2.9
Quality3.4
Difficulty46%
Would Retake123
Reviews46%
Would Retake
123
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
24
4
31
3
19
2
24
1
25
What Students Say
“MAT-441 is Real AnalysisAdvanced Calculus I at WCUPA”
MAT441 - 4.0 rating“This man is a HORRIBLE teacher for Nature of Math”
MAT200 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
68%
Textbook Required
44%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.20 avg changeRatings by Course
MAT343
5.0
(2)CALC160
5.0
(1)MATH162
5.0
(1)SULLINATOR1988
5.0
(1)MAT162
4.5
(4)Difficulty by Course
MAT106
5.0
MAT221
5.0
MATH104
5.0
MAT10305
5.0
MAT441
4.7
Reviews (123)
Helpful and friendly. Approachable by students.
Best Math Prof at WCU
Not as good as Dr. Marano, but he's OK
Not very helpful
I had no idea what was going on the entire time!
i had no idea what was going on. he went really fast
No Comments
Nice guy but, I think he doesn't know what is going on.
Good teacher although is not that great at explaining for people who are not good at math. Get him to like you
Really nice guy. understanding and helpfull if you went to him. Im usally good at math but it was a little hard to understand. honestly math at wcu is just horrible!
He is very confusing during class...most of the time we didn't even bother to pay attention, then went back and taught ourselves.
Hes pretty hard.. you really have to know your math, I on the other hand am horrible with math I failed the first test; I dropped the course.be prepared to move fast.
If you understand math, go with him. He's easy to understand if you know what's going on. If you're not so good with math, I don't suggest him. He's not very organized with his lectures - but he gets off the topic easily! Nice guy
I had him and thought that I would pass the class and didnt! So do not take him. His test are impossible, no curve, and very confusing guy.
DO NOT TAKE HIM IF YOU NEED A GOOD GRADE, my entire class failed a test and he didnt curve it. He teaches like its all a review i spent so much time with a school tutor i learned nothign in class
If you talk to him during office hours he tries to help but he goes really fast in class. Tests are really hard but he curves or gives some extra credit.
Class moves along quickly so keep up. He is sometimes short with people in class and his tests are a challenge- study a lot.
Nice guy. His lectures are disjunct and disorganized, which makes it difficult to understand. Ask lots of questions and study a lot. You'll cover a lot of material in this class!
Typical WCU math professor. Will this department ever get better?
He is a good teacher if you like math. He does move a little fast but he takes time to answer your questions. He gives about 10 quizzes a semester but they each only have about 2 problems each... watch out for the tests though - NICE GUY!
he doesn't know how to communicate the material well enough
He was unable to effectively teach material to a class composed mostly of math majors; which says a lot! Although he knows his stuff, he comes in unprepared to teach and wings it every single class. He does answer questions and try to help you though.
Gonna have to agree that the man could use some organizational skills. He is very difficult to follow. However, if you're going to major in math at this school you really can't expect much.
Typical WCU Math teacher: Very unclear and disjunct. He is a nice guy an dif you just put in some effort you can learn something from him. Could work a little harder at building relationships with students.
One of the betetr teachers in the department(which really isn't saying much). Curves just about every test(pretty substantially). Needs to prepare for lectures!! He always seems like he has no plan.
Mediocre at best. He is difficult to follow, his tests don't relate to lecture material, he is very difficult to get a hold of outside of class, never answers e-mail. Sounds like every other math teacher at WCU. Welcome aboard to this fine department!
awful. just like the whole dept. , just like this school
Awful...a word that seems to appear often when considering the quality of education at WCU. he is unclear, uneducated, ignorant, and confusing. Grades unclear. Upholds the low standards this school sets.
Will this department ever get better?
He is a very nice guy but has difficulty actually teaching material to the class. He provides alot of opportunities for extra credit on tests and will answer any question. All his tests are multiple choice which helps with guessing.
He's ok. If you have questions, he will answer them. He's not the clearest teacher in the world, and his tests are not that easy. But he's a pretty good guy, willing to give you extra help too if you need it. Do the homework, ask questions if u have them.
Be prepared to ask questions. This man will create more questions than he answers.
When it comes to math the teacher has a lot of impact on the way you learn and understand the material. Dr. Johnston is one of the best math teachers I have had in a while, and he is so because of his easy approach to the material. He is also very accessible and genuinely cares about the student.
