His lectures were clear except for the section on diagonality/decidability/halting. His notes on the subject are very clear and concise and broken down into sections (only used book to clarify uncertainty). His test questions are in most basic forms (not tricky) to test conceptual knowledge though if you get it wrong, you lose almost all points.

Not a bad professor, overall. He can be a bit boring at times, but that's just the nature of ECS120. He tries to keep it interesting. Also, I note that only one other review here is from 2017. He seems to have changed how he grades since 2016.

Kinda late but surprised at the bad reviews. Very simple questions on tests that could not be anymore simple. Looks like most people are just sliding on by for the money after graduation will struggle without understanding theory. People who skip more than 1 class in a row and expecting to know exactly what's going on is a joke. Very common.

I really enjoyed Doty's class. He actually dedicates so much of his time to supply his students with useful tools; his own textbook which is very clear and easy to read, his own simulators, very fast on Piazza, etc. Make sure you can fluently read math though before you take this class, or you might have some trouble. Would happily take again.

Homework is hard, tests are easy. If you do the reading and the homework you will be more than prepared for the test. Very accessible and is great at answering in class questions about the material.

Probably the best CS professor at UC Davis. VERY clear grading criteria. There are 2-3 point quizzes before every lecture but you have 2 chances for each. Homeworks were very easy to follow and in class quizzes was directly applied from them. The Midterm and Final will take a bit of studying, but then again which one's don't. Absolutely LOVED him!

Doty is a good lecturer, really smart and grasps the material well. He does a lot of proofs, which are really difficult to understand, but I think that's more the material than him. He speaks super clearly and makes it easier to understand and pay attention. That being said, 120 is one of the hardest classes I have ever taken. Be wary

Doty is a great professor. There were 4 homeworks, short online quizzes after lecture, 4 in class quizes which are easy if you can do the homework, one midterm and a final, which are very doable if you can do his homeworks and practice tests. He really prepares you for what he is expecting out of you. You wont work too hard but youll learn a lot.

One of the easier options for ECS 120 in UC Davis. You don't need to spend money on a textbook as he provides his own on Canvas. 4 Homeworks that don't take too long (although some questions were difficult) and 4 in-class 10 minute quizzes that should be easy if you prepared for them. No surprise question on the Midterm and Final. Would take again.

Among one of the best and most understanding CS profs in Davis! His ovr rating is way too low and should be ignored. Take home quizzes (substitute for final and midterms) were very fair and based off of the homework and small reading quizzes. He made the class as stress-free as possible because of all the crazy things going on in the world.

His class structure for online was super organized, and he always dedicated the live Zoom sessions to answering questions from students. Sometimes his explanations can be unclear, but the material is pretty hard. This being a grad class, we just had to turn in problem sets. I think he gets a bad rap from his early reviews, but he's much improved

He's a good professor, explains things in really simple terms and is accessible on Campuswire. He's not as bad as people make him out to be, his multiple choice tests were quite easy and he gave a lot of leniency in order to do well in his class. If you want to learn about theory, take him!

A solid choice. no curve, triweekly mini quizzes before lecture. Wrote his own notes/textbook and recorded video lectures. 4 timed quizzes (autograded + written). Homework was autograded and written was for credit as long as you did it. His late hw policy is generous, you can turn it in 12 hours late and still get a low A on it. It was not too hard

I don't understand his low rating. Professor Doty is an amazing lecturer and really accommodated his teaching to the whole online thing. Very organized syllabus and material, and tests/quizzes are very fair. His written portion on tests are definitely challenging, but he gives 50% when you don't even answer.

I was scared to take this class but after having finished it, I can say the reviews could not be more wrong. 4 quizzes(easy based on HW) and 5 HW(auto-graded easy cuz you can re-submit until you get a 100) and a written portion(doable). Also, the 3 quizzes weekly(very doable), sometimes it's just a couple multiple choice questions. Overall, easy A.

His poor rating could not be more wrong. The material was interesting and he explained it very well. HW can be challenging at times but still totally doable. Exams were very fair and based off of the HW and reading quizzes. He is also very accessible and has OHs during lecture time. Please take his poor reviews with a GIGANTIC grain of salt.

Personally, I believe his tests are fair and they are similar to the practice mt/final. I believe his homework is a bit challenging but doable. For homework, we have auto-graded assignments which are graded on accuracy but the written homework is graded for trying. His lecture is understandable and quizzes are fair.

Automota theory is a hard subject to teach but Doty provides you with the chance to learn and pass this class. As long as you do your readings and keep up with lecture/discussion you will pass. He even adjusts exams by giving you a few extra points. Discussions are great and this class is passable. Don't let the negative reviews discourage you.

Doty is a good professor and teaches the subject well. His "lecture notes" are effectively a textbook and you cover a preplanned section of the lecture notes every lecture. There's a reading quiz before every lecture, which makes you read every section before it's covered in lecture. He gives midterms/finals from previous quarters to study from.

