2.7
Quality3.4
Difficulty30%
Would Retake84
Reviews30%
Would Retake
84
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
15
4
16
3
13
2
16
1
24
What Students Say
“everyone was doing so bad in his class that he changed the grading criteria”
MATH330 - 1.0 rating“Would highly recommend”
MATH370 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
94%
Textbook Required
39%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.54 avg changeRatings by Course
11122
5.0
(1)STAT301
4.7
(3)MATH342
4.7
(3)AT105
4.5
(2)MATH110
4.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
MATH32
5.0
MATH330
4.3
STAT300
4.3
MATH372
4.2
MATH100
4.0
Reviews (84)
He is kind of a funny guy. Very laid back and will explain a hundred times if you need him to. If you are trying, he will pass you.
he is fairly dry but a good professor. grades hw and tests very fast. explains clearly and is willing to help you after class. i suggest using statdisk instead of the calculator. i actually enjoy stats now!
he is a very relaxed teacher.if you just go to class and tests you will take at least B. enjoyed the class, even though i don't like math or stats
Taking pre-calc in the summer is already hard enough. John goes too fast explaining problems, skips too many steps, and his lecture is a little dry. Most of the time I had to refer to my book. There are 3 in-class exams and 2 take home exams. Although, I passed the class, he has no teaching style and teaches straight from the book. (not good).
This is the first class I've ever taken where I feel like I deserved my money back. I find class time a total waste just because his explanations are more about him wanting to show off and rush to a conclusion then explaining the problem. I just feel like he doesn't want to teach or just doesn't want to be there.
Mr. Burke is a pretty hard teacher. It sounds so easy because he gives you take-home tests and allows you to use notes on in-class tests. This only means that the tests will be extremely difficult. I wish he would give closed-notes exams that test your knowledge of the subject rather than making the test really hard just so you can use your notes.
heres the thing.. if you sort of know your calculus (i took math 400 prior to taking this class) then take his class it wont be hard. however if this is your first time taking a calculus class i dont think you should take him. his lectures are straight off the book (nothing creative) and he doesnt explain thoroughly. dry humor but not mean
Class was very easy. The class could use some structure. If you come to class and make an effort you will pass the class.
Burke is pretty fair. Allows the use of a cheat sheet on all tests and tests look exactly like the take home. If you really work hard on the take home portions and show up for the review the class before the test there is no reason to not get an A. Only complaint would be that take homes can be a little hard.
A good person and good instructor. For summer session, suggest that unless you have a good back-ground in trig and working logs, you may want to invest in a good off campus tutor. Get the text before session starts and " bone-up." About seventy percent of practice tests on exams. (Still not easy if your foundations are shaky)
When you ask a question, he elaborates very throughly to give you an answer. Takes him a while to get the answer, bc he wants to make sure it's the right answer. 1 sheet of notes. Dry lectures. Helpful. E.C.for correcting his mistakes. Take Home tests were a breeze. Go to tutors for help on THT's. BIG HINT: Do the study exercises, it will pay off!
Great Professor! Great course for summer! 4 take home exam and 3 in class exam, take home exams are hard but he give you a week to finish them! He will pass back the test the next day after the test day! he also gives extra credit! Over all I really like his teaching style!
If you have to take stats, take Burke. He is clear, helpful, and laid back. All tests open book/notes. Graded hw worth as much as test, and he will help you w it:) He even canceled the project we were supposed to do b/c everyone was behind, and he wanted to make sure we understood the material for the test! Highly recommend, best professor EVER!!!
When a professor doesn't teach the book, we complain. This professor teaches straight off the book, we complain too...Just curious how many student will study the examples in the book one by one? His lecture is helpful for understanding the materiel.
teaches straight out of the book, 3 in class tests and 3 take home tests (homework) + a final exam. Take home problems are straight out of the exercises in the book. you also get a page of notes on each test and formula handouts. Very straight forward class, got an A without working that hard. I recommend him!
Ok teacher. Drops lowest test/hw. You can fail all your HW/Tests, but if you get an A on the final, you get an A for semester. You can do all hw/test and not do the final, and you get that grade. Selling his book for Business Math 342 (By lial, 10th edition) for $70. Txt/call me at 916-799-8969
Professor Burke is one of the best in Math dept. He teaches straight from the book, if you practice the odd practice numbers from the book, you won't have any problem in the test, because test questions are even numbers of the prcatice questions!!! Try to get your highest in take home exams, you can ask for help. tests are easier than takehome test
Teaches out of the book. Stand off-ish when it comes to answering questions. Grading is fair but you have to put in the work. Not the best teacher but if you read the book before the lecture you should be able to follow along. Can use notes on tests.