Welcome to math at West Chester: Unclear, Unstructured, and pointless.
He is kind of hard to understand if you're not good at math. you really have to make an effort to do well on his tests. ask lots of questions and he will take time out of class to answer them.
HE sucks. He claims he cares, but does't. He does not make time to help you. His teaching methods suck, well, if you hate card analogies...cause that's all you will hear. He is boring and by the book. He is not clear nor does he clarify anything that is questionable. My advice, he sucks and if you think you can sweet talk him, your wrong. NO
Kinda confusing when he talks..his tests aren't easy, but aren't too hard either..he's an OK teacher
Johnston is not a game player. so if you want to play games in math dont take him cuz he will shoot that idea down
I think Professor Johnston is awesome. He's a pretty good teacher considering he's teaching math. He definitely wants to help and wants you to understand the material. Although his card analogies can be a little annoying if you're not into cards, they always get his point across.
Very good instructor, sometimes his test questions can be purely up to interpretation on tests. Very helpful during class, answers questions effectively and overall a nice guy.
Nice guy and helpful; although I never attended, he really seemed to want his students to take advantage of office hours if they needed help. He's the quintessential math dork and enthusiastic about his subject, yet not to the extreme point that you want to slam your head into concrete.
Such a nice guy. Can be intimidating at first but just laugh at his jokes and he'll love ya. Easy class just attend and you'll be good! Highly recommended!
Johnston means well but can be confusing. He will help you if you ask. Dont be afraid. Multiple choice tests
He's a terrible teacher. He's unclear and very confusing. His tests are also unclear, they are multiple choice but the way they are worded makes them very confusing. class average on the first test was a 64
If you go to class and pay attention, you'll be fine. Pretty good teacher - tests aren't that bad - got an 89 on my first one. Quizzes on Blackboard are easy. I've never done the homework - good help if ya need it, tho. Makes dumb jokes. Overall - the class is pretty good.
Very smart man, uses a lot of very helpful physics applications and tries to give an in depth meaning of everything he teaches. Tests are pretty easy too.
Work the problems. Do the work, ask questions in class, and study for tests you will be fine. All his exams are multiple choice and are straight forward if you understand the material. Take good notes :).
He is a good guy. Will help you if you attend class regularly and go to his offise hours. Uses blackboard which is great. Tests are somewhat hard but not impossible. Take him.
The class material is tough, but he's fair. Go to class and ask questions. He'll answer ANY questions you have on the homework.
very smart teacher, tests are pretty tough but if you study hard and pay attention and do the homework, you should do fine, he's very personable and will answer any questions
Very smart and nice guy. As you should expect, the tests aren't a cakewalk. However, if you study hard and ask questions on what you don't understand, you'll do fine.
Has super hard test compared to every1 else
very understanding and smart professor. yeas, class average is usually below 65, but he curves a lot at the end of the semester!!! i like him
He has to be one of my favorite professors. He's very smart, personable, and funny. You get to correct your first test (for up to 10 points back), and the other exams will be curved. Online quizzes equate to a free A+ exam grade, and if he sees you're trying, you'll do even better. Take him!
Johnston is a REALLY nice guy. Apparently he curved our grades a ton at the end of the semester. Tests were pretty hard but he curved every test, some tests more than others depending on how bad people did on them. He does offer partial credit on questions which is good. All our quizzes were online. I would highly recommend him!
Johnston is super nice, funny, and clearly very smart. Curves A LOT at the end of the semester (right around a letter grade). But don't slack off! Try your very best because the tests aren't very easy. You have to study hard for them and ask questions on what you don't understand. He will answer any question you have on the homework. Take him!
He shows up 15-20 minutes late for class everyday, even though he is just sitting in his office that is 20 paces down the hall. He doesn't teach the material you are tested on. He just talks about stuff in the "real world" that might use information relevant to his class. If you ask him a question about the material he will say read the book
ALWAYS late. not very good teacher. kinda teaching yourself. curves alot but half of my class failed out final and he can't curve that.
