3.5
Quality2.0
Difficulty51%
Would Retake118
Reviews51%
Would Retake
118
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
38
4
26
3
29
2
16
1
9
What Students Say
“Cannot say this is sustainable”
CIS40 - 2.0 rating“HE KNOWS ALOT BUT CANT CONVEY WHATS IN HIS HEAD,MAYBE BECAUSE HE IS OLD”
CIS22B - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
45%
Textbook Required
19%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.89 avg changeRatings by Course
HTML89A
5.0
(2)26A
5.0
(1)CIS19A
5.0
(1)CIS027
5.0
(1)CIS2
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
CPLUSPLUS1
4.0
CIS15BG
3.3
CIS22B
3.3
26A
3.0
CIS19A
3.0
Reviews (118)
Goes a little slow, but he makes sure that it all makes sense to you.
Very easy class, open book tests, slow pace (only one assignment due per week). Learned a lot, requirements are clearly explained. I would definately take another class with Dr. Oldham
One of the best teachers I've met in my life. I will definitely take the other course he teachs.
arguably, one of the best computer science teacher that has ever graced De Anza College. He spends time to write everything out, no short cuts. Very friendly and humorous. If you want to really learn C, this is the instructor for you!
Really good teacher, he knows what the students' need and what the critical point of the course,take his class if you want to learn C!
This is the Perl class. He is very patient and explains things as thoroughly as possible. Nice guy too!
He is an excellent teacher!! He makes sure all students understand his lecture. I definitly recommend his class!!
if you want an easy A, you need to know computer science or else you die in class. Basically, his program is pretty simple, test is easy, but towards the end it gets a little complicated, anywho this teacher is easy.
Great teacher! Takes it nice and slow to make sure all the subject is absorbed. Always leaves time for questions and will go back over material again. Very knowelegable, not only in programming, but also in cool geek things (tolkien, douglas adams, etc)
Really nice old man, wants you to learn the stuff. CIS 89A is very easy, but his 15A class is kinda tough. He will always help you out though and takes things slow.
He is a great teacher. his class is easy and you don't need to show up. if you need help, for sure he helps you.
So easyA class! it's so easy. You just need go to quiz and final and submit some homework program and you got A. He is truely a old man,but he is so nice to answer your quastions.
This guy is easy........but not too easy such that you won't learn anything........would definitely recommend him
No Comments
You will find studying computer class very easily.
This man is one of the best professors I have ever had. His classes are straightforward, clear, and well illustrated. Treat him like Moses bringing you Comp Sci off the mount, and he will treat you to a good grade. Nothing in this class is at all difficult if you keep up, and not too hard to catch up if you fall behind. But he does have a hearing aid, so if you're going to ask questions please sit in the front row and SPEAK UP (you'll save him the effort of walking to you in the back row).
i agree with all you guys. this teacher is great . understands the material and knows his stuff very well. highly recommended.
Go to class,do homework,don't forget to take the exam,then you'll get A.
I took Mr. Oldham's Computers & Society class, and he is one of the most clear-thinking, intelligent individuals I have met in a very long time. His interesting stories and insightful ideas on various topics made the course an absolute pleasure. I paid attention to every lecture and discussion, and got every possible point in the class. Great guy!
No Comments
i can't read his hand writting..coz too small..speakin not very clear...but..exam is damn easy....
Great teacher, very helpful. Highly Recommended!!
This teacher was very helpful and reasonable. He cared more about whether you understood that whether deadlines were met.
Boring lectures, but cares that everyone learns and is very very helpful. Tests are open note/book
Cares a LOT that he's given you the support you need to understand the material. Flexible with deadlines if you communicate with him and he can tell that you're working hard.
Very easy but very boring. You learn nothing in his class.
Always willing to help. Doesn't want any student to fall behind. Only thing is that lectures are really boring.
Dr. Oldham is an excellent teacher. All requirements for the course were clearly stated. It is easy to get a good score on the weekly assignments because he wants you to correct your mistakes and resubmit them to learn more. I recommend him to anyone who wants to learn HTML.
aww this professor is SOOOO nice that i didn't want to drop his class just because i really wanted to try to learn from him. unfortunately, i dropped this class because i know NOTHING about computers and it was kind of difficult for me. But he totally tries to help all his students and is very respectful and nice to everyone!! He's a cool guy :)
Professor Oldham is old but very nice. He encourges students to ask him questions. Although his lab direction is unclear,it is not difficult.Quiz is basic on the simple basic skill.if you just want to get A,he is a good choice for you.
Good instructor, easy quiz and test. if you read the textbook and take his note, you will have an A.
