

You do learn a lot in this class, but quizzes at 8 am that you actually have to study for sucked. End of the semester is very work-heavy, last 3 weeks consist of 3 huge papers plus final (75% of your grade). Papers are graded harshly. Both tests are hard. It is hard to get a solid A. Do a final project if he likes you -- graded MUCH MUCH easier

Dr. Van Schaack is one of the best professors I have ever had. If you want an A or A- in the class, you'll have to work hard, but it is attainable. Dr. Van Schaack is a great lecturer and I looked forward to going to his class each week. Definitely take this class with Dr. Van Schaack!

Doctor Van Schaack is funny and he is an engaging lecturer. He also truly cares about his students. Although he can come across as cocky, he is extremely knowledgeable and experienced. I would absolutely take any course he teaches.

The best professor I've had. Made what could've been dry information extremely interesting with his sense of humor and engaging lectures. Learned a ton. There are weekly quizzes and the papers are a lot of work, but he's clear about what he wants. He is super helpful in office hours and you can tell he really cares. Take this with him if you can!

VS is hands down the best teacher I have ever had. His class is difficult do not get me wrong, and as always with HOD some of the material is difficult to assess, but he does an excellent job and is constantly looking to improve. Sure he is a little cocky, but who wouldn't be when you are as good at what you do as he is. Take for HOD 2100 and 2500.

Took him for HOD2100 as a maymester. While it was incredibly demanding (a paper per week with a midterm and project in one month), he was an amazing professor. Not only was he easily accessible out of class, but he gave great feedback and was just an awesome guy. After this course, I requested him to be my advisor, he's that great.

Very knowledgeable, good lecturer. Very, very harsh grader on major assignments/tests though. Have quizzes almost every class that ensure attendance. He's funny and knows every single student by name which is cool.

Dr. Van Schaack is literally amazing- one of the best professors I have ever had in college. He is hilarious and is super accessible outside of class, and the organization of his class as well as his clarity of expectations is amazing. He makes a topic that could be really boring SUPER interesting- that's the sign of an amazing professor

Dr. Van Schaack is probably the best prof I've had at Vanderbilt. His ability to turn a subject that can be particularly dry, research methods, into something fun and engaging only speak to his ability as a professor. Additionally, there is no doubt that he cares about his students and wants each to succeed in his class. 100% take him if you can.

The syllabus is very straight forward and he makes it very clear what he expects of his students. There are long papers that he grades pretty hard, but an A is definitely manageable.

Pretty easy course. Easy subject material, all the lectures are provided up front, he gives study guides for every exam, and he's crystal-clear about his expectations for every assignment. No textbook, and less than 15 minutes of homework (reading for in-class quiz) most days.

Van Schaack is an engaging lecturer who makes a not-so-interesting topic much more relevant to students. The class is not necessarily easy--tests and papers are graded with an eye for detail--but if you are willing to put in the time/effort, it is completely doable. Overall very positive experience and you will learn a lot about scholarly research.

Nice guy and pretty funny/engaging during his lectures. Course content is pretty dry, but he does a good job adding stories and such to make it more entertaining. There are daily reading quizzes, but they are easy. Unfortunately, I had this on WF at 8:45am so that was rough as half the class was hungover. Very enthusiastic person for that early.

He works hard to make lectures interesting even when the material is boring. He looks for pretty specific answers on midterm and final, but he is very clear about what he expects.

Andy's the man. Readings are required but very interesting. Attendance is mandatory for most classes because of daily quizzes, but the lectures themselves are engaging. He knew my name and called on me the first day of class before I ever introduced myself, which was a bit surprising but also shows he's interested in his students. Take him.

Earning an A is not hard, you literally just have to do the work he clearly assigns on time. His midterm is not that hard, just go to class and use his Pencast as a tool to study because the midterm is based on it. Final project is a guaranteed A- or above if you give a little effort, and he is always accessible to help. Go to class!

Van Schaack is a legend, not only for his personality and jokes but also because you can feel that he really cares about his students and their learning.

