1.9
Quality4.3
Difficulty13%
Would Retake183
Reviews13%
Would Retake
183
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
14
4
18
3
16
2
33
1
102
What Students Say
“Passionate, but avoid her class at ALL COSTS”
BIO1203 - 1.0 rating“Would not ever take again”
BIO1103 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
42%
Textbook Required
63%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.63 avg changeRatings by Course
1110
5.0
(1)BIOL1109
3.5
(2)BIOL1103
2.9
(25)3100
2.3
(3)1109
2.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
1203
4.7
BIO1203
4.6
2200
4.5
1103
4.4
BIO1103
4.4
Reviews (183)
Dr. Barker is by far the worst professor I have ever had. Not only does she ramble, but she rambles about things you don't need to know about so it is extremely confusing. She doesn't really quiz you on stuff in her notes but more from the textbook. Even if I desperately needed this class, I would not take it with her. Switch profs while you can!!!
TERRIBLE. Does not go into detail about anything slides are horrible and pretty much impossible to study from, they are all just random points about non relevant information.I should have waited a semester to take this class with someone knowledgeable. Be forewarned.
Terrible, be warned. Completely useless when it comes to explaining anything that is relevant. Slides are impossible to study form, full of information that makes NO SENSE when trying to go back and look at it. Boring lecturer, just reads what she puts up and does not go into any details.
Not a great help AT ALL! Has a tendency to ramble off on random courses, as well as talking about a "relevant" subject, and then telling you ten minutes later "you don't have to know this." This happens A LOT. Switch if you can, there's many other professors who teach the same class who are MUCH BETTER!
This teacher is extremely useless. She has no idea what she is teaching, nor does she care to go into detail with anything. Do not take her class, you will suffer.
Everything is really straight forward but you have to assign yourself work to do because she doesn't give you any. Re-write your coursepack questions and go over slides. Read assigned reading in text.
not the best bio prof ive ever had. doesnt post her lecture until the day of which makes it hard to prepare for class. she makes some lessons very confusing, and rambles quite a bit. if you can get another prof do it, but if youre stuck with her just read the course pack and your notes and you should do ok
Switch if you can. Not helpful and does not care about students. Questions she puts on quizzes often aren't covered in class.
Quizzes were really easy, but lectures don't really help. Just print out the lecture notes 2 days after to get yourself caught up. Dom't expect to learn anything by attending class. Just study the coursepack and do really well on her super easy quizzes. Just be ready to do bad on the final.
Although she is very easy to approach with questions, she very rarely has a lecture with content that sticks or is relative. She will only use slides, does not engage the class much at all (aside from the final review day when she has nothing prepared for reviewing). If you are more inclined to independent study her class is for you.
Jennifer is a great teacher. She will give you hints about what to focus on for the quizzes. Quizzes are directly from course pack and text so if you do your readings you will do good. She is super friendly and a great resource to explain things. She also will give you opportunities to redo quizzes/assignments.
I was reluctant to take a course with Jen as the instructor based off reviews, but am now glad I did. The course is tough, and quit a bit t of it is independent study. Jen has slide shows for each lecture and was always open and detailed with any questions. The weekly quizzes were a huge help in staying on track.
shes a nice prof, she always posts her notes on blackboard. but she kinda sucks at explaining things. would take class with her again. but bio 1103 is a very difficult class. you seriously have to study your ass off.
Jennifer is very friendly and helpful. She gives you wait you need to succeed in this class (notes and weekly review questions), you just need to put in the time and effort yourself. She can be a bit tough for marking but she is still fair. Come to class, do the work and use all resources you've been given and you can do well in this class.
She is super fun, and keeps things interesting.
probably the most annoying professor I've had. jokes are very rough and it's almost painful to sit through the class which will go to the end each time. however she is nice and is easy to approach. her quizzes are alright and the course is easy if you put the time in to study
Jennifer is an interesting teacher, and as long as you put in the effort to listen to her lectures and do your homework, you will pass. Her weekly tests definitely helps those stay on track and as long as you're okay with the material and take the time to study, the midterm and final won't be any differentharder.
She expects too much. Her weekly quiz is sometimes not in her lecture. If you have a lot of time to read the textbook then you'll be fine but if you don't Goodluck!
She is a great teacher and very helpful if you ask. Pay attention in lecture and do the required readings. She keeps the material entertaining. Weekly quizzes are helpful.
Jennifer is a great prof who is more than willing to help you if you are planning to put the time into it. Honestly for people that said she is a tough marker, welcome to University, she's easier than some of my other profs I have had for other Biology courses. This is a course where the time you put into equals the grade you receive.
Definitely the worst prof I've ever had. Doesn't care about students, and is completely ridiculous with her expectations regarding assignments. Switch out if you can
Not a horrible professor, however, compared to others I would say she's fairly tough on her students. Here quizzes consist of quite a bit of written answers as well as diagrams and you must read the textbook material if you wish to get full marks. She doesn't offer as much bonus material as other prof's (so I've heard). Lectures are boring.
Don't know what other students are babbling about... she's a pretty good prof. She's probably as best as you can get at Douglas. She cares and knows FAR MORE than other professors in the Biology department. I would definitely take her again but she doesn't teach upper level BIOL courses (yet hopefully). Just make sure you do the readings. Got an A.
Do your work and you'll get the grade you deserve. She's very helpful and is passionate about biology. Just attend class, keep up with the readings and ask questions when you need to.