Very helpful. Great teacher for beginning programing. He is a bit hard of hearing but he will walk over to listen to you and is very good about helping students understand individually during labs. Answers emails. Very accommodating. Highly recommended if you want to be a serious programmer.
I felt like it was a waste of time. The Professor was going over and over again the same thing during the whole course and giving material on midterm and final that really wasn't ever covered, especially that we didn't use any text. He also wasn't helping us with our homework. I skipped a quarter just to get to the next class with someone else!
Too easy. More could have been covered if you want to be a serious programmer.
I'M VERY HAPPY WITH THIS CLASS.
His class was pretty easy.He reviews what we have studied before exam.And most importantly easy tests.Take this teacher if you are interested in studying 18A!!
Easy A, open book exams. Grades easily. Just do your work = making a couple of simple programs per week. If you're taking 3 heavy classes, this is a good fourth class with low-workload.
He is a very practical and well-organized professor. He is patient and always willing to answer questions during lecture. He also has some interesting stories about his time working in the tech industry. I think that he is great!
Nice teacher. Tests are ok, if you spend time on it, you receive A for sure
He teaches carefully but with not clear voice. His assignments are easy to do if you spend time on it. Midterm and final are normal in difficulty.
If you have any sort of background in programming, he's VERY easy. His homework assignments may take some time, but he grades them very generously. His in-class tests are also rather easy. The only people who I saw failing this class were those who didn't turn in the work.
His lectures weren't clear at all! You have to read the book throughout the quarter to understand the material. He is boring and can't hear well. He needs to retire is the bottom line. Although his tests are super easy, you don't learn anything in class. Grade policy 60% exams 40% programs. overrall nice, but not a great teacher.i was disappointed
His class was really easy. Easy A
He is very easy. His tests are very simple and programs are fair to what is covered in class. However he does not give you enough background for BG!Careful, you might fail BG if you take him. He is very old, can't really hear well and can be boring.I didn't enjoy his class, all i can say is - easy A.
He is a sweet man but he really does not know Perl and his teaching style is antiquated. His class is really boring and his exams/assignments super easy. A waste of time and tuition -- you won't learn anything. Also, I hate the textbook he is using. Work your way through the O'Reilly Perl book and you will be better off than taking this class.
Took his online html course. Simple enough class. Seems to know what he is teaching. Lenient on deadlines and will let you resubmit incorrect work. Very flexable and honstly seems like he wants to help you pass.
I love Professor Oldham. Bottom line. It took a week to start learning, as I tried to find the best way for me to soak in his lectures. But after the learning curve everything was so clear. Catching him during his office hour is the best thing about taking a class with Dr. Oldham -- I haven't gotten my grade yet, but he gets an A+ from me.
Took his web development class. Very clear lecture, very basic knowledge. He allows us to correct any mistakes of the regular assignments. The mid and final exams are super easy. He's well organized and helpful, quick response in mail. I do learn from this class, and it's super easy to get a great grade. About one third of the whole class got A+.
Useless teacher. Learned nothing from this 15BG class.
Okay class - teacher was quiet and boring.
the worst teacher ever. unclear and unorganized class. midterm is super easy but final is quite difficult because he asked function we never used before in neither class nor assignment. Don't take with him.
He looks like a ghost but he's a sweet old man. Lecture does not help. Mumbles on ppt. 40% hw. 55% test. 5% for attendance. curves his test. I still get an A-, that's after 90 83 on two midterms, and 83 on the final with almost perfect score on take home lab. Labs are challenging. did i learn much? so-so. c++ is my 1st lang. not an easy A.
Not very clear when he lectures, His corrections on Test/Assignments are hard to read. C++ is my first language and he made it seem as if I was already an Advance programmer.
His class was boring. Then again many CS classes are really boring but this guy was like an extremist on the boring side of the spectrum. The class was really easy. Assignments due once a week and they are very easy to do. His exams are easy but he's a tricky grader. he'll dock you, but then curve it to make up. No comprendo but it's an easy A
This guy is an absolute joke. Everything was going fine in this quarter, the exams were quite easy although the labs were difficult but doable. On the final, however, oh man. All of it included questions that were just so hard and are probably impossible to do in a class. That brought my grade down from a 93% to a B+. Moral is, don't take him.
I learn this class all by myself, almost no body listen to him in the class, you can't get any help in his class. And his quiz is writing by hand. If you like write code by pen or pencil, take this class
Many of my classmates would leave after attendance was taken; his lectures are a bit boring and he's hard of hearing. However, he can answer almost any question you ask him about the subject and I was really glad for that. Overall, he seems like an old pushover, but he's actually very intelligent. It sucks that a lot of people take advantage of him
The last section of the final was pretty hard, but he gave some extra credit and allowed programs to be worked in pairs. Overall he was alright.
