2.6
Quality3.5
Difficulty100%
Would Retake102
Reviews100%
Would Retake
102
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
25
4
10
3
14
2
23
1
30
What Students Say
“Tapping was the absolute WORST teacher I have ever encountered at the University”
ENGL125 - 1.0 rating“One of the worst profs I have ever had”
ENGL111 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
50%
Textbook Required
92%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.80 avg changeRatings by Course
ENGL271
5.0
(1)ENGLISH45
5.0
(1)ENGL405
5.0
(2)ENGL416
5.0
(2)ENGLISH111
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ENG112
5.0
ENGLISH11
5.0
GFGF
5.0
ENGL125
5.0
ENGL4
4.5
Reviews (102)
No Comments
Killer Doris Day impression!!!
He makes me laugh!
His lectures relate to life through his anectodal and comical instruction.
A good teacher, aye laddy.
Good teacher for first year classes
No Comments
Has fantastic shoe laces...
Good teacher, good class
Too smart for his own good. Doesn't give room for other opinions. 1st C-/F I got
It's hard to stay focused when the Prof can't even sta focused
easily distracted-lectures practically useless
most intelligent person I have ever met, great to talk to
No Comments
Lectures are pointless, but necessary sometimes
best teacher i ever had
no opinions allowed! disagree and receive a lower grade.
Opinions greatly encouraged, that other dude must not have had a clue.
Very intelligent and very nice. He cares about his students.
The worst teacher I've ever had. He failed almost half the class. English Nazi
No Comments
No Comments
AMAZING! Interesting life, interesting stories, interesting perspective. Could listen to him talk all day long - fabulous teacher!
A very interesting guy with lots of stories. Always cares about his students.
Have taken several courses from Craig. Brilliant. Very fair marker. The grade reflected my engaged with course material. The best.
when the lectures are good they are really good; but there is also the other kind depends on Craig's mood. Smart fellow but will not hear a contradiction . . .Grading quite fair, but can be tough.
Encourages discussion - fair marker. Each class is a trip.
No Comments
No Comments
really nice guy. He doesn't take himself too seriously like most english teachers I've had. Interesting and flexible on due dates
He's a good teacher.
The worst teacher I've ever encountered.
Craig is the best of the best at Malaspina, and the 111 student who said he's the worst he's ever encountered should forget highschool and realize what this Oxford PhD has to offer. I've taken four of his courses, and have learned a great deal from him.
A good and kind hearted teacher. His course is a little harder then he lets on though.
All of these rave reviews have me seriously confused. I've learned nearly NOTHING from Craig. His lecture style is ridiculously disorganized - perhaps if he were to TEACH us about the things we've read, he'd be more effective. I don't recommend him.
This is one of the worst teachers i have ever had. He gets mad when you take notes, yells at you if your opinion differs from his and gives you very little information on the books you are studying. If you value your education and grades, DONT TAKE A COURSE WITH HIM.
I've had some bad teachers, but he's by far the worst! Didn't cover all the course readings. He will ruin your GPA, is unaproachable, intimidating, and is unclear. Everyone I've talked to said they would never take a class with him again and I never will. If only we could get refunds!
Just a couple words about Craig - Pseudo-intellectual wank.
this man is on a huge power trip. I feel sorry for anyone who takes his classes. He is the hardest marker I have ever had and his lectures are completely off topic...and are usually about his personal life.
I liked Craig. I found his classes to be interesting and worthwhile. He is not a hard marker; he is a fair marker. Anyone who says that he is a hard marker is simply a BAD WRITER.
S U X.....you really dont learn anything, his classes were boring and most of the time had nothing to do with our readings and class outline. He shows off too much. Don't take his class!!!
Very difficult to figure out what his expectations are from you. Very spacey but pretty entertaining. Expects very well written essays.
I always found Craig's classes to be very enlightening and enjoyable. He is the only teacher that could speak for a long period of time and completely captivate me. He is a very smart individual and is full of experience (both worldly and academically). For anyone to dislike him for his hard marking procedures is preposterous. Try harder.
I dropped his class because he refuses to talk about important things (censor's discussions and essay topics) forces readings of style and "culture". A boring teacher who is bored by the world.