What a joke. Babbles on in lecture about details that are not tested for. Had to use another profs lecture notes to understand material. All her sections for all her classes had class average of 52% Ya she's knowledgeable but she doesn't teach well. She should work in another setting in this field. Bring Shelly weisser back
She tries to teach you well; I could see she tried it so hard. But sometime it doesn't matter . No matter she tried , she took us nowhere , made us wondering. What she did instead was to dump us in the ditch. You better avoid to have her .
Horrible professor! Attended all classes and studied for 10 + hours a week and still did not pass the midterm! She is a super hard marker, and is unclear on what she is looking for. Lectures are long, boring and does not explain things clearly. Took the class again with another prof and received an A. She expects you to memorize the textbook.
By far one of the hardest classes I have taken and this prof did not help one bit. During lectures she would teach something and then say "but you don't need to know this yet" which just made everything more confusing. I worked the hardest I have ever worked for this course and probably will end up having to re take it. Expect lots of studying!
Welcome to University people. Jennifer has high expectations for a reason. She wants her students to pass with some knowledge and not just get the "A" or "A+" and not know a thing! She definitely teaches like a university prof and provides interesting lectures. She won't spoon feed you but if you put in effort she will help you succeed.
I took this class with her in the fall 2015, She is a passionate about biology, but passion doesn't teach. Her lectures are unhelpful, confusing and all over the place. Her tests are ridiculous . Her expectations for the students versus the way she teaches don't add up. If you can, AVOID her classes at all cost. Don't waste your money.
The way Jennifer teaches is seriously unorganized and all over the place. She does not teach in a logical sequence. You can clearly see that she is passionate about Biology, however be prepared to read. I had to teach myself the material because her lectures are not helpful. Also, her expectations were too high for the assignments. AVOID.
Biology 1203 is not an easy class period. It requires time and effort if you want a decent grade. Jennifer was a good teacher, she may not be the easiest and rambles at times but honestly she knows her material. Just be prepared to read and study the course manual on your own time and you will do just fine.
Jennifer is evidently passionate about biology but teaching is not her strength. Her lectures are confusing and she tends to ramble, she also assigned homework in addition to weekly tests. Her expectations did not sync with the other 1203 profs. I ended up having to teach myself the material, using other profs lecture slides. Avoid at all costs.
Must attend lecture. She is very passionate in teaching and very helpful. Must spend a lot of time in studying for this class. She sometimes gives out assignment, which takes up whole lot of time to finish it.(usually for assignments, textbook reading is required in order to finish them).
Seems like a reasonable prof at first but is not. An assignment that was unrelated to objectives was given before the final. During the final, went in and out of rooms, opening and closing doors repeatedly, very distracting. When a student faced a serious injury (had doc note), no concern was given - however a story about herself. Self involved.
If you're taking multiple classes this class is tough. We had long assignments and quizzes almost every week. Her quizzes were generally 5 marks for previous weeks stuff, 5 for lab, and 5 for pre-readings. Class average of all her classes for the midterm was 55%. READING THE TEXTBOOK IS REQUIRED, her lecture slides miss a lot of information.
Worst prof Ever. Unclear lecture. Wasting time in her class. Not helpful.
She is funny, and explains course material very clear, easy to follow her lecture. She gives lots of homework which is very helpful for the exams. Fair midterm questions, but the final exam is very hard.
One of the worst Biology teachers!! Always goes off topic and did not help students prep for tests. Quizzes are based on the current chapter, lab, and the next chapter. I would avoid taking her unless you like to retake classes. Would not recommend this Professor to others!
Incoherent rambling during lecture. Holds no captivation or presence. Shows passion in her facial expressions while she talks but does not actually teach anything logically. Painful to sit through. It all makes sense in her mind, but it takes to much effort to try and track what she talks about. Lecture notes are neglectful and a waste of paper.
Her lectures are way to long. She does not complete slides in one class and expects you to learn the remaining slides on your own. She goes off topic a lot and speaks too quiet and mumbles. She assigns weekly group work assignments that take way too long to complete. Her tests are difficult and marks hard. She is not a strong professor.
Overly tough grader. Uses psychology in testing questions.
Difficult marker, and felt most of the learning was independent. Would recommend different prof if bio is already difficult for you.
I had to retake Bio 1103 after failing it with Guppy, I took this course in the summer with one other elective class and managed to get a B:) Her weekly quizzes are answers straight from the textbooks and slides. Shes very passionate when she teaches and after failing it and hating biology once i learned to love it becus of her seriously!
Jennifer is a very nice lady and is passionate. You'll learn a lot because she'll make you bust your hump for it. Her quizzes are hard. She gives assignments weekly which could essentially be term papers for other courses. She's a hard marker and her tests are difficult. She actually boosted some of our midterm marks because our class did poorly.
Jennifer is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable, but with small-mark quizes every week with 50+ pages of diagrams and text to read, that barely counted for marks, and group assignments that werent relevant to midterms and finals, it was a very challenging course. Its a course with a ton of info, and she did what she thought was best to help us.
She provides lots of resource material for students, unlike most lots of profs. She is very dedicated and accessible for help. Barker is always cheerful and makes learning fun but makes you work really, really hard for it. If you are willing to put in the work- take Barkers class, she will help you get there.
