Different teaching style, condescending but engaging and funny. Projects almost once a week. The class is a requirement for Math majors who didn't adjust well. Tests are HARD, but lots of extra credit. Do well on projects (like get maximum points) show up, do extra credit don't BS in class, seek help, and you'll do okay. Played Wii.

Nice guy, but there are lots of projects, about 6. They build on each other so if you don't understand one, get help. Test are challenging but use the book to study. When you ask for help don't just say "I don't get anything", tell him exactly what you are having trouble with and he will help you. Good to get to know the grad assistants, they help.

One of the best professors I have ever had !!!! If you are motivated to learn something than to just get a grade this guy is something you should take. He was clear with his material and his lectures were very engaging. His assignments made me think This was a difficult cryptography course and he made it extremely easy ,interesting and intuitive.

Great Professor!!!! Knows his stuff and is motivated to teach. Wants his student to learn something, than to just perform his job.

I feel Dr. Fails is one the best professors in the department. His assignments are very clear. He truly cares about his job, and loves teaching. He is very fair with grading. I feel his expectations are fair, without making the class too easy. This is one of the tougher classes in the major and requires a lot of work.

At first you'll wonder what you got yourself into in his class and the projects seem to never end but if you keep at them and work hard on them you'll realize that he may be one of the best teachers on the campus. His office hours are extremely helpful and without him I would not have as much programming knowledge as I do now. Definitely take him.

Great guy, great teacher, HARSH grader. When I say harsh I mean he even takes off points for minor spelling/grammar as if it were a research paper for graduate school for the final paper. He is a good guy but be prepared for a heavy workload.

If you take his class get ready to work and make the subject your life. Gives projects that are worth 80 points each and he doesn't teach how to do them. However if you pay attention from the start read assigned chapters in the book and attend his office hours to ask questions you should be fine. He expects you to grasp the concept through practice

Class was extremely interesting and learned a lot in the class. The final project was a lot of fun and the class helped me improve immensely. He can grade a little strict at times due to the rubrics but do a good job on the project and you'll get a good grade for sure. He is always available for office hours and one of the most helpful professors.

Great teacher, expect student to learn and I open to assist with projects and concepts in order to proper understanding them.

I think Dr. Fails is one of the best professors in the department. Assignments are interesting and challenging, just what we need to learn. He is always available for questions and office hours. I learned a lot during his class, I would recommended to anyone who really wants to learn and it's willing to put the time into it.

One of the best professors!. Very interactive, always available after class for help. Very nice grader. I would definitely recommend him. he really cares about the students. Several times after class I stayed and spoke with him about internships and business and he really helped me out. Prof Fails is all about the students!

Dr. Fails is possibly the best professor I've had MSU. I don't say best because his classes were easy, in fact they were hard. But his teaching style really helped me learn and retain. I'm about to graduate and I'm still using the lessons I learned from his classes to carry me through my classes today.

Dr. Fails is by far one of the best teachers in the computer science department. His lectures are very interactive and interesting, he always keeps the class engaged. I learned tons of security concepts that I use everyday in my full time job. This class wasn't easy, you must work... but it is an awesome class. Thank you Dr. Fails!

Dr. Fails was engaging and relatable. He successfully navigated a "dry" subject, such as computer security, and made it interesting.

Dr. Fails is not the easiest teacher in the world, but for a 400-level class I would not expect a cake walk. He is extremely helpful, always responds in a timely matter to emails and gives good insight about whatever topic he is teaching. Great teacher to take for your introductory Computer Science course (I also had him for that, CMPT183).

Dr. Fails is unlike any of the other Graduate Computer Science professors @ Montclair that I have had and undoubtedly my favorite. You can get excited and look forward to his classes. You not only learn the subject matter but also to subjectively ask questions to why things are the way they are and if it could be different or improved.

Dr. Fails is a good professor, the problem being the students are just lazy. Dr. Fails is one of the professors that actually teach and want the student to actually learn something, not just to get by. His class is challenging but since when were new concepts supposed to be easy? Students nowadays expect everything to be handed to them. Take him.

Dr. Fails is an amazing professor that challenges students in their skills by in class assignments, projects and lectures. He is very knowledgeable and passionate about his teachings. He is always available for help if you ask. He is very kind and cares about every individual's education. Not only are his classes insightful but they are also fun.

Dr. Fails is a great professor who challenges his students to excel. He does not give you the answers right away but challenges you to think. CMPT 183 was a hard class but by using the Hangman project to learn Java coding was an awesome idea which was very self rewarding at the end. I would definitely recommend his class.

Professor Fails is clearly skilled in educating. He has positively impact my entire experience as a Computer Science major, and sets reasonable goals to get students starting in object-oriented programming with Java.