Slow lectures, quite a few people would leave after attendance was taken or not show up at all. Assignments are turned in on paper and tests are written in pencil. Lectures are very awkward, not only does nobody answer his questions but if someone does he is very hard of hearing. He had our computers down during the lecture for half of the quarter.
The labs were very difficult and time consuming for me, but he tells you what will be on the test so you will have a good idea of what topics to review. He rarely mentions the assigned readings, but I found that doing them was extremely beneficial
He is a nice professor however it is sometimes tough to understand his lectures. Homework is pretty tough --- however if you study, you can do it. He is a hard grader, but for exams, he curves the test. Exams are all on paper. Just come to class, listen, take notes and study on your own and you will get a good grade.
He's definitely not the best lecturer, so boring but a friendly guy. But 22a is easy to self teach. Homework assignments are generally easy but get progressively harder. Overall class was kind of an easy A. However the final was a little difficult in comparison to the midterms.
He's a really nice professor but it's sometimes difficult to understand his lectures. Homework is pretty tough, but if you study, you can do it. He is a hard grader. Exams are all on paper. Just come to class, listen, take notes and study on your own.
He is very hard of hearing, so you have to speak up but is a very nice professor that goes into great detail during lecture. Homework are relatively easy if you show up to lecture and pay attention. Test are written. Would definitely take him again.
Really old teacher the class is usually silent like the wind so you can heard what he is saying he needs to speak up his voice puts me to sleep I didnt like his teaching style nobody asks questions during lecture cause if you do he will walk really slow to you so he can listen to you(hearing problem)but on the other hand easy tests very fair grader
Not the best lecture teacher you will need to tech your self everything just read the book and the test will be easy
He is a very good professor. The class is helpful and if you really pay attention to his lecture and go through all the assignments, you will definitely learn a lot. He sometimes tries to be humorous though his jokes are those fifty years ago.
Took this prof for Cis22B intermediate C++ and intro to Unix/Linux. He talks to softly, so you have to sit in the front row just to even hear him lecture. His hk are pretty long and tedious to do for cis22B and for Unix. The exams are easier than the hk. For Unix 10% of ur grade is sign in.I got A in both classes. So just read the book and study.
he is a nice guy, but his lectures suck and basically you have to learn everything on your own. he is helpful, and he would answer all of the questions you ask. he is an old man and kind
This course is very easy, a good intro to HTML. Easy A, not terribly time consuming, but not terribly educational. I think this course could cover about 2 times as much info and be a lot more useful. At the end you can build a decent 1995 era website.
There are only 6 assignments (additional 2 EC assignments). 3 exams. That's it. So, if you do slip up, there's not much room to change your grade especially if it is late in the quarter. He's a really old person so he talks very quiet. He reads off the power points which are on the website. Most people sign in for attendance and then leave
He is a good computer engineer , but not a good teacher. His voice is too small and you can hardly hear what is he talking about, which means you need to prepare for self learning. No quiz will be given, but the test is really really really HARD. Pick this class with your friend(s), it will be easier to do the homework.
He is a great programmer. Honestly, You have to study yourself because you hardly hear his lecture. He is helpful in office hours. If you don't understand some materials, just go to office hours.
Oldham is a good professor and kind too. He talks very soft so you have to pay attention on what he has to say or sit in the front rows. This class is not that hard and if you pay a bit effort, hand in assignments on time and do some revisions you should be fine.
His voice is extremely soft so u need to sit in the front. He basically doesn't teach anything in class time, so u will mostly self-study. All material and assignments r posted on his website, so u can totally prepare for a whole quarter just in an assiduous week. He is very helpful, if u have any kind of problem just bring it straight to him.
This dude gives zero lectures. Easy A though XD
In-class assignments were super easy, and take-homes weren't bad either. Most to all students who are on top of their stuff will do fine in this class. Codelabs are a pain but tolerable. Not a bad option.
DONT TAKE HIM!HE KNOWS ALOT BUT CANT CONVEY WHATS IN HIS HEAD,MAYBE BECAUSE HE IS OLD!IT IS ALL SELF STUDYING AND IF YOU WANT TO REALLY LEARN SOMETHING TRY ANOTHER PROFESSOR!
He is a nice person, but doesn't teach at all. Feedback is vague and unhelpful. There are a lot of lab exercises, both for in-class and take-home. Deducts points for the smallest errors. The exercises get more difficult as the quarter goes on, and you have to teach everything yourself. Very challenging for someone who has never taken Python before!