If you require some guidance and actual teaching, do NOT take this class with Barker. She provides a lot of resource material but it's necessary because you will need to do most of your learning through independent study. Group exercises not helpful nor applicable to quizzes or exams. Quizzes are straightforward. Do NOT sign up with Jennifer.
Seems like a decent and knowledgeable prof, but her teaching methods are very confusing. Her lectures and notes are useless, so you will have to spend a lot of time reading the text and learning the material on your own. Her quizzes are all over the place with info not taught in lecture. Save yourself the headache and avoid taking her classes.
Would not ever take again. Hardly lectures, forces you to come the second class and do class work worth 5%. Awkward at explaining and inconstant marking.
Her quizzes are easy if you put in the work, would not recommend this class if you are taking more than 3 a semester as all your time will be spent studying your textbook and personal notes as she does not teach. her lectures are dry and useless as she only tests on textbook material. her marking is unfair and sporadic. AVOID THIS CLASS AT ALL COST
Her lectures were so rushed that I wish I could have used the lecture time to read the material instead. I believe she should discuss the class material in detail instead of spending a lot of time on group quizzes. The information she provides is way beyond the scope of A&P1. I know because I have a new prof in A&P2 and I feel less stressed out.
I highly recommend you to take this course with other professors. Her lectures are really heavy.
Loved Jennifer. I feel like people are only complaining about her because they weren't ready for the huge course load, but that's not her fault that's just how the curriculum is. You won't pass if you only rely on notes. I'd say you could skip lectures and still do great just by reading the textbook. She's super helpful when you have a question.
Her lectures were completely useless you are better off skipping the class and reading on your own she rambles on about unimportant bits of information that never appear on assignments or tests. Three quizzes every week and only "lectures" for 1/4 class hours per week. If you want to teach yourself and/or retake this class Jennifer Barker is for u
First class - lecture and individual quiz. Second class - group quiz & group work (for marks). Individual quiz: see possible questions & ask your classmates before the quiz starts. Pros: marks higher because of help from high scoring classmates. Cons: group work is unbearably time consuming. Other 1103 classes less involved but marks could be lower
didnt teach i learned everything from my textbook. Barker lectures for an hour and rarely gets through everything. better off not going to her lectures because they were way too scrambled and confusing. retook 1103 with another prof and I'm way less stressed, we actually cover all the material!ITS NOT THE MATERIAL THAT SUCKS ITS BARKERS TEACHING .
Lectures are a drag since she literally just talks the whole time. Rushes through a whole presentation in 2 hours because the second class of the week is dedicated to group work asking questions irrelevant to the potential material on quizzes and tests. I'm extremely blessed to have gotten a B- on the midterm when the class avg was 45%.
Does one lecture a week which covers all content for the week, so it's very hard to follow the lecture. She's spends too much time on details so slides are not entirely covered. Second class of the week is group work that's content is not tested. Be prepared to self teach to get through the course, quizzes do not help very much for exam prep either
worst prof ever. DO NOT TAKE HER. She goes off on tangents of unimportant information and does not cover important points for quizzes/midterm/final. lectures for 1/4 of the time but CANT TEACH. the rest of course is marked group work, group quizzes and individual quizzes. i retook with another prof and it was waaaay less stressful and I got an A.
Jennifer is very clear and organized, yet it feels as if she focuses on the most irrelevant aspects of each week's material. Yes the course is heavy and requires you to do a lot of the readings yourself, but so much is expected for a biology course. She does try to compensate with bonus marks on group work and quiz corrections. Overall, 4.5/10.
Passionate, but avoid her class at ALL COSTS. Her format is a disaster. The material needs two lectures a week but she only gives ONE. The other lecture time is used for group assignments that don't even pertain or help in midterms or finals. Her midterms AND quizes are extremely hard, more than HALF the class is failing. pros: Her waitlist is low
I repeated Biol 1203 to raise my C. With Jennifer, I got a LOWER MARK the second time. She is actually the worst prof ever. If you're waitlisted for bio, I recommend waiting another semester instead of dropping $ just to fail.
Read the required chapters before lecture & you'll enjoy this class. Jennifer is quick to help & gives you tips on other resources to help you understand the more challenging material. If you stay on top of the required reading (can't stress this enough) & write notes from her slides you'll do well. Quizzes are easier than her midterm & final.
SAVE YOUR MONEY, TIME, MENTAL HEALTH, AND STRESS. It's a lot smarter to wait another semester then take this class. Very frustrating and unmotivating as there's only one lecture focusing on the matierial which is so hard to digest, quizzes are crazy hard, and assignments are a waste of time. SO much effort has to be put in order to succeed.
Pay attention to the lectures.
Jennifer is so passionate about her teaching. She really gets into her lectures and is super easy to talk to. If you ask for help she will be there for you the whole way. I loved her for that If you do the req. readings and answer the course objectives you receive at the start of the semester you wont have a problem with anything in the course.
Minimal lectures and her powerpoints do not contain much info. Weekly individual quizzes, individual assignments, group quizzes and LONG group assignments. Expects textbook answers for short/long answer questions, won't give full marks if details are missed. A very low class average says a lot about the prof. Basically taught this class to myself.
Avoid at all costs, even if you're a strong student. You'll basically need to memorize the textbook in extreme detail to do well in this class. Barely teaches, flies through slides because we waste time doing assignments, group assignments etc every class. Even if you're waitlisted, take with a different prof. later.