Great teacher. I did not know anything about programming when I took the class and I learned so much. The class is challenging, but this is college. All of the assignments can be completed with what was taught in class and the book. Dr. Fails really cares about his students and wants them to do well. Do not hesitate to ask him for help. Take him!

Dr. Fails is a great professor, he is very clear with assignments, tests, and syllabus. Dr. Fails cares about his students and always makes sure that his students are doing good. Dr. Fails also provides extra credit assignments to help students grades, and is always open for discussions after class and through email communication.

Dr Fails is one the best professors in the CS department. His assignments are easy and is very helpful. Take him to get a get grade.

Dr. Fails cares about his students and their progress. He goes through the lessons and the labs thoroughly and makes sure his students understand the material. ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THE BEST!!!!!!! ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROFESSORS FOR SURE!!!!!

Great professor in every sense. Nice and friendly peraonality. Easy to understand and follow. Supportive and very comprehensive.

Dr. Fails is the reason why most, if not all, the students in the Computer Science/IT field have any clue as to how to use Java programming. He challenges you but that is a good thing especially in the CS/IT field. I recommend taking him as a professor because you will need his knowledge to pass classes by other professors who know nothing.

Dr. Fails was an excellent teacher always was clear with guidelines. Helpful in every manner. Helped me be a better active student.

Dr. Fails is a great teacher and will take the necessary time to ensure students are engaged and learning.

Dr. Fails is a great teacher. If you participate and pay attention in class and you will learn a lot.

Very good professor. If you want to learn, this professor does his job.

He is good professor.

Dr. Fails is a great teacher. His approach is very enthusiastic and interesting. There was alot of work but not too much and the work was appropriate and inspiring.

Challenging class, but he was very helpful as a teacher.

Dont let his last name stop you from taking this course! Dr. Fails is a terrific teacher who cares about his students and is always there is you need extra help.

This class is a beginner level and his teaching style only makes it simpler to understand. He is a very good professor who likes what he does and enjoys when we understand. One of the few that make you learn whether you want or not (in a good way) and at the end of the semester you feel like you accomplished something. Terrific teacher.

A professor capable of delivering some knowledge with an accompanying level of understanding. You will come away from the class with some tools you know how to use.

Dr. Fails is a great teacher. There was only the final and an application with a user interface we had to create. If you create it in gradual phases, you'll be fine. And the lectures were fun with an easy final so long as you pay attention.

Dr. Fails is good professor. His introductory course was challenging, in a good way. It prepared you for both CS and IT majors. He is patient when answering questions and giving advice. He genuinely cares about his students academic success.

I felt that Dr. Fails taught in a challenging but fair manner. If you did all the work and really tried your best while doing the work, you would learn invaluable lessons. He also actually cares about your learning. He really prepares you for the IT/CS field.

Dr Fails listens to his students and give simple, precise and clear answers to his students' query. He is accommodating and always ready to help

Dr. Fails is probably one of the most enjoyable professors to have. Although the assignments were difficult, he did everything in his power, while still retaining a fair agenda, to assist his students. His class is not a freebie, but it is also not impossible. Wish I could have had him for more classes!

Dr. Fails was an excellent prof. for a difficult class. The material is complicated & he did a great job explaining it. He offered help outside of the classroom and did in-class problems which greatly help for the exams. Definitely not an easy A, but he will help you to achieve one. The big html project/game was fun once you got the hang of it too.

Great Professor, engages you to learn and take part of the class. Tests and quizes can be a little difficult but as long as you study the material and put in some effort you will do well

Dr. Fails is a great Professor. Made the class interesting and challenging. Be prepared because you will have to study and you will learn a lot. One of the best professors at CS department - would definitely take him again.

He can teach well and also encourages you. Take him

Would certainly recommend to take his course.

He's a good lecturer. He focuses on a single team project and is fair about it.

Prof. fails is one of the top teachers that I have worked with. He keeps students busy all time long, and the results are always learning the subject at its full

Dr. Fails has been one of the best teachers I have had at Montclair. He is very organized. He is charismatic and knows his material. I took Human Computer Interaction and he would see the smallest of details on the presentations. I would take a class with him again if I could.

Very helpful. You will learn a lot. Finds a way to keep the class interesting. Main focus of the course is a project. You'll get very good feedback to improve it and make it better.

Good Class and everything but tough grader

Human Computer Interaction was a very interesting topic. Jerry Fails puts an interesting spin on it and makes you think. Classroom discussions help give you a different perspective on it as well. He is a tough grader, but very fair and lets you make up points if you ask. Great teacher, I would take another class from him again!