Helpful one-on-one, but not in class; called us dumb a couple of times; would not recommend, but this class is mandatory for many math majors
good guy, pretty funny. have to put your work in but i would recommend him.
good guy. curves tests
Good teacher, and funny guy. Enjoyable to have class with. He puts all of his notes on blackboard, which is how I learned everything throughout the semester. moves very fast during class, but the availablity on the blackboard notes make up for it
I had already taken AP Calculus so this class wasn't too difficult to me. There were some concepts though that he helped me understand better.
I had to retake MAT 162 and enjoyed him so much for 161 I knew I'd have to be a fool not to take him again. His class was great again. I'm glad I took him and had only wish he taught it the first time I took it.
If you like the back of someone, this is your class. I may have seen in his face twice in the 3 weeks I was in his class, puts all notes on blackboard but it doesnt make up for his lack of teaching. he explains things so he understands it. but you probably still wont.
Great professor. I took the class out of sheer interest for math and really enjoyed it. Im sure im going to end up with an A. He lets you go back and make corrections on your exam and get back a certain number of points.
Good teacher. Very helpful, made class fun and interesting. Just never thought that I would have to do a statistics project for the course, there were 2 papers.
Real Analysis/Advanced Calculus is a tough class to begin with. I felt Dr. Johnston made the subject matter as approachable as possible for an undergraduate course. His grading was extremely fair and he offers you chances to resubmit things and get points back He can be snarky at times but this isn't to be spiteful but concerned.
Uses his own book which has not been published or edited so it is as useless as listening to him in class.
This man is a HORRIBLE teacher for Nature of Math. He should have been speaking spanish because he and his book made no sense. Curves tests only because everyone fails them. DO NOT TAKE A CLASS WITH THIS MAN.
This class was AWFUL! Professor wrote his own book, it is not edited, and if I cannot understand you in class, I am certainly not going to understand your book. Test grades were so bad he had to curve. Made me hate the days I had this class. If you asked a question, he would just reply with a question.
This professor is very smart, he obviously knows what he's talking about, however, coming from a student who hasn't ever had any trouble in math to struggling with the simple concepts he teaches is very difficult. I just think his problem is that he doesn't know how to relay his knowledge clearly. Difficult to follow.
Dr. Johnston is obviously a very smart individual, and he tries to teach the class well, but he seems to fall short. The material is not that difficult for some, but for others who do not think the same way it's impossible and he is unable to cater to the latter. Avoid this class and professor if possible, but if you can't just do your best.
Do not take his class, try to avoid it. He is a horrible teacher. Most of the time he has does not have a clue about anything he is teaching.
He is a very nice person, just does not know how to teach very well. He is very vague when explaining how to do assignments. I thought he was difficult to understand in general. If you are not a statistics types of person o have never had it before, do not take his class because it will be extremely difficult.
Do not take this professors class if you can avoid it. He is a nice guy, but his teaching style is horrible. He jumps around a lot and does not explain things well.
nice guy, I've taken stat before in high school and wasn't new to anything he taught that's probably why I did so well. he cleared up the gaps I had struggled with in high school but the other kids n my class that had never seen the material before looked like they were in bad shape. overall if you show up pay good attention! he posts the slides
Overall a nice guy. However, presents material in class sort of dysfunctionally and confused the heck out of me a bunch of times. Classes can also get a little boring too. Highly suggest getting a tutor if you take him for Stat.
Don't understand why his rating isnt higher. Never did any of the homework which he doesn't check nor grade. Only take 2 tests and the final. Tests are easy. Just recommend to look through his slides and is very helpful.
I am really bad at math but honestly he was a good teacher, and I would recommend him.
MAT-441 is Real AnalysisAdvanced Calculus I at WCUPA. It's intrinsically a very terse and challenging course. I felt Dr. Johnston's exposition was solid. Granted he was very elaborate with notes, but it all made sense. Furthermore, he's aware this is everyone's first exposure to Real Analysis and he grades you fairly. Took this Spring '12.
This class was hard, but if you pay attention and study your notes, you should be fine. Expect vocab quizzes once a week. If you go to his office hours, he'll be more than willing to help you out (he sometimes just gives you the answers).
People make Johnston out to be a terrible professor. He's actually a pretty good professor, nature of math is just a confusing and difficult class. He will help you whenever you need it. Definition quizzes are an easy A if you take the time to memorize the material. Tests are tough but he curves your grade at the end of the semester.
He was okay at times, but expect for him to mess up examples and confuse you. Not my favorite class, he didn't help much.