There is work to be completed during class which makes it hard to follow along with the lectures. Very disorganized and lectures typically go on for the whole class or just around there. Jennifer is great at answering questions and giving feedback though! Be ready to use all the info from the textbook readings to your advantage.
Guys, Jennifer is not going to hand you easy A's, but what do you expect in college? This is a science course so it can be quite textbook heavy and you have to remember many things. She is very kind and helpful when you need help. If you work hard and answer her course objectives, you won't have any problems in the course.
Do the course objectives and you'll be just fine. If you have questions, Jennifer will even take time out of her day to help you with everything (god bless). Be prepared to work hard for your marks though---grades don't grow on trees. Take it from someone who did really well on her tests.
Super approachable. Basically answered questions for me because I asked her so many things. As long as you read the req readings and do the course objectives, you are set in this class. Most of the time you can be out of the class in a hour because she doesn't require you to stay for her lecture, only to be there for the group or individual quiz
I would not recommend taking this course with Jennifer to ANYONE. Don't learn much in class, must teach yourself. Does useless group work that doesn't help you at all. She expects you to know everything just as much as she does. She doesn't give any breaks. Her lectures are boring and never ending. READ COURSE MANUAL TO HELP YOURSELVES!!
Lectures are incredibly confusing and nearly impossible to pay attention to, the "notes" provided to us made me more confused and explained nothing (essentially just key words/terms with little to no description). Be prepared to teach the entire course to yourself if you take her.. memorize the course manual if you want to pass.
2 because shes a nice person. Group Assignment and Group quiz every week, individual assignment and quiz every week, you have to attend class to do them. No opt-out option. Lectures are fast and hard to follow because so much time is devoted to in-class assignments. Read the textbook, because you're not being taught anything in class.
Test every class. Have to work in groups, makes you do a worksheet as she's teaching so you don't really get a chance to listen and you have to basically teach yourself
Jennifer was the worst prof I've ever had! Her lectures don't make much sense, and are barely relevant to tests. You fully have to read the textbook to understand. After the weekly test, everyone would leave because her lectures were useless. Group project work wasn't relevant to class material. The final was brutal. Do not take this class with her
Here's how you will spend your 4 hrs: 1st class-> Individual Quiz (30 min), then rushed and confusing Lecture (80 min) (during which you are distracted trying to complete a full page Indiv. Assignm.) (graded). 2nd class-> Group Quiz, then 5 to 6 page Group Assignm. Most Q's to be Googled or guessed b/c they go far beyond the course objectives.
Nice lady, but lecture is boring and confusing didn't learn anything. In order to pass, memorize the entire textbook because she expects you to know EVERYTHING, don't depend on course manual or her slides. Weekly quizzes were confusing, Please DO NOT take her !!!!
Not even half way through the semester yet and I wanna die. Her lectures are super boring and the info isnt useful. She gives ALOT of group assignments which are 4-5 pages long that have nothing to do with the topic. If you decide to take her class get ready to read the textbook and teach yourself.
Genuinely a nice lady who loves biology but doesn't know how to provide us that knowledge effectively. You're better off reading the textbook because her lectures aren't very clear/relevant and the final is extremely tough. She does however, let us redo quiz es to improve our grade which I recommend doing because that's how I got my C+ needed.
The only positive thing I can say about Jennifer is that she cares about her students very much. Unfortunately, her class is extremely difficult because she is unable to deliver effective information. Her slides are all over the place and you only get one lecture a week(the other class is used for strictly irrelevant group work.)
Horrible. Lectures are awful. Unorganized, goes quickly through the slides, does not contain all information in her lectures. She expects you to read the textbook and teach yourself. 2nd class of the week is strictly devoted to irrelevant group quiz's and assignments. She expects you to know everything in detail as well as she does.
1 day/week is lecture, which she sometimes goes over by a minute or two - sort-of helpful, but you may need to look over it at home. The other day is group work. The group assignments seem hard at first but she will always explain things very well if you need the help. Group assign. great - really cements the material and makes connections. Need tb
Frustrating and un-motivating. Poor lectures. Get as many multiple choice marks as you can because she marks short answer questions like you are trying to get your PhD in Biology. Save your time and stress and take this course with a different prof.
I will not be taking a class with her again. She told everyone if you complete the weekly objectives you'll be fine in class, keep in mind that there are like 60 objectives for a 10 mark quiz once a week. One class is an individual assignment, individual quiz, and a lecture that isn't very useful. The second class is group quiz and group assignment
Dr. Barker is really nice and knows what she's talking about when teaching the class but she goes through the slides very quickly and does not ask the class if they have any questions (which we sometimes do). She sometimes explains things as if we should already know them at her level. You'll do fine if you do the Objectives she tells you to do.
The first class of the week is an individual quiz and a lecture, that aren't very helpful and are confusing. Second class of the week is group quiz and assignment which weren't very helpful either if you and your group didn't understand the material. If you plan on taking this course, be prepared to read and learn all by yourself.
She literally did not teach and her classes were useless. She gives group assignaments that dont relate to topics and her slides have nothing to do with tests. She started off by telling people to drop out and was just awful! Dont take!
My first class with her and expects us to know everything already that shes teaching us which also she mentions some aren't found in the textbook that we need to learn about so uh wtf? I need this for credits and she goes so fast, if you have a degree in BIO youll understand the basics yet still dont understand stuff she teaches..
Ridiculous expectations and workload. For a first year class, she expected extensive prior knowledge and then glossed over important concepts like we all knew them. I loved learning about biology before this class, now I absolutely hate it.