Very knowledgable but isn't a good professor. People can barely hear him during lectures, many students leave after signing attendance sheet, and assignments have to be printed and turned in on paper. Also tests are on paper. Not an extremely hard class but if you have chance to take a better teacher, do it.
Ira Oldham is a professor who truly cares about the sanity of his students. While his coding tests are handwritten, he is very forgiving of the grades. He has a genuine warmth about him and is full of stories that can cause you to be late to other classes! He allows you to work in a group of two- which is great!
save yourself and don't take him if you have no experience programming
He's speaking very quietly to an extent that after second class I've decided to just self-teach all of the given topics instead of listening to his lectures. His curve on exams will give you lots of favors and he's friendly but I feel like its harder for students to pay attention to him during the class.
Oldham reuses a set of in-class labs & take-home labs. Average day is just do an in-class lab and leave early. Rarely has lectures. Quizzes/Exams are easy if you do labs. I wouldn't recommend this professor if you're new to programming. Otherwise it's an easy A, but unless you need to pad your GPA, save your time & money and learn python yourself.
Easy A, but I consider computer science to be my strong suit. Mostly self studying, but he gives good material to self study with. Cannot say this is sustainable. Textbook is free online. Homeworks are easy. Quizes SEEM easy but he is a picky grader. Fortunately, A's are still very obtainable. If this is your only option, you should be fiiine.
He is a good teacher, he knows a lot of materials but the class is not as easy as you think it is. He is old but he knows what he is doing, so don't try to fool him. Do all the homework and assignments and prepare yourself for the tests. You might even need to to go to the tutoring center which is not a big deal. Not a very enjoyable class as well
Honestly, Ira Oldham is a super nice guy. If you really really want the A, the class is pretty easy. His exams are very reasonable.
He is one of the best online professors I ever had, Give's you feedback, Exam is Open book. As long as you read the book, study his modules, and do your assignment you are great to go.
The class itself is relatively stress free compared to the other cs professors, there are 6 homework assignments that can get pretty long and tedious, but you're allowed to work with a partner which tends to lighten the load and make it more manageable. The two midterms and final have a massive curve, so there is no need to stress over them.
If getting paid involves reading powerpoint and whispering while everyone in class is either playing games or on Facebook, then I want that job. De Anza needs better CIS professors. Save your money and learn this course on your own.
When I took this class, I thought it was an easy A. My Intro to Python class was more difficult than this class. I walked away with an A, feeling confident in my Python capabilities. Now I'm taking CIS41B and I'm having so much trouble doing the "Review" lab. I'm now realizing Oldham didn't prepare us for the advanced class at all.
Weekly homework assignments but it's not too hard. Classes are long and boring, you can't really hear him but he is a very nice guy. Ask him for help afterwards and he will. Lots of self-learning so get ready to read the book or look for online tutorials.
If you are looking for an A then take this professor. If your looking for a good professor who actually teaches you then don't bother taking him. His exams are curved by 20% each time so if you got a 74% on an exam your final grade would be 94% on the exam.
Easy A but you won't really learn. He does "lecture" but he's so quiet you'll barely hear him. Labs are easy. Exams were fine if you did the assignments and codelabs(offer good practice). You literally do not need to worry if you read up on your own. The material was harder in the end, I rec watching youtube videos & asking q's after class.
He's a very nice man who knows a lot about the subject because he's used it for decades. This may be his first time teaching 100% online, it helps to speak up when asking questions because he is on the older side. He gives very clear instructions for all homework assignments and is very good at communicating with students!
Dude whispers through the slides and goes away after he finishes, that's the class. The class itself was super easy but he was moody, prone to making mistakes and being stubborn about not admitting it, and going off on tangents about his life story. A good 30 minute long youtube tutorial could have saved me so much money and time that I spent here
Only take this teacher if you are taking CIS22A only for the grade for a free A. Completely avoid if you are doing a major related to CS he will not teach you anything. This class was basically complete self teaching... people weren't joking here when they said he just reads off the slides
He is very good about answering questions. He doesn't have strict requirements for homework assignments as long as you follow some basic advice he gives during the lecture, he mostly cares that the output is accurate. Very nice man, accepts late work with little to no penalty, lets you take exams late if you miss it. You just have to be patient.
Weekly homework assignments, two midterms, 1 final. All exams are open note/open book. Good at answering questions about homework assignments and he tells you what specific topics are on the exams. You'd definitely need to do some self-teaching but you learn a lot from the assignments alone. He definitely cares about his students and teaching.
