3.0
Quality2.7
Difficulty43%
Would Retake93
Reviews43%
Would Retake
93
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
93 total ratings5
14
4
29
3
26
2
15
1
9
What Students Say
“nice and tries to be funny but his voice truly is annoying, he is way behind schedule and honestly each reading summary takes me 4hrs to read and write, i need to do 10 and each is only worth 1%? + he wrote the textbook so why does he need to read out of it the whole time?”
COMN1310 - 2.0 rating“Honestly just not interesting”
COMN1000 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
38%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.28 avg changeRatings by Course
INTROTOC
5.0
(1)SOSC4802
5.0
(2)SOSC132310
5.0
(1)SOCI1310
5.0
(1)COMM1310
4.3
(4)Difficulty by Course
SOSC2110
4.0
SOCS2310
4.0
COMM2310
4.0
COMM1319
4.0
COMN1000
3.2
Reviews (92)
Very helpful, however, could be a little more organized.
A very knowledegable teacher with many current and real-life examples to support information, but needs to be more organized, and make lectures more interesting.
In the beginning of the course he expected too much of us and after he realized he was unfair he began to cut it down. I think he is extremely knowledgeable and offers quality information. However, he could work on getting the class more interested.
This course has potential to be good...but it's not all that great. Prof needs to make class more interesting, and learn how to use the overhead...make those damn overheads bigger...jesus.
No Comments
Smart person, intersting stuff,needs a little more practice a lecturing
Knows his stuff but can't teach it. Has no control over TA's idiocracies. Unable to use the available technologies adequately. Expected too much in course but did alter for the better. Did not learn much.
he gets very excited about his lectures, which is good, but makes jokes under his breath that many of us couldn't hear because we were in a class of 500...he'd make a great prof in a smaller class
No Comments
Very sweet. Looked to best interests of the students by making adjustments for their needs. Exams were also fair.
No Comments
he says 'right' after every sentence under his breath. thats all i hear 'right' 'right' it drives me crazy. how can i concentrate. listen close and you'll see :<
his lectures are all over the place - cant focus - always moves overheads too fast - he does stutter :<
I really liked this class. Prof Skinner is funny and movies are very interestng. Go simpsons go!
His lectures are good, he speaks clearly, and he has a great sense of humor. His encoding-decoding model drawings are complex, but to understand the concepts it is probably better that he does not try to over-simplify.
Funny guy...it's funny how he laughs at his own jokes. and tells everyone to shut up during his lecutre
He's alright, but his exams are kinda sucky.
Hi-LARIOUS! the man is Homer Simpson in real-life form...exams are not too bad..he GIVES YOU an outline for it..and tells u q's that will be on...not too shabby at all
He is a really nice guy and the exams are super easy, only an idiot would fail. There is a sufficient amount of work, but an easy A!!!
Great guy and really cool Prof. If only his teaching subject could be more interesting.
We Luv You, Prof.Skinner!So easy going and so self-deprecating.U're Hot, dude & u should noe it.
makes the course interesting but he does have a major stuttering problem and the "right" thing he says after every sentence can drive you crazy. Perhaps he would do better in a smaller class setting.
Half the time he is entertaing, anf the other half he is talking to these stupid diagrams he invents which are so basic, I dont know why he bothers, it's an ok class, and not to boring, lots of movies, but they suck to except we got to watch simpsoon once
Very entertaining prof. Easy exams and course layout/material isn't too challenging..a good thing?? Diagrams can be a bit confusing but overall, he makes his classes enjoyable.
awesome professor! funny and clear. Annoying reading summaries, but great course !
he's soo cute.. like a teddy bear! He knows what he's talkin about, even though he gets confused sometimes. exams are easy but a lot of material.. and his classes are rarely boring.. u get me.. (right).. his trademark!
Does he not remind you of Fred Flintstone? Maybe that would explain why he never figured out how to use the overhead....overall, he's alright, in a he-never-had-a-date-in-highschool sort of way.."right?"