Jennifer Barker is a very nice person. She is helpful when you any questions. That being said, this is a self-taught class. Expect to read the textbook and unit guides to survive. Do the objectives every week. Her lectures are not helpful and provide zero guidance on what topics to focus on.
Ms. Barker is OKAY as a professor. Her lectures are her weakest part of teaching-- very broad and uninteresting. It makes you want to leave the class. She helps, but you need to master the lesson provided before her class. Be ready to study and prepare yourself. Do not rely too much on her summary of weekly course objectives. Instead, use the book.
She makes you feel dumb and laughs when you don't understand the intense terminology. It seems as if she doesn't want people to do well in her class. Do not recommend if you actually want to do good in the corse.
It seems as if she doesn't want people to do well in her class. Do not recommend if you actually want to do good in the corse.
Overall, Jennifer is nice and will be available to help you understand some concepts. However, there is a lot of textbook reading and self-teaching but this is just because I tend to zone out a lot during her lectures. The worksheets are purposely hard so you have to stay the entire class trying to finish them. Gives out bonus mark!
Just know this is a self-taught class, most of the lectures are don't have all the information to pass exams or quizzes. Her lectures are long and boring and you'll mainly sleep through them. She tries to crack jokes which just make the classes super awkward and silent. I DO NOT recommend this class at all
I took her during Summer 2019 and distinctly remember that over 50% of the class failed, because she posts class averages and medians, and does not care how many students fail. Her teaching style is a little all over the place, with a plethora of worksheets and quizzes. Pretty tough/picky marker when it comes to written answers on tests.
Made an account just to rate this prof. Took her in my first year of college and had a meltdown almost every other week. If you're trying to get into the nursing program, this prof could potentially wreck your chances. Good luck if she's the only prof teaching for the semester; you'll need to self-teach.
Lots of work.
Do not take her. Her quizzes and tests are hard and she doesnt teach half the stuff that is on them. Weekly worksheets that are super long and take forever to do. Hard marker when it comes to written questions and worksheets. You have to teach yourself a lot. When you ask for help she doesnt even help, she just laughs at everything!
Made an account just to rate her. Hands down the toughest grader and most disorganized prof I have ever had. I didn't understand concepts from the textbook so I thought i would look into her minilectures and I got even more confused. Worksheets are too long, and she marks them too tough. Basically, if you can avoid taking this course with her.
By far the worst professor I have ever had - avoid her at all costs! She is a very hard marker and the way she marks is ridiculous. For instance, if you give an incorrect answer, not only do you not get any marks (obviously) but she further deduct points for getting it wrong (i.e. instead of getting 0/5, you'll get -2/5 for getting it wrong).
Do not take her unless you are already a bio major, maybe then you'll understand her. avoid het at all cost! the second day of the week you do useless worksheets that have literally nothing to do with the quizzes. she's also a very tough marker, literally made me cry almost everyday, i wanted to drop out of school because of her.
Do not take this class if you're taking other classes. This class is like a full time job and you will fail if you do not study all day and night. She gives out worksheets that are useless for studying for the final but they are for marks so you have to waste your time completing those. She is not sympathetic when it comes to marking, so goodluck
She is a VERY TOUGH professor. I am strong bio student and this class broke me. I got the mark I needed but that is because I gave up my entire work and social life just to study, she goes out of her way to complicate things. My life became bio 24/7. She doesn't mind giving out 0's!This is the hardest class i have ever taken, all because of her.
I had Jennifer for online Bio, she was incredible. I struggled with Bio 1103, however she made 1203 fun and easy to understand. Watch her lectures and take notes and you'll do really well. She's very approachable, and she wants you to do well. Make sure you study, and ask her questions! Exams are difficult- study and you'll be ok!
Will laugh at u if u don't know everything prior to the course. Doesn't care about students at all. I asked her a question once and she just told me "look at the textbook" as if I didn't already try (makes u feel dumb). Lectures are all over the place and the exams don't even relate to the lecture material. Also deducts points for wrong answers.
She is a very tough marker and doesnt have much sympathy for students who do poorly and want to improve. There is a lot of reading and quizzes assigned each week. I feel like there are a lot of better bio instructors out there. Take someone else if you can, but otherwise be prepared for a very stressful semester.
WORST PROFF EVER! if u have no other choice but to take her.... take the term off not worth it at all. expects u to know information into further detail then taught lectures not great. Got an A in 1103 thought how hard could she be and ignored all the negative comments, but learned my lesson! she wants her class to fail. WORST PROFF!!!!
jenny is the worst. pls do not take her ever. especially if your first year. she is so bad at teaching. period. you will be so overwhelmed w all her assignments and quizzes. pls pls pls do not take JENNY!!! you'll thank me later....
Hard marker
This is by far the worst prof you can get at Douglas College. I did excellent in 1103 but when it comes to Dr. Barker, she will not help her students. First, she gives NEGATIVE points if you get a question wrong. Second, when you ask her a question she never answers it. Finally, the textbook is useless. Do not take her class for success.
Makes me want to cry. Quizzes are extremely hard and weigh a lot. Lots and lots of worksheets. Constant stream of homework. Couldnt imagine taking this class along with any other heavy classes. If this is your only class for a semester, go ahead. However do not take this class if you have other priorities in life (work, social life, happiness, etc)
All class work is not adapted to online learning, no real class time. Time used only for questions that she typically will not help answer for you. Course load was intense, multiple paged worksheets and a lengthy quiz every week, with little to no information that can be used for studying. I would not recommend taking any classes with her.