There are weekly projects, but if you need help, he's there for you four days a week. He fair, and grades you on your progress.
This is self learning class. Class meetings are just "hangouts" for you to ask specific questions and work on homework. He does not teach coding during class nor does he understand Python.. Most of the time he would just give us the answer. The class failed to prepare me for the advanced python course which I had to drop. Really bummed
Oldham is a good professor however you will have to self study. Weekly homework assignments, two midterms, 1 final. All exams are open note/open book. Good at answering questions about homework assignments and he tells you what specific topics are on the exams. Easy A but have to put in work on your own.
Professor Oldham is "educating" students in computer science, however, this professor is seriously lacking in knowledge. If you just need an easy class and credit, go for it. Just don't expect to learn any valuable or current information. Waste of time and money, De Anza should vet their teachers better.
Professor Oldham is a very kind person, but I honestly learned very little in his class. The classes just Q&A sessions with little or no lecture, you mostly teach yourself. All of the test and assignments are easy. Unfortunately, this class will not prepare you to succeed in CIS 41B. Only take this class for easy elective credits or a GPA boost.
Really easy class. 22A is just the basics of c++, I feel like it would be easy with any professor. There were no red flags with this professor, if you're good at learning on your own you'll do just fine
He doesn't teach anything; you read from a textbook and hope you understand everything because he barely answers questions. I appreciate the effort he put into making his website, but it's a bit confusing. Nice person, an OK professor. If you already know how to program and are willing to discuss assignments with your peers, I think you'll do fine.
I expected CIS41A to challenge my python skills after taking the intro to python CIS40. However, this class fell short.... "lectures" are just open office hours. His grading on assignment are odd since he will doc points because you did not code "his preferred way" even though your output matches line for line and word for word.
Professor Oldham is very inspiring. It is lots of home work, but he offered graceful period to allow me to catch up. I really appreciate his personal note for encouraging me.
The only pros of this professor is that he is very lenient with late work and attendance is NOT mandatory. Other than that, he is picky with code for no reason; he would doc points despite the output being the exact same. Also there are no lectures, just office hours for questions so expect to do A LOT of self-teaching. Take class only for grade.
If you do everything, you basically get an A+; however, it's really hard to learn from him. I recommend you watch some cs50 lectures on youtube to supplement your understanding. He cares about style in your code a lot, so be mindful of that. Exams are open everything, even google, but he doesn't want you working with other students.
I'd say it is an Easy A class and he is a pretty nice teacher, but besides that, you literally have to self-teach for the most part since his lectures can be quite long and not that helpful. If you want to actually learn, pay attention to the ZyBooks and his "take home" coding assignments since those helped me the most + online research
His teaching quality is not the best, but he's trying his best.
Lectures were long and boring, but not mandatory. Grade consists of weekly zybooks, take-home assignments, codelab, and midterms. All tests are on canvas. Very fast grader. Due dates are useless since he accepts any late work up to the end of the quarter with no penalty. Since it's a beginner class, this learning style isn't too difficult. Easy A
EZZ AF FREE A+ self study class, hes a nice guy but you won't learn much from him. just go to zoom and mute the audio after he takes attendance. make sure you listen in on the day before exams though, he gives hints and tells you what topic each question will be on. its literally impossible to get lower than an A unless ur a smooth brained monkey
He is an experienced professor. Ask question, and he will try his best to answer. The only negative side was that the lectures were centered around the student asking rather than professor teaching. He cares about the style of your code, so be careful. Also, he does not teach the theories behind the codes, so you need to do that on your own.
The professor's lectures are just slow reading of PPTs, fortunately there is no attendance requirement and the weekly assignments are: zybooks, codelab and projects that take 8-12 hours per week.The professor's program requirements are vague. There were two exams, midterm and final, both less difficult than the usual assignments.
Zoom meetings were optional and most of his zoom classes were just going over slides. As long as you pace yourself and learn the material through zybooks and the labs you should do perfectly fine.
This is a self-paced course where the professor's lectures aren't too helpful. Focus on the zyBooks, labs, and projects to learn the material. Unstuck study can be a great study aid alongside other resources like ChatGPT. Overall, an easy A if you're diligent.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
45%
Textbook Required
19%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.89 avg changeRatings by Course
HTML89A
5.0
(2)26A
5.0
(1)CIS19A
5.0
(1)CIS027
5.0
(1)CIS2
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
CPLUSPLUS1
4.0
CIS15BG
3.3
CIS22B
3.3
26A
3.0
CIS19A
3.0