He is all over the place in lecture. This course is based to seriously on meeting a bell-curve.
Um, does he ever stop drawing on the board and refering to his pointless diagrams? Honestly, he is more of a headache than a help. The material is boring, but could be interesting if the right person taught it. He is not this person.
The lunatics run this asylum. Class is out of control and he laughs at them. Impossible to hear with the noise the lunatics I mean students make. Can't communicate verbally, only uses hands.Fred Flintstone indeed.
All over the place when he lectures, diagrams on board are too small!! Decent guy though..
When I get bored with the subject I just watch him pace back and forth at the front of the class talking to the wall. very entertaining to watch. Good teacher overall
can someone please tell him to breathe and chill. i take it he's very passionate about communications cause he just doesn't know when to stop talking. it's very entertaining to watch. good prof.
He reads from his papers and has the most annoying voice in the world. However, he's a nice guy, funny, and provides a somewhat helpful outline for the exams. The bell-curve thing is unfair.
Kill me. Kill me now.
I swear ive never had a more entertaining prof in my life! Yes, the material can get wacko sometimes (thats where my truely awesome TA David comes in) but he's an overall nice, adorable guy! Give the guy some credit!!!
Chilled guy who seems really interested in the content. Makes stupid jokes that are still funny and has a halarious laugh. His notes are very helpful, and has an amazing exam review. I love the class, he's an amazing prof.
Considering the size of the lecture hall (CS building), he really does work the room. Lectures are well structured, but he could really benefit from using Powerpoint and not typed overheads. The exams were fair, but this bell-curve deal is news to me.
This guy is the worst Professor I have ever had. His lectures are totally unstructured and his nonsense diagrams just show that he has no idea what he is talking about. For a Communications Professor, he is really horrible at communicating!
Am I the only one who loves this guy? I think Skinner is an awesome prof. He was clear and made an attempt to make sure everyone understood his point. He practically gave us the answers to the exam. He's a great guy who cares about students! GO SKINNER
He's an awesome guy. Gives you a study sheet for the exams... memorise all the questions... watch out for his multiple choice/true&false ... he can be tricky and ask you for stuff you never dreamed of... the readings were way too much for this class... skinner can be a funny guy and hes quite reasonable
a really great prof...lots of notes but they are helpful when the exam rolls around...too many readings but his lectures summarize everything well...totally fred flinstone!
wicked prof made 1st yr lots of fun and way easy pure jokes but a lot of notes and u cant really see them using power point might help out more but other then that wicked prof way cool and what a nerd
Very well chosen themes and discussion topics --highly pertinent to current issues. Student presentations are a nice touch. Intro to Comm diagrams still used and remain annoying, but overall the class is very insightful and stimulates a lot of critical thinking. Definitely recommended!
So Fred Flinstone! Awesome prof, lots of notes, but very useful come exam time. I love his jokes and his laugh!
amazing prof.. kinda like the nutty professor of the social sciences.. yea its true that much of his diagrams on the board make so sense but only at first.. hes very passionate and will explain things with depth... he laughts at his own jokes ! its funny and he tries his best to add humor to an often boring subject matter.
lost control of the class in the first minute and never got it back. Rambles and is all over the place. Advice: reads the books very well and thgo to tutorials and you'll do fine, but don't waste your time on the lectures, as it will just confuse you.
No Comments
No Comments
Great class. Every1 will remember the pond! Reading summaries for 4th-year students is ridiculous tho and the exams, tho take-home, were far too all-encompassing. Marks hard. But, he's extremely passionate abt the subject matter, n a terrific person. He makes all his students feel really comfortable. A lively, thought-provoking, memorable class.