Jennifer is super strict, I am a pretty strong student and she was stressful for me. This is the sort, of course you take if you only have 1 other easy class. Lots of reading from different sources. she has quizzes every week in which you have 7 mins for 25 question and if you get a question wrong you get negative mark, so it' possible to get -25.
one of the worst teachers ever she gives useless worksheets that are hella long and annoying her quizzes are mehh seems like a nice lady so ill give her that.
A lot of it was self-taught, lectures weren't that helpful, I would recommend you do the chapter objective questions first, answer all of them, then watch her lectures after you kind of understand the information yourself. The worksheets were so long, the time spent on them was not worth it. She's a nice lady though, work hard and you'll be fine
I don't understand the poor feedback. Yes, you need to study a lot for this class. Yes the quizzes are timed and pretty stressful. But she listened to feedback halfway through and took away the negative marks early in the semester. Her lectures were helpful and she answered concerns promptly by email.
Worst professor, I don't usually struggle in school but her class was a nightmare, her worksheets are beyond hard the answers are nowhere in the textbook, she just laughs at you when you ask for help, no compassion for her students, quiz questions are so hard, avoid at all costs!
Barker puts in ALOT of effort as a instructor but its a bit too much. Worksheets that are 15 pages long worth 4 marks. (all the weekly worksheets are worth 4% of your total grade). If you ever tell her youre overwhelmed, she will laugh it off. I put my entire free time into this course. Be ready to give up your life to maintain a decent grade.
Do not ever think to take a course with her, so rude, laugh at the students when they ask her something, the book she wrote is terrible, her quizzes set up in a way not to let anyone pass, she give u20 second to answer the question, she gives you worksheets you will never find their answers in the book, DONOTTAKEACLASSWUTHHER, and you will thank me
Because of joining her class, I had 3 stress breakdowns within the semester. I also almost complaint to the dean about how unfair her teaching is. She gives 4 marks for 15 pages worth of worksheets, 2 quizzes per week, 0.4 worth of bonus marks if you hand in the same day she gives them out. My humanity has been degraded because of this course.
You wont get enough information out of the textbook for what she wants you to answer. Restricts you from outside resources. Gives you a 0 if you do, and also if you hand it in with the wrong format (pdf) no matter if you got the answers right. I suffered through this course, with her unfair grading and you will too.
Shes terrible. Her worksheets are useless. Im surprised that with 126 awful reviews and horrific feedback, she does not see or adjust her teaching style. Why does she make it difficult for her students when it is a first year course. I understand this course is difficult but Jennifer goes above and beyond to keep the average and median low.
Worst Prof ever! Assigns worksheets that take the whole week to finish and have nothing to do with quizzes, the answers are not in the textbook or in her recorded lectures but if you use google you get 0. Quizzes are super hard and she does not give you any time Im talking 30 questions in 10 mins. You will have no life trying to get a C or B.
Insanely tough teacher. If you're lazy and just need this course for credit find a different teacher or take the semester off. IF you wanna test yourself and see how smarty pants you are, this is your challenge. Good luck.
NEVER TAKE HER CLASS!!! Try asking a question or suggestions to do better and SHE WILL LAUGH AT YOU! Quizzes are so difficult and she gives no time not even enough to read the questions. Final was brutal!!!! Worksheets are so long and unnecessary dont learn anything have nothing to do with the lecture or textbook. I would never recommend her!!!
Honestly, Jennifer was the absolute worst professor I have ever come across. She doesn't care at all to help you and acts like your stupid when you don't understand something. Weekly quizzes are literally 10 minutes for like 30 questions. It honestly felt like she wanted the class to do bad. Do NOT take a class with her if you care about your gpa.
She will make you learn. She is very tough. Asking questions aren't enough, she expects you to find out answers for yourself. She will guide you to the right path but she will never give out answers. Prepare to study, learn. You will thank her in the end about what you had learned but you might not be because of the grade.
I took 1103 and 1203 P&A with Jennifer. Most difficult course I have ever taken. Jennifer explained how difficult it would be, the expectations and what we could do to increase our grade. This is a medical class for adults who accept the reality that we are all responsible for our learning. Most knowledge learned from any course I have taken
DON'T. worst prof i have ever come across. worksheets for entire semester are worth 4% & are irrelevant to the quizzes / exam. negative marks if you answer incorrectly, but won't give you the answer if you ask for clarification. if you need the credit, take it at another school or take the semester off & wait for a new professor to be available.
This prof was just not for me as a learner. It was very textbook heavy and at most times felt like the assignments were not applicable to the material we were required to know for tests and exams. There is a lot of work and I spent more time completing it than studying for the materials on the tests and exam. If you learn by reading she is for you!
This class was the worst thing i've ever taken. The stress from this class actually made me start STRESS VOMITING! I have never done it after the class was over. But the level of difficulty and stress she caused literally made my body react. So take what you will with that info. Worst prof i've ever had.
never had as terrible of a professor as this one. even if you had the LAST registration time, don't bother taking barker -- no matter the course / level, it'll bomb your GPA. take the course somewhere else or wait a semester, trust me you'll save your money, GPA, and mental health. so many regrets taking barker.