Van Schaack is easily one of my favorite professors! Not all of the reading materials were interesting but he could make them interesting in his lecture. It was entertaining listening to him talking about the syllabus for the 2nd time in HOD 2500. It takes some effort to get an A but doable. He teaches things that are actually useful in our future

Van Schaack makes a terribly boring subject much more interesting. He gives daily reading quizzes, but gives the questions beforehand so very easy, basically attendance points. His tests and papers are not easy, but he is VERY clear about what he expects so if you follow directions you will do well. He knows all students by name and truly cares.

Van Schaack is one of the best profs I have taken. He is also just one of the best people I have met at Vandy. You barely notice that attendance is mandatory b/c his lectures are just a joy to attend. He's extremely funny and very easy-going. Most importantly he's a generous grader. Write a few papers but put in some effort and you can get an A

hands down one of the best professors i've ever had at vanderbilt. take him for any class he teachers. always gives very clear grading material. can't go wrong with van schaack

Van Schaack is by far the BEST professor I have had at Vanderbilt. He makes the entire lecture hall laugh. He was presenting on APA citations and he still made everyone hysterical. He gives good feedback and engages with students during lectures.

His lectures are so engaging and exciting. He is an expert in his field. I wish he could teach every course at Vanderbilt.

He's a caring and knowledgeable teacher. He tries to help you understand the material with analogies. There's a lot of info to learn, and you can lose points on things you didn't expect, which can make this class hard. To get full points, he and TAs are looking for lots of things, so you have to put in a lot of effort to get an A.

really easy to get an A if you do the readings.

Super chill professor. He creates phenomenal study guides, and as long as you study those and his printed notes, you will do well. Attendance is not always required, but I would still recommend going. He often hints at test questions and his lectures are entertaining. I thought it was so cool that he knew everyone's names. Van Schaack is great!

Van Schaack is one of the best professors in the HOD department. For those that complain that he is arrogant 1) you need a better sense of humor and 2) he is a very accomplished man and deserves to be so. He is so clear about what he expects from you and gives you every resource and opportunity to do well, so if you don't that is on you. 11/10

If you do the readings, it's really easy to get an A.

Van Schaack is a nice guy but class/grades are super TA dependent which sucks. The reviews also take quite a bit of time but he's overall super chill and clear about what the class entails.

This was one of those classes that is hard but doesnt have a ton of work. When there is work, give it a lot of effort. But a good chunk of the time there isnt a lot of work and you always know whats coming workwise which is nice. Go to class, TAKE NOTES which a lot of people didnt do for the async lectures, and youll be in good shape

Van Shaack is hilarious. Truly a great guy and because of this his lectures were never really boring. He is super productive and there are no "pointless" lectures. Start the papers in advance of the night before and you'll be golden!

2500 is not the most exciting course but Dr. Van Schaack does a good job keeping the energy up. This really helped me stay engaged. The assignments are lengthy and time consuming but not difficult. You have 3 allotted absences that do not impact your grade so you get to sleep in some weeks.

If you work you can get an A but you have to be sure to get full points on the easier assignments. Exams are 100 multiple choice questions and can be frustrating but generally doable. One huge paper at the end with the final exam only 2 days later. He knows his stuff tho and if you pay attention you can learn valuable information.

The regrade policy was discouraging and unfair for students to make a case and point for their own work. Sure, he might say the grading policy is "inherently unfair," but discouraging students to not even try to gain points back when the grader is clearly in the wrong is not helping the system. Otherwise, the course is not that difficult.

Systematic Inquiry is not for everyone, but Van Schaack makes it extremely clear what he expects from students in exams and papers. Lectures can be boring, but he makes research methods as interesting as they can be. He is a very practical professor, and accessible if you contact him during office hours.

While I really enjoyed the content of this class and Van Schaack's lecture style, his expectations in grading were extremely nit-picky. He does give detailed instructions, but you must do everything perfectly in order to get an A on assignments. He will take off points for stupid stuff (like the color of links in citations). Nice prof, though.

The midterm was a bit harsh, as some of the questions were tricky, and the final paper deadline could have been more distanced from the final exam so that it would be less stressful for students around finals week. However, Van Schaack made lectures interesting, was thoughtful of students' requests, and was a solid choice for HOD 2500 overall.

Decent lecturer, cares about students. Like other raters have said, he's strict about APA formatting, but if you go to office hours, it's nbd. There's 1 midterm and 2 big papers. The midterm was based of the study guide he provided, and he didn't count questions where everyone had issues. Go to TA's office hours way before due dates.