I question the negative ratings Craig has received here. I have taken 6 of his courses and have found him to be an excellent professor and mentor. I have never received a grade from Craig that did not reflect the quality of the work I handed in. Anyone truly interested in English should take a Tapping course. Good work is rewarded with high grades
By far the worst teacher at Malaspina University. Craig Tapping was fired from UBC and has been at Mala U ever since. This man ruined my entire first year of school because I made mention of "God" in my essay. Craig Tapping is one large, very ignorant, HORRIBLE professor! Avoid at all costs
this class sucks
wow you can really tell the children from the adults in this class. For those of you who don't like Dr. Tapping, maybe you should go back to high school and let the serious students take his classes. He is a wonderful teacher and if you try you just might learn something, so lighten up or go back to working ay MCdonalds or Walmart.
he teaches? no wonder he got fired at UBC duh! no offence, he needs to come out of comfort zone, and lose some weight!
this is simplythe best porfessor i've had. he's helpful, he gives notes so we can listen instead of write down, and his office hours are very flexible. my writing went from a C to an A- with his tutoring. Craig is the best. Too many deadbeat slackers don't want to be told the truth about their stupidnesses. He's well recommended and kind.
He was the worst prof I've ever had, completely ruined my first semester and gave me and F because I didn't agree with his point of views. I can only remember going to one class where he actually talked about the readings.. AVOID HIM!!
he isnt a good teacher at all..indeed, he SUCKS! i think it's really hard to get a high mark at his class....so.. just dont take any of his classes and be aware of him !!!
If you can focus on what he says, and not stress over what grade you're going to recieve, then you will enjoy this class, and do well. He is simply a lovely person.
Craig is one of those teachers whose students will be split down the middle of either love him or hate him. I jump back and forth between the two myself. He is a challenging marker; but improved my writing. He goes off unreleated tangents; but gets what he wants to accomplish done. wish his lit and film course had more film and less lit, but he has
Craig loves fluff. We spent one class revewing an "excellent essay" on martha stewert in The Globe and Mail (which was our 'textbook'). Any talk of current events were squashed and you are called a left wing fanatic basically. I know of other students who like him, but I could not stand the class and had to leave.
This class involves a lot of research and self-motivation, which was pretty stressful, but it also helped me improve a great deal. Craig doesn't often have much to talk about, but when he does, he's fun to listen to.
No Comments
We rarely touched on the actual theme of the course because we spent too much time watching movies and talking about the most random subjects that in no way made me write better papers or expanded my knowledge. I expect the books i buy to be relevant to the course which a few were but only if you really stretched for it. a total disappointment.
great teacher and exceedingly entertaining, one of the best teachers ive had, very smart and funny. if you are looking to for a easy class this is not the one for you. very fair marker. id love to take his class again, those that gave a bad review are too stupid to know better, go back to your xbox
I love Malaspina and love English studies (Major). This is the only prof I have EVER had significant issues with. As I prepare to move on to grad studies in English Lit. I want to leave all Mal-U students with this advice: AVOID CRAIG TAPPING. He's brilliant, but his arrogance sinks the ship.
Unless you are looking to join this guys poetry club or talk about ieland with no relevany to the course at all i suggest for you to run from this course. He was rude and unhelpful! Grading comes outta no where and is not willing to help you improve. Never returns emails. WASTE OF MONEY!
Craig Tapping just sits there and pats himself on the back all class. Its not about us the students learning or broadening our minds. Its about him controlling the discussion padding his ego and feeling good about himself while we the student suffer. To be specific he kept our entire class on bio-ethics something he is well read on so he could win.
dumbest marking method EVER!!! he gets enjoyment out of failing the whole class...horrible teacher.
Talks about nothing to do with the class. I learned nothing from him.
craig tapping needs to get off his high horse. All he does all class is talk about his uninteresting life, and tells storys not related to our work. He fails students for the dumbest reasons, deffinately a waste of money, time, and effort. VIU should fire him like UBC did. AVOID THIS PROF AT ALL COSTS UNLESS U WANT UR SEMESTER TO BE RUINED!!!!!!!