Absolutely horrible. DO NOT TAKE HER unless youre ready to re-do the class... On quizzes when you get a question wrong, instead of it being marked as 0 she deducts points. Like seriously??? HORRIBLE PROF
hated this course <3
DO NOTTT EVER TAKE BARKER! I have taken Barker once, missed a C- by 1%. Took her again and DID NOT even watch her lecture vids (5-6 vids, 30-40 mins each PER WEEK). She will ruin your GPA. WORST PROF EVER. Made an account just to post on here. Barker is an absolute b*tch. The second time I took this class I strictly read the book and learned myself
I took her cause she was the only professor with open class. Regret it after the first week. weekly test 10 questions 7-8 mins based on how hard it is (8 min). worksheet are nice exercise but doesn't help much with test. this class made me depressed and doubt myself constantly if i should even continue. take it if you enjoy bio if not wait.
I have been working hard at this class i wake up first thing study the textbook, lhe lectures, watch external videos provided and still struggle. Dr. Barker is an intelligent teacher however it seems she lacks the reminder that we are not all on her level. Unfair quizzes with not enough time to read. WORST experience. do not take her class.
Avoid find someone else thats it from me .if u want to get into nursing do not bother .I said what I said
DO. NOT. TAKE. BARKER. I decided to give her a chance and would rather do anything else then take her again, easily the worst prof Ive ever head. Dont bother asking for help, she wont give it to you! Weekly case studys and quizzes that make no sense to the lecture material Goodluck if you take Barker youll need it.
! W A R N I N G! Please DO NOT take classes with this professor you will regret it. I am an A student and was only able to get a C in her class. Worst professor I have ever had. Her case studies and tests are extremely unfair. She expects you to have a higher level of education then what the textbook offers and doesnt allow any outside sources.
Do yourself a favor and listen to what other students are saying. Save yourself the stress and wait a semester for a professor who truly cares. It was brutal to be in her class!
Jennifer Barker is one of those profs that is brilliant in their field of expertise however really lack the ability to teach it.
Great researcher not a good educator. If you work ft dont take her class. Her class are good for people live at home, have lots of time to self read and youtube studying. 2 hours perday at least. It is a very stressful/ unhappy class. I would never pay for this kind of learning experience. Douglas should really re-evaluate this prof.
Dr. Barker is an amazing person and an expert in her field. She doesn't take attendance although there are weekly quizzes which you must attend. She sets the classes as work time for you to come in and complete a work book and ask questions if needed. Works for me. The course itself is VERY HARD but that's not her fault, would enroll w her again!
Jennifer is an amazing professor, do not be discouraged by these bad reviews. The material itself is very hard and requires lots of time to comprehend but she is very helpful. She's super helpful when it comes to asking questions and very patient! Would take this class again!
DO NOT TAKE JENS CLASSES!!!! she does not lecture and expects you to teach everything to yourself. the quizzes are near impossible as they include content that are not in the textbook or workbook. if you ask her a question she will not give you an answer and will ask you more questions that will confuse you even more. I would not recommend her ever
jenn herself is really nice but the class is entirely self-taught and with weekly quizzes that are not for many marks but could include anything from the chapter(s). the lectures are all posted online and usually don't cover anywhere near the detail you need to memorize to pass the tests.
Only thing I did not like is that she does not explain things. She is not a tough grader but you just have to learn the course by yourself. Her lecture slides are also not that clear.
Accommodating of students' needs, and approachable. I recommend her to students who prefer tests. Classes aren't mandatory, they're working blocks for questions. You could just show up to do tests, listen to the lectures online, and use the free textbook. She didn't fit my learning style but she is great for those who might click with her better!
Jennifer seems like a nice person but she does not teach whatsover. There are no lectures, her test are all short answers, long answers and no multiple choice. She is very picky marker but at the same time have very vague criteria for what you have to learn. If you can at all cost, avoid her. Save your mental health and wait for a better professor.
Jennifer Barker is a nice person once you get to know her. The class is self-taught and you need to ask questions in order to get a full understanding of the course. The written questions are marked tough so re-read the textbook multiple times and I recommend watching crash course videos rather than just her own lecture videos.
Jennifer is a nice enough person but she doesn't teach. Her lectures are pre recorded and are just her reading the textbook over mediocre slides. It's all self taught and class is spent doing workbook questions. She is a really tough and very unfair grader and you'll walk out of quizzes and exams feeling good good only to receive a terrible grade.
Jennifer's courses are a "learn in your own time" deal; workbook questions are given which are the questions that appear on weekly quizzes, and important textbook info is provided in online lectures that are pre-recorded (very concise, can speed up lectures). Quizzes require lots of detail but in-class discussions help immensely with learning.
This class is difficult -if you have outside commits such as work/other classes going on at the same time. All of the work is done outside of class time, it is all based on the textbook and a course workbook that you are expected to do outside of class it is very time consuming! Jennifer is a tough marker on quizzes and exams.. avoid if you can..
Jennifer Barker is a nice person but not a very good instructor. majority of her test/quiz marks are from short answer questions and she has a very unclear criteria on how she marks it. I also found every time I asked a question she would answer with another question that would only further confuse me. Avoid this prof if you can.
Honestly, I don't undertand her low grade here. Jennifer is kind and her explanation is great, he makes you think the answer for yourself. Note, if it is your first time taking anatomy and you struggle with studying by yourself you might find this course tough, if not you will have great liberty and more time preparing for other courses!