This class is somewhat confusing, you really have to pay attention. The online quizzes and exams are kind of tough but if you study and feel like you know what you're doing for the most part, you should be fine. He often curves exam grades or lets you make corrections for credit.
This class was super hard and Professor Johnston is the only person who teaches it. It is very confusing and he expects you to know more than you do. Tests are tough but he gives back points and at the end of the year curves your grade. I failed one of the tests and did poorly on the final and still passed with a decent grade.
Johnston is a good teacher. He's very smart and explains concepts well. There are a lot of assignments, but they're mostly small and very manageable.
super understanding and nice
I took calculus 1 this summer with him. He is a very fair professor. If you do your homework you will do well. There is nothing on the exam that is not covered in the homework. He also gives back 10-15 points for correcting the wrong answers on the exams. He will go over any questions that you have on the homework in class. Take him if you can.
Professor Johnston is a very clear professor that truly wants you to understand the material. Although he does give frequent homework assignments and vocabulary quizzes, it is for your best interest. Plus, the graded assignments and tests can be corrected for extra points. Overall, he is a great professor who wants you to achieve success.
Its a math class, so theres a lot of homework. Do it and youll do well on the test. Johnston teaches the material well and will help you during office hours. Math can be pretty difficult which is why I expect his rating is low.
His quizzes are fair and that's the only good thing I have to say. He makes students feel stupid for asking questions and yet he can never figure out a better way to explain a topic. He doesn't collect the homework but instead wastes a ton of time going over it in class. So dry. Would not recommend.
His online quizzes before the tests are fair and you can do well on them. There's homework every night, but it's never checked. The tests follow the review guides and if you study and know the material, you'll do well. Make sure to pay attention in class; he's very open to answering questions. No calculator (only on one test). He will help you.
lecture and test heavy
The online course is a lot of work and you really have to commit to learning by yourself and then taking the exams in person. I wish you were allowed a cheat sheet with formulas because it is too much to remember but a lot of the test questions are what is on the homework. MEMORIZE THEM. I also felt the tests were very heavy
Tough like most math classes with plenty homework. Prof. loves his work and knows his stuff. Clear presentations of material. Fair grading. Very accessible. Patient, but doesn't put up with immature student nonsense. Good lecture style--engaging, not boring. Wants students to succeed. Understands what you don't understand and is able to explain.
clifford is great. hard class but math is hard dont be a punk
I would never tell anyone to take this man's online course, ever. He may be wonderful in person, but online-only is ridiculous. He is not accessible out of class, his zoom hours are few and far so if you work or have class, good luck getting an email response from him. I emailed him three times about needing extra help and received zero assistance
Second time I have had him. Great guy! Hope to have him again. Last term, traditional classroom, this semester online due to covid. He really understands how to use technology to properly conduct an online class. Very organized. Explains stuff well. Typical math class. You need to show up and do the homework or you won't pass. Fair guy.
Overall, he's a great professor. There's homework every day and a quiz every week. If you skip class, you're definitely going to miss content and then you'll be behind, since every lecture is a different topic. He really explains everything in detail and very well and in ways that are easy to understand. He's always willing to help if confused too.
Professor Johnston does not teach online. He assigns assingments and you do everything on your own. Expects you to know everything by the test and barely a review to study off of. Tests look nothing like review whatsoever. Doesnt teach at all. This class is very independent.
MAT200 with Professor Johnston was a heavy workload, and you need to be open-minded. You won't be able to use conventional mathematics early on which made it difficult. Definitely do the homework, a lot of problems are recycled since he wrote the textbook. Professor Johnston was always respectful and explained concepts great if you paid attention.
You will be enforced in this class to put your phone away. Also if you miss an exam/quiz due to any medical reason - I recommend emailing him before your medical situation occurs - late documentation is clearly denied. Try to show accommodations along with a clear explanation to the prof before the semester begins so you wont go through a similar-
Johnston is very chill but there were many occasions in class that things were not explained the right way to make everyone understand what was being taught in class. He posts all notes on D2L so you don't really have to go if you don't want to just don't miss the tests and do the HW.
WORST class I have ever had the displeasure of taking in my life. This professor has never answered a single one of my emails and does not care if his students pass or fail. He teaches too fast to be able to comprehend information. I do not recommend taking this class to anyone.