Love English and have never received a grade less than a B. He failed half our class and his teaching involved rambling lectures about his life. Brilliant mind... but not a brilliant teacher. I would recommend taking this class with an alternate professor.
Craig is an excellent english teacher. He challenges his students and creates a fun atmosphere to learn in. His style is interesting, albeit occasionally on the rambling side. I would personally recommend him to any english student.
ive had craig for one solid year he is cryptic, yes, but stands for students taking control of their own learning instead of replicating other's ideas. if you are looking for a straight forward and simple class.. craig is neither straight forward nor simple. anyone who says he is a bad teacher is too lazy to work to his standard. best teacher ever
You'd think that someone with this much experience would be useful. But no. He's fun, and he has interesting lectures, but nothing pertaining to the course.
Craig shouldnt be in a teaching position as he doesnt teach. He doesnt attempt to improve your writing skills and his marking is more unpredictable than the volcano in Iceland. I would not suggest this prof to anyone. SAVE YOUR EDUCATIONAL GRANT MONEY FOR EDUCATION, NOT AN OPINIONATED PROFESSOR!
You have to reach an understanding of the class on your own with Craig as your guide, not your nanny. He teaches beyond the curriculum - you will come away with a new world view. Those who find him a bad teacher are simply not English-oriented. He's good, but on a different level.
Craig is a very engaging, and slightly eccentric professor. His first year courses go way beyond generic, typical first year material. If you can think for yourself and are willing to put in the effort, you'll do just fine. However, if you're looking for an easy A without any individual thought, Tapping isn't the prof for you.
Great teacher....if you don't have a mind of your own, or enjoy english. Holds grudges and bases markings on his opinion of you. Goes off on tangents that have nothing to do with the course material. Often states things as fact and is incorrect or holds opinion as fact.
Worst Teacher ever.
Majority of class time spent on tangents and anecdotes. I am a strong English student: I worked hard and I was marked with perfect fairness. However, I learned very little in the lectures and was frustrated by the lack of continuity and structure in the class. I got the impression that Dr. Tapping was not interested in teaching 100 level english.
Craig has a brilliant mind and though he often goes off on tangents, has alot to share with his students. It's not an easy class; you have to proove that you belong there.
Crazy as they come, all I remember is he seemed like a champ at first, but once it came out that he still lives with his mother and his outrageous marking scheme . . . I lost all respect for this character. Be warned he takes interest in 5 people per class, if your not apart of those 5 - drop the class IMMEDIATELY!!
To those calling angry students lazy and not into English, you are mistaken. I love English, but this class taught me how it could turn those with a degree into pompous ****s. Tapping was not informative and was biased. He spent the majority of his lectures talking about his glory days and made it obvious that first year courses were beneath him
I actually enjoyed his lectures...Can't say I completely disagree with most of the comments, but I came out of the course with a decent grade, so my bitterness is minimal.
Dr. T is pompous & rejoices in his glory days of teaching @ UBC & this & that. He DOES have favs, even though he will tell you he does not.My class began with 35 ppl & finished with 10! I came out of the class w/a B so I'm thrilled!To get a good mark, listen to him, nod your head in agreement & actually listen to his tangents, they are useful.
Always got As in his classes. He definitely has a habit of rambling in his lectures, but I've never actually seen him go off-topic. Truly, I believe people who think he's talking about nothing just don't understand how it ties in with the course.
I still remember Craig. I had my first college English class with Craig in 1990. I Just loved his class. I learned a ton on essay writing. The guy is fantastically, eccentrically interesting! I paid attention to what he wanted out of my essays. I've gone to be an elementary school teacher. I pound proper essay structure into my students.
Well call me crazy. I took Craig's 115 class last fall & will take 125 this fall. Be warned, he DOES have favourites. As long as you are engaged in class and stroke his ego you'll do fine. Interesting stories.