Best Bio professor ever, do not believe her ratings, she's awesome and wants her students to succeed
This class was okay overall but you kinda have to learn it all on your own. She's a really picky marker for short answer questions on tests and doesn't really give feedback on why you're wrong. Be ready to study a lot as the tests always include really specific questions.
Do not recommend this prof to anyone! This whole class is self taught by reading a content heavy textbook and having a weekly quiz on each unit. The prof does nothing other than vaguely going over homework and answering specific questions. She said there would be no questions worth more than 5 marks, there were questions worth 10 sometimes.
Had to teach myself a lot through prerecorded lectures, textbook, and homework. However, the homework questions are very similar to quizzes/tests, so do them! There are discussions in class about homework answers which aids in quizzes/tests. Three big tests instead of midterm and final, quizzes can be replaced. Fast talker.
Do not take her if you have a tough time learning by yourself because that is her teaching style. All lectures are online and there are no posted slides. She is a nice person but not a good prof because she doesn't lecture and you will have to watch the lecture videos which are not good either repeatedly.
If you need to take musculoskeletal, do it in the winter. There are no lectures in this class and everything is self-taught through the textbooks. Jennifer seems like a nice person but she expects you to study crazy amounts of content within a single week.
Do not take this class whatsoever. Avoid this professor if you can. One of the toughest graders I have ever experienced in my time at university and college. This class was CRUEL and will RUIN your GPA and mental health. She does not care about her students. Get ready to read a heavy textbook, which she just reads off of. You will learn nothing.
This class requires a lot of independent learning, but the professor is accommodating. The textbook and resources like Unstuck AI can really help. Tests are challenging, but the homework aligns well. Overall, a manageable course if you put in the work.
She does not teach or explain anytopic . Just provide you workbook and manual. Fun part exam does not come from workbook or manual ..... lol at end you fail and pay again to college World worst professor She is there just to take exam not teach
Was listed as an in-person class but when the semester started she said that we only have to show up for the last 40ish minutes of class for weekly quizzes. The learning part was all on our own as she posts minilectures to watch online but they go very fast and they aren't descriptive enough. It's more of a "teach yourself" class.
Prepared to teach yourself. Very heavy reading. Don't plan to take other courses while taking this one. It requires all your free time.. she does not go over any material
To be successful in her class, you need to WATCH the videos, the reading helped sometimes but 97% of things are in the videos. FINISH the WORKBOOK, as quizzes are pulled out of those questions, and tests are really similar to quizzes. Go over the workbook questions with her, even tho it's so annoying how she comes back at you with more question…
Proff Jennifer Barker was not a right match for me. Get ready to teach yourself Anatomy of Physiology. She only posts mini lectures online. Its two classes but you go to work on your ¨Booklet¨ and ask questions. She pulls right from the workbooklet for quizzes. If you want to teach yourself, go ahead and take her
She doesn't teach or provide any real guidance. Students are expected to show up for quizzes & case studies only. She doesn't review quizzes/tests, nor does she provide an answer key. She expects you to know everything by self-study & an extremely tough grader. Whenever you ask her questions, she responds by asking you another question...
⚠️ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE. | would advise anyone who is taking a first year biology course at the university level to AVOID JENNIFER BARKER at all costs. She does not teach, nor care about students. Crying and so anxious to go to this class. I have succeeded in multiple Biology classes before with high grades-this is the first time that I've struggled.
Extremely tough grader. Disappointing that Douglas disregards student feedback. She offers little support, making it difficult to improve. Though not personal, her lack of empathy leaves students to learn alone—another sign Douglas prioritizes profit and money over student success.
worst professor ever. doesn't teach anything in class. everything is self study. save yourself some time and take an online course instead
HORRIBLE!!!! Do not take a class with her! All her lectures are online and you are expected to complete all the class material before the first class of the week. There are weekly quizzes and there's nothing that you can do to prepare yourself for them. She grades very hard and deducts marks for spelling errors and slightly different wording.
This course is completely self-taught, and you learn through pre-recorded lecture videos. She grades very tough and criticizes any little mistake. Marks are taken off for over-explaining and under-explaining. She rarely gives full marks and gives no extra credit. Worst teacher, don't even bother taking this class if you need things explained
Not sure why she is a instructor if she doesn't like to teach or even teach at all... Everything is self taught and she provides no extra help. Class is only mandatory for the last 30 minutes on quiz days as she does NOT teach anything. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. You pay for nothing and are better off taking a class online. Not a fan of her
Attendance is only mandatory on quiz days, 30 minutes before the quiz. Please avoid this class if you want to succeed in a biology class. I took this class regardless of past ratings, and let me tell you worst mistake. Get ready to study all day and night. I'm now behind in biology because of her. All these ratings are true. STAY AWAY to pass!!!!!
NEVER TAKE HER CLASS! Marks too tough for a first year class, questions are wrong for slightly wrong wording, ex. using the word chewing instead of eating. She answers your questions with another question. All of her lectures are online, would have been nice to know before, class should be a hybrid class, you have to teach yourself everything.
AVOID HER AT ALL COSTS.if your looking to succeed in a biology class, don't bother taking this one. she does not teach; u learn from pre-recorded videos, marks extremely hard and deducts points for minor mistakes. when you ask a question she'll point a question back at you. idk how she is still certified to teach with 101 bad ratings. ima fail now
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
42%
Textbook Required
63%
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