Great instructor, knows what he is talking about; the project is kind of long/hard, but well worth it. It's hard to know before taking the class, what it will be about. This is his first semester here, so I had high expectations from a teacher recommendation to take the course - Dr. Jerry met all of them

Semester long group project that expects you to push beyond your comfort zone. Amazing end result if you are willing to work for it.

Professor Fails had the most worthwhile lectures. I was able to keep up and stay engaged easily. If he moved too fast, all you had to do was ask to see a previous slide or code and hed show you. I would definitely take a class from him again.

Jerry cares about all of his students and wants them to succeed. He works hard to be good at what he does and to make sure everyone understands the content. Id definitely recommend him for any Computer Science course

Jerry has been hands down my favorite professor (at Boise State). He's an amazing lecturer and cares deeply about his studwnts understanding. He always came prepared and encouraged questions. I wish he would teach all of my CS classes.

I took the Human Computer Interaction class with him last Spring and that class has been one of my best classes ever. He clearly knows his material and He taught with great professionalism. I now apply my class knowledge in my research and He makes himself really accessible for questions. He is a patient, knowledgeable and inspiring professor.

I joined Boise State University with limited proficiency in Java Programming, and He happened to to teaching the class that semester. I approached him to see if I could audit the class and He accepted. That was the best decision I made. His classes were excellent, and he made learning programming so Good! He was also available during office hours.

Prof Fails really cares about trying to make the class fun and accessible, which is pretty bloody important when it comes to intro computer science courses. He works hard to get the class engaged, and is great about going back to review material or concepts frequently and whenever asked. Really appreciated his enthusiasm. Thanks, prof.

I took HCI from Dr. Fails and have to say this was one of the best classes i have ever taken. He clearly knows how to make his class a fun experience for the students and is damn good at what he teaches. I have learned a lot from his class and have applied them in my research as well. He is an inspiring professor no doubt.

Really great lecturer that really cares about students learning. Very discussion focused and encourages everyone to drive the discussion and the learning.

Jerry is good, thumbs up. Though he's in Boise State University now

Always very prepared for class. Gives very good lectures and is very knowledgeable about the subject matter

Dr. Jerry is awesome because he puts the same effort and energy into his courses as he does his research. I've been a part of both, and he takes both seriously. As a professor he does more than just lecture; his demos and class activities give you a first-hand experience about the content he is discussing on that day.

Brought a subject that I had little knowledge about and by the end of the semester, I felt confident that I could work in this area and had already completed a unique working project that could be used as proof of this knowledge.

The professor makes sure to give assignments relevant to learning and gives you a chance to improve on them just to make sure you learn

Great class!

Professor Fails does a great job teaching CS 121 and provides a great experience for students introduction into the Computer Science major.

I loved his class! His feedback on assignments was quick and super helpful. He always seemed well-prepared, which made the class more fun and easy to learn new concepts.

He is very encouraging and make complex concepts seem easy.

His class is very inspiring. I think his is serious, responsible, caring, and kind.

Boise State. Great sense of humor, very accommodating and helpful if needed outside of class. I liked his lectures a lot. Great teacher, his class felt very cohesive.

Great professor that is responsive and will actively help any student who reaches out.

I highly recommend taking this course if you are planning to take up a UX design/ researcher job. Hands down, Jerry is an awesome professor with in-depth knowledge of Human-Computer Interaction. He has a lot of passion for teaching and cares about his students. His empathy toward his students is impressive.

Amazing teacher with great energy and compassion. Very approachable, kind, and understanding. It wasn't just what he taught, but how he taught it that positively impacted me as a student and in my research!

Dr. Fails makes an effort to know and understand students need, it creates a sense of belonging, dedication and connection to the research area and develop a positive relationship with the professor.

Dr. Jerry is an excellent instructor and a kind-hearted person. I enjoyed taking his class. Specifically, I like his interactive teaching method, where he encourages active student participation. He knows his subject and explains the topic very clearly. I strongly suggest students interested in his research take his class.

He emphasize that group activities and participation is very important for the course, the teaching material also is made by himself. His grading standard is clear, and the course content will not be boring. The most important thing is his enthusiasm, patience and professionalism

Dr. Fails is very dedicated to his job and you can tell by the way he makes his class interactive and fun. He makes out time to help students in and outside the class, and he replies his emails promptly. I would absolutely recommend.

He is an excellent professor and certainly encourages students to learn. I enjoyed his class thoroughly.

This is the best CS course I have ever taken. The interdisciplinary aspects of this course finally aligned with my interests. Dr. Fails genuinely cares about his students and their success and actively acknowledges the role that women, people of color, and people with disabilities play in HCI. Such an amazing professor.