Gives little information about what is required fom work
He is a VERY interesting man, Rants about random events or artciles that interested him. Can be VERY rude at times. Anyone taking his class should know what his writing style is otherwise he'll give you the same mark over and over. He also imposes his opinions on students and excpects them to write an essay favorig the idea which was VERY ANNOYING
My writing was fair when I entered this class. Now it is excellent. Ask and he will help, flexible about time limits as well. Invites us to sit with him in the library and help with our essays out of class. Speaks at length about personal life but because I enjoy him i don't mind. Only a hard marker if you ARE NOT good at writing. Respect the PHD.
I went into his class expecting to learn about grammar/punctuation/how to write an essay, and left at the end of the semester with a low self esteem, absolutely terrified of his temper. He's nice if you catch him alone, but if you have a "stupid" question, be wary of asking it in class. He stated he wasn't there to teach us, but instead to mark.
Terrible teacher. So confusing, and he goes from hot to cold( emotions -wise). Expects alot from his students, which would be fine if he actually gave us the tools to do so.. He told everyone to hand in the beginning of our essay.. we bring it in and he REFUSED to take them! and said" i dont want to take any home, im going to go take a nap"
Inconsistent marking and harsh marking. Expects you to improve vastly without actually giving you material to learn or referring you to material. Doesn't cover any topics actually related to English class. Often rambles on about silly things that have no place in the classroom. Was by far the worst classroom experience I've had.
Great prof. Love his passion for the things he teaches. Know how to write for him. I would advise talking to him on a personal level. Go to his office and ask for help when needed. It absolutly helps.
I learned nothing in his class. Craig spoke of himself for 1.5 hours twice a week while I had him. He is very intimidating and unfair. I left his class with a B+. He had me in tears after my first week with him, I didn't want to go back. I would not take another course with Craig Tapping. Ever.
Those who say that people who got a bad mark are poor at English are correct. HOWEVER, we all signed up for this class to learn how to write at a uni level, NOT so that we could have our grades based off of how well we could write prior to joining the class. He taught us nothing except about the daily life of his mother. Fascinating tale. -__-
I did really well in his class and he was super kind to me. BUT he is maybe one of the worst professors I've had. He is so smart and wants you to do well but his quirks get in the way. If you're struggling I recommend speaking directly to him or you'll be screwed.
After 6 years at VIU and one Bachelors degree completed with an A average, I can say, without a shred of hesitation, that Mr. Tapping was the absolute WORST teacher I have ever encountered at the University. It is bad enough that he belittles his students, but on top of that, he does not actually teach! He spends the class talking about himself.
I found that going to class (a three hour class and an hour long drive) took up five hours of my day and we did not discuss the books that we were reading and writing essays on. Class discussion was usually on topics that had nothing to do with the course work.
One of the worst profs I have ever had. Class was a waste of time, he taught us absolutely nothing, belittled people in class - in front of the entire class. Easy marker though
the worst most confusing teacher you could ever have!
Confusing and unhelpful class discussions. publicly shames students in class (by name) who do not hand in assignments on time. rarely discussed material and after half a semester when the class got bored and stopped showing up, he threw a hissy-fit via email cancelling classes for the rest of the semester until the administration made him relent!
Honestly, I could never tell if he was just joking or not. The class often made me feel like I was part of an elaborate hoax: this is how insane something can be and you just have to take it! Totally disorganized and pointless, the classes taught me nothing. To compensate though, it was a pretty easy A.
learn nothing,fail everything. be bored to death by pointless, hour long stories of his life
I personally really enjoy english, and the study of literature. Craig was frustrated from the start to be teaching Tourism Students english, and made this clear to all of us from an early point. No help, public shaming, and like another poster said, he called in sick to at least half of his classes as the year progressed. Avoid if at all possible.
I took two classes with Craig T about 28 years ago. If nothing else, Professor Tapping turned me on to literature that I would likely have never read. His Commonwealth Lit classes were among the best I ever took. Interesting but rambling, friendly and approachable. I hope that you are doing well, Professor Tapping!
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
50%
Textbook Required
92%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.80 avg changeRatings by Course
ENGL271
5.0
(1)ENGLISH45
5.0
(1)ENGL405
5.0
(2)ENGL416
5.0
(2)ENGLISH111
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ENG112
5.0
ENGLISH11
5.0
GFGF
5.0
ENGL125
5.0
ENGL4
4.5