This class was the hardest class I've ever took. He doesn't answer emails and his teaching is poor. I got a 51% on the first test but was able to bring my grade up from watching a lot of youtube videos. There were two tests and then the final exam and most of the class failed on every test. If you want to pass this class you need to work hard.
He isn't too bad like most of these reviews say. Yes you will have to study for exams and they are pretty hard, but overall he does want to help students pass his class. Ask questions and consider tutoring. Ended with a low 80 in the class.
He teaches facing his whiteboard almost the entire time so it is really hard to see, hear and follow what is going on. I never understood a thing it almost felt like he was oughting to confuse us. He also gets so strict, and for what? He cannot teach anything clearly at all. Someone higher up needs to come watch this man teach.
Math 445, Complex Analysis. Dr. Johnston is tough, but math is tough and you need to work hard to do well. He is always available, always ready to help, is happy to answer lots of questions.
I can't really say he is a good or a bad teacher, kinda in the middle. If you have taken a good amount of math in highschool you will do decently in his intro course as it's mostly a recap class. However I would not want to retake it or take any higher level math courses. Very few grades(almost all tests) and some labs.
Dr. Johnston is a great guy and a solid mathematics teacher. His classes are fairly lecture heavy and the tests could be a bit difficult but he is always willing to answer questions and help outside of class. Just make sure that you pay attention in class and stay on top of homework and you should be fine.
Never got my grade for my final exam back!
Kind guy. Only took this class for my math requirement. Lecture heavy so do not ever plan on missing class. if you pay attention, ask questions, and go to office hours then you'll do fine.
He is just not a good professor honestly. He's rude when asked questions and makes you feel dumb for not knowing the answer to something. He clearly states in his syllabus when you can come to office hours and make things up but then will turn you away for no reason. Overall just avoid and do not take him.
He literally teaches straight out of the book. When he is teaching it seems like he is just solving the problem for us with little to 0 understanding. If you cannot learn from the way he teaches you're cooked, the only way to study is by doing the 70 homework questions due before the exam. There is no teaching done, it is him simply doing it for us
He loves to talk a whole lot without explaining anything. He grades his tests inconsistent and hard. He also gives online home of over a hundred questions every month. Luckily he is very quick with responding and is very lenient with due dates. If you take him make sure you go to class and pay attention.
If you have a learning disability do not take this class. He teaches one way and one way only, so if you have trouble grasping concepts I would not take his classes. If you can withdraw early I would do that. He never offers extra credit and even if you try hard in the class he does not care if you are doing well or not.
Dr. Johnston is a very kind person, but not a great teacher. The class is purely lectures and he does not put effort into helping students pass the class. The tests are hard and do not reflect the study guide well. He is a teacher for math majors, not a teacher for students learning how to do math. It is a bit discouraging to take this class.
Johnston really does want you to do well in this class, but the workload is intense and the material is very difficult. You won't use any conventional math in this course, which is one of the most difficult aspects, and even when doing all of the homework and assignments, I was still confused. Nice guy, terrible class.
You can definitely tell that Dr. Johnston truly loves math and will kindly answer questions, but his class format is rigorous and challenging. He tends to explain things in a way that's more difficult than necessary and I found it more helpful to re-learn the material on YouTube after his lectures. He also never responded to any of my emails.
Johnston is a decent professor, though his teaching style may not suit everyone. Attend all classes, use the textbook, and try Unstuck study for extra practice - you'll do well.
I really liked Dr. Johnston! He is very knowledgable with math in general- I would go to his office hours consistently and ask about the applications to the content with my future career. The lectures are tough, but if you aren't asking questions, participating, or going to office hours, that's on you. He's a great professor and a very kind person.
This review is specifically for MAT103, don't listen to the negative reviews. If you get anything but an A on a class as simple as intro to math, you're just mad stupid. Professor Johnston will quite literally help you on anything you ask. He even provides corrections on tests where you get answers wrong for credit back. Just show up and take notes
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
68%
Textbook Required
44%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.20 avg changeRatings by Course
MAT343
5.0
(2)CALC160
5.0
(1)MATH162
5.0
(1)SULLINATOR1988
5.0
(1)MAT162
4.5
(4)Difficulty by Course
MAT106
5.0
MAT221
5.0
MATH104
5.0
MAT10305
5.0
MAT441
4.7