Whole lotta hype, not too much substance. Nice guy though, means well, but I needed less entertainment and more useful info. Tends to ramble a bit. Would have been useful to use powerpoint and put it up on the internet, then have us madly scramble to write down all his stuff on the overhead.
nice guy and very entertaining, but tends to ramble a bit. notes are alright, but he seems a bit scattered so pay attention and listen carefully. often makes a note to mention "this will be on the exam!" so if u miss the class, too bad. readings are important, but can be confusing when his lectures are two or 3 weeks behind. exams are alright.
Excited about his topic and makes it interesting. Tries to make connections between the lecture and some relevancy to students.Lots of reading. Entertaining but a little unorganized. Would highly reccomend the course, but PAY ATTENTION and do the readings. Not an easy A but well earned.
Seems like a nice guy...but I think hes expects a lot
really confusing,talks to the black board a lot, all over the place. Seems as if he was taching this class for too long
This class was harddd!! i had a hard time paying attention to the lecture... though he does put up notes on the overhead. Way too much readings... i doubt any person did them all. The term paper could be fun if u choose your own topic... maybe it was just my t.a but she marked hard. Terrible exams!! STEER CLEAR!!
very entertaining
He seems like a nice guy but his lectures are all over the place. He is very unorganized. He has a tendency to make stuff a bit more confusing. He mumbles alot! over all its an easy course depending on ur TA!
Prof. Skinner is awesome, though his lectures do tend to stray in all directions. How well you do in the course DEPENDS ON YOU TA. All you can do really is attend the lecture...ALL OF THEM..and hope that your T.A. aint horrible!!
only take this course if you have a sincere interest..trust me.
Excellent! helpful, approachable and knows his stuff.
Seems like a nice guy, funny. I genuinely liked HIM as a prof, but the class, not so much. Boring material, even for an intro class
He is really my headache.i love him as a person, or like a lovely teddy bear with mustache.Very knowledgeable,passionate,humorous,friendly and yes cute!However, he is...i have to say terrible as a pro.No organization at all.you are totaly on your own and rely on the TA.(the tragedy is my ta even worse organized than him!)think before u choose it.
best comm prof so far
Honestly,I would not recommend him to anyone. He has nice personality but he is really not a good lecturer. His speech is all over the place and the material is boring. I stop attend to classes bec it has nothing to do but confusing me.The workload is annoying.Your grade will rely on your TA and if you meet some one like Mike, good luck.
He is a very intellectual, sweet and funny man! However, he gets too distracted in lecture causing his material to be all over the place.
nice and tries to be funny but his voice truly is annoying, he is way behind schedule and honestly each reading summary takes me 4hrs to read and write, i need to do 10 and each is only worth 1%? + he wrote the textbook so why does he need to read out of it the whole time?
Skinner is very funny and a great person, but not the best prof. The material in this course is extremely boring and there is a LOT of work, esp. for a 1st year course. If you don't have a good TA, you're screwed and you will fail.
Nice professor but not very clear in lecturing style. Knowledgeable in his field just doesn't know how to teach really. Go to last few lectures he usually gives out exam tips or questions. Will spend 30 minutes talking about something that seems abstract but then shows how it relates to the base concepts. In other words, kinda beats around the bush
Make sure to go to the last lectures before exams, because he will give exam questions/answers. The course is easy as long as you give yourself time to write the term papers. His lectures are sometimes confusing so try to do the readings in advance. Basically, learn what "economies of scale" means, and you'll be okay.
He's a great teacher, and you can tell that he is really involved the current world of communication theory! Be aware- that his lectures ramble, and don't always seem relevant to course material.. Reading wise, because he does fall behind in his lectures, I found that it was almost better to read after a topic was first introduced.
Prof. Skinner is a pretty cool guy. Granted, he goes off topic from time to time & that microphone is really loud lol, but he puts on a great show. He's not pretentious either like some of the TA's I've seen for his class. I only wished he taught one of his many tutorials as he's got great insights on the media at large. Would have him again!!
Funny guy. Really good at clearly explaining course concepts. Easy going. Great at keeping your attention. Usually not boring.