In 2500, biggest thing is to turn everything in on time and use perfect APA format. His assignments take a lot longer than expected. His class is also lecture heavy and you can miss three classes during the semester. Not my favorite class but is doable if you stay on top of everything. Midterm was super hard and nit-picky so good luck with that.

Van Schaack's great, no clue why people bash him sm here! He's so engaging and the class is useful esp if you're into research. He does grade tough and the papers take forever to do, but if you get started early and communicate with him and the TAs, it's not difficult whatsoever. Otherwise the class isn't a huge amount of work. Highly recommend!!!

This class was more work than I was expecting from ENGM... BUT this is the most helpful class I have taken at Vanderbilt. Van Schaack cares about this class and we spent a lot of time talking about upcoming technologies. This class gave so much clarity for the future. We has quizzes once a week and we also had 3 papers (you can use ChatGPT!!)

Dude is a hard grader, but an awesome lecturer. Very funny, clearly cares about his students. There are enough guaranteed A assignments that tough grading on two papers won't hit too hard. The midterm was psychotically nitpicky, but he offered extra credit after and tbh if you memorize the slides you'd be fine

Best professor in HOD department. Funniest and most engaging professor I've ever had. Had everyone laughing everyday and makes himself relatable. Made me actually care about the class as he truly believes in what he teaches. Teaches you content that is actually important and applicable, unlike 90% of other HOD classes. Wish he taught other classes

I loved this class and Professor Van Schaack! His lectures are amazing and truly interesting. You can tell that he really cares about the content he is teaching and also about his students. He is picky when it comes to assignments, but just follow the directions & you'll be fine. I wish he taught more classes. Best professor I've had so far

Van-Schaack is the absolute best professor at Vandy IMO. Don't get me wrong he is a stickler for grading (you'll find there's a good reason for that), but he cares about his students, and his lectures are funny and engaging. Genuinely looked forward to his lectures every week. There are quizzes at the beginning of every class so beware.

This class is basically a free A if you know how to follow directions. Just do everything as he instructs on his syllabus and things will go smoothly. Attendance is unfortunately necessary, but paying attention during them is not (Although it would make things easier if you did.)

He took away my snack time privileges and would often prevent me from going out for recess. Class was okay tho.

Professor Van Schaack is super strict on specific detailed things (APA citations, format of assignments, etc) and grades harshly on those little things but he does tell you everything you need to know during lecture and in the syllabus and is responsive to emails. As long as you follow the detailed instructions, he wants you to get a good grade.

This page is all memes. If you want a class that makes you think in HOD, this is it. His lectures are not all fluff and actually prepare you to think in the real-world. People say he is a tough grader, but he just makes you detail-oriented. When you go into a career and miss some things, it's not just going to be a little mistake. Top 3 at Vandy.

People don't like Van Schaack because they don't follow directions. He's a stickler about APA and formatting, but as long as you follow the assignment directions and are a decent writer he's not difficult. No final and the midterm was quite manageable.

Fun and entertaining. Midterm is tough and lit review takes a lot of time. Everything else is decent. He allows AI which is super helpful and preps for use in future jobs. People say he's full of himself which I understand but don't agree. With that much experience and stories to tell, u can tell he's living an amazing life. Great prof rec taking!

There are reading quizzes at the beginning of each class (not hard, you know the questions before, and it allows the use of chatbot) and an exit ticket at the end about the lecture content. There is a midterm but no final; the average is about an 85. The final is a literature review. Compared to other HODs this class is more difficult.

Great guy who will be there to help you as needed

He is a good guy, I do not think he talks about himself too much like some others have written. The hardest thing in this course is the 10 page paper at the end but it is not too bad.

Van Schaack is a great professor and even better person. His grading guidelines are very clear- if you simply do what he asks and check your work you can get an A. Midterm did have a lot of content, but I felt it was very fair. There were no surprises or trick questions. Very approachable, kind, and funny! Totally recommend.

Professor Van Schaack runs a structured class. The midterm is challenging but fair, and the final paper is manageable if you stay on top of it. Unstuck study can be a helpful study tool alongside the textbook.