I genuinely thought Doty provides great help for any assignment or question. His assignments were honestly really enjoyable and a good challenge. His tests were fair and it's pretty hard to fail the class, I would highly recommend Doty.

Good chap. HWs are challenging, but necessary and fair. 40% of the grade is HW/ez pre-lecture quizzes. 2 MTs 20% each (graded very fairly). 4 takehome quizzes 20% total. No cumulative final. Makes extremely difficult concepts relatively understandable, has pre-recorded lectures to help us out. 2nd half of class definitely harder than 1st, b ready.

Don't get why he is a 2.3/5, he should hover around a 4. Tough subject, but he actually knows the material, so he thoroughly answers your questions. His lectures are based on a textbook that I believe he wrote himself. Written hw graded on completion, other hw graded on accuracy. Tests are similar to practice tests. Has a decent # of office hours

Straight to the point kinda guy and organized. Shares his notes which is what lectures are based on. You can access lectures remotely, but I recommend going in person. First half is a piece of cake if you try, second half is a slap in the face. Don't slack off after the midterm. Do the practice exams! Only con, heavy use of Piazza (can get EC for!)

This class was very organized and planned well. All the textbook content and lecture recordings were already posted on the first day so you could work ahead if you want. He was very clear with his expectations of us and what we had to know for the exams. The exams are much easier than the homeworks. The homeworks prepare you well for the exams.

Great lectures, super organized, interesting homework (one part was completion-based and the other part was auto-graded with multiple attempts). The only thing that bugged me was having to remember the pre-lecture quizzes, but they're pretty forgiving. Otherwise, was an awesome course overall. Definitely recommend.

Prerecorded lectures are available ahead of time. Autograded + written hw (latter based on completion). 4 take home quizzes based on the HW (generally easy) and a low stakes quiz after every lecture. I appreciated how articulate and precise he was with what he said. The topic is difficult but he taught it well overall. Provides his own textbook

Quiz before every lecture, a take home quiz after every homework set and two exams (no final). The first half of material was extremely easy and intuitive but the second was a lot more theoretical and proof based. Doty was a great lecturer but towards the end of the quarter the TA had to sub in due to undisclosed reasons and that's where I fell off

As a person who find theory quite difficult, Doty was able to explain and breakdown concepts in such a way that made is enjoyable to learn. I highly recommend this class!! The 4 take-home quizzes are quite easy with minimal study prep, the practice midterm & finals & homework are good reviews, and the frq problems are effort based completion

Good guy, don't be fooled by the awful reviews. He thoroughly understands the material, and will answer your questions in depth. Midterm and final is SUPER similar to the practice versions of each. Take home quizzes are relatively easy, and hw consists of 2 parts: written (completion) and "coding":(accuracy). Good class, good prof, would recommend

Professor Doty is 100% the best teacher I've ever had. He provides you with so many resources and is always willing to talk with you outside of class if you need help. You can tell he cares deeply about all his students and the material as well. There is no professor at UC Davis I respect more. He is truly the goat of the the UC davis CS department

simply the best

Posts lecture recordings and even full lecture notes (basically his own textbook he created based on the class). The lecture notes literally allow you to go through a week of lectures in around 40 minutes (seriously) since it's so clear, concise, and easy to read. 10/10 would take again because he caters to many different learning styles :)

Online lectures and online notes that are very clear.

Practice midterm and final match exactly to actual midterm/final. Overall, you can get an A in this course very easily as long as you do the homeworks. Reading quizzes every week but you get 2 attempts and see what you did wrong. Take home quizzes worth 20% of your grade but easy to 100% if you understand the homework. Has his own textbook for free

highly recommend this class + prof! doty is super knowledgeable and his in person lectures are ACTUALLY engaging and helpful! this class is super helpful for so many other classes after. great practice material and if you stay on top of going to lecture its super doable to get an a. would definitely take again

One of the best professors I've ever had. Very lenient grading criteria and amazing lectures and reasonable exams. Loved it!

Has prerecorded lecture vids and his own textbook if you are too lazy to go to class. HW is a mix of autograded problems and written proofs (graded on completion) and can be a bit challenging. Quizzes are unproctored and easier than the HW. 1 midterm and final exam (kinda similar to prior years midterm/final he posts). Take only if you like theory.

Prof was good. The lecture was helpful. There were three unoffical textbooks for the class— felt like an odd choice, but there was a main textbook. Lecture notes could have been better, but were a nice resource. Advice: attend the lecture, read notes, and potentially read the textbook.

he runs a solid, smooth sailing course. call him David GOATy because of the easy digestible 5 minute videos for every topic in the class. practice exams match real exams. hw are reasonable. quiz are reasonable. exam are reasonable. no complaints.