VERY enthusiastic proffessor , you learn a lot and he actually knows what he is talking about.. great class for intro to communications
he is such a bad professor. hes very disorganized, and gets off topic often. Worst of all, he tells us he (or the TA's) aren't paid to answer our questions... Also, no notes are posted online, so you have to attend lecture to copy everything (rather than listen)
Honestly just not interesting. Gets off topic way too often, and while it was funny at first, gradually it gets annoying. No online notes, and the exam has EXTREMELY specific multiple choice/true&false questions. Attendance is important, but I couldn't bring myself to attend the last 4 lectures. He does know his stuff, just very disorganized.
This class is hard. That's not to say you cannot get a good mark, I got a B, but it was a struggle. If you really want to learn about the news, the internet and Canadian content take the course. THIS IS NOT A BIRD COURSE. There is a ton of reading.
Lectures are irrelevant, a lot of reading, tutorial attendance is mandatory and important. Strangely enough, someone teaching COMN never upload handouts/slides online, going to lectures basically is all about writing down his slides
Very enthusiastic prof but hard to understand. I feel his teaching method just does not click well with my learning method
Very enthisiatic when teaching, but often goes off topic or drags on when speaking of one topic. Lectures are two hours, but could easily be one hour long. Even though it is hard to stay focused throughout the lecture, the slides ar eposted online and the Professor is always open to help you if you need anything.
Knowledgable about the subject, but teaching style is somewhat disorganized. Very likeable person however, and very approachable. Encourages questions, but we refrained because he would give us a 30 minute long answer.
Lectures are alright, kind of boring sometimes. There's a lot of focus on the tutorials. Exams are very much based on the lecture, only some material comes from textbook. Essays are pretty okay.
was very disorganized and hard to follow with lectures, gets very off topic and distracted by anyone talking or doing anything. will call you out for no reason. The material in the course was pretty standard .
Lectures are tedious, and readings are boring and long. However, I did maybe 4 readings, those being the ones I presented on and I ended off with a B+. Exams were really easy, papers were a little tougher but nothing impossible. Would I reccomend? No, not unless your a COMN major. David is nice, humorous and open to help though.
the course was interesting. the professor knew the cause material well. i would most likely take another course with this professor
He knows what he is talking about and is clear in his way of explaining it. He gives a review for both the fall exam and the winter exam. He is understanding and approachable. If you don't go to class you will struggle on the exams but try to do all the readings they are beneficial for the exams.
Material is interesting but lectures don't do it any justice. You will lean more by reading the textbooks rather than going to lecture. Also, if you're going to take this course make sure you like your TA or else you might have a hard time.
Always went off topic. Could barely understand him when he spoke, the mic he used was not functioning well. Decent class. You should definitely keep up with the readings.
Skinner was interesting. He was kind of annoying at times, his mic was always broken and the class was often interrupted by the loud screech of the microphone. He goes on and on about irrelevant things and calls you out if you leave early or if you are texting. The class can be interesting and i loved tutorials. overall ok, take it if you have too.
He mostly drifts away from the topic. He knows what he is about and just keep going for lectures. Anything that will be tested is discussed during lectures.
David Skinner is a great professor and explains things well. BUT, tutorial helped a whole lot in understanding terms and concepts better. Do the readings, do well on essays, pick good partners for presentation and you're ready to go! He gives a HUGE hint for the exams so come to the class before the exam!
Skinner is an interesting character. He would oftentimes go off-topic and would even speak directly at the board at times but he was a lovely guy! My TA was amazing so I credit everything I learned in that class to them! Lectures were an interesting time to say the least.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
38%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.28 avg changeRatings by Course
INTROTOC
5.0
(1)SOSC4802
5.0
(2)SOSC132310
5.0
(1)SOCI1310
5.0
(1)COMM1310
4.3
(4)Difficulty by Course
SOSC2110
4.0
SOCS2310
4.0
COMM2310
4.0
COMM1319
4.0
COMN1000
3.2