He was ok. Lets you drop a test score. Sometimes he could be unapproachable, but for the most part he is a fair grader and will fix any errors.
pretty easy professor. Open note, open book tests and final. Sometimes his lectures were unclear and not organized. If you want the easy A, take Burke but if you actually want to learn math, take someone else.
He is a really nice person but has an old approach to the way he teaches (not enthusiastic). Power points on every lecture and teaches directly out of the book. Not very clear when answering students questions and lectures are long and drawn out. Allows notes for tests but unless you can teach your self math I wouldn't reccommend him. Sweet man...
very genuine kind hearted person. cares about students and sympathizes for them. doesnt have the greatest teaching style but still ok, its meh. maybe cause my class was 7h30 in the morning and hard to pay attention idk. he does example problems mostly. On tests u get page of notes and 4 pages on final w/ graph calc. class feels dull sometimes.
Show up to class, do the practice problems he says to do and you should have no trouble with this class. He allows 1 page of notes for each test and he drops your lowest test or homework score. He allows 4 pages of notes for the final!
Skipped over a few big points and you had to learn them on your own. Never seemed happy to see you if you came into office hours. It was like he didn't want to help. When he explained things he would just use bigger and more complex terminology so then you felt more confused. Pretty easy to pass his class 'cause he makes hw as much as tests but you won't learn. If you can take it some where else Folsom has a better math depart. at least I have gotten lucky and have had really good teachers there
Honestly, Burke is the best mathematics professor I've ever had. Most recently had him for 351 but have taken his classes since trig. I personally like his teaching style of powerpoints and examples. He is enthusiastic about the subject and it shows in his teaching.
Book use is high b/c thats ALL he uses to teach. He literally copy and pastes paragraphs from the book onto slides. Just goes to show how well he teaches. Im pretty good at math when I have a good teacher, so basically this semester sucked for me b/c THE MAN CAN'T TEACH! I hated his class. Im so unprepared for Math 351. spending break learning calc
He is incredibly knowledgable about calculus, however this does not mean he knows how to teach it. He goes REDICULOUSLY fast so by the time u finish copying a problem he's already half way through the next. It is impossible to understand him as he is working through problems if this is your first calculus course. He makes you feel really stupid if you ask any questions and just says you need to "work harder" to understand. I got an A but only because of tutoring after every lecture from friends
He is not a good teacher at all! I came knowing alot of trignometry from a different teacher and left with absolutely no knowledge of Calculus. I dont recommend you take any of his classes.
He was very helpful and knowledgeable of the material. Homework is helpful for the tests and he is very fair on grading. Really enjoyed the class. He was passionate about the subject and very pleasant.
Great professor! 3 tests, 3 HW assignments, and a final. Pretty straightforward class just study and you'll do fine. Make sure you not only do the homework problems but get them right as well. Office hours are a major help. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be taking MATH 351.
Cannot recommend Prof. Burke highly enough. As other reviewers have mentioned he allows you a full page of notes for each exam, and even permits you to use sample problems from the textbook. When I took him (Fall 2011) he even made the final optional - if you were satisfied with your grade up to that point then that's what you got!
Although this wasn't listed as an online class, it sure felt like it. The semester I took him, he decided to have an inverted classroom where the lecture would be online and you would be expected to know the material the next class meeting. I LOVE math, I'm pretty good at math, but this made it really hard for me. wish he would've just lectured.:/
He is very old, talks in a monotone and lectures straight out the book,...good luck!
Got an email a week before class stating we need to read to chapter 2 on our own. Inverted class setting. Terrible.
Inverted class, which is fine. After you watch the videos and come to class he repeats the videos word for word in class. Terrible at answering questions, then gets mad when the class does poorly on a test. If you are already good at math you'll float by in this class, if not then take someone else.
Inverted classroom setting, this means that his lectures are all on videos and he only started lecturing in class til halfway through. Doesn't answer questions, but gets mad if students do poorly on the test, final, and homework. He also treats people as if they are stupid when they do not understand what he is talking about. TAKE SOMEONE ELSE!!!!!
the most terrible teacher i ever had. He's not a bad person, just a terrible teacher. doesn't teach at all! I understand that pre-cal has a lot of stuff that was previously learned, but we're taking this class for some reason?!? and he just assumes students know everything. doesn't explain SH*T
He is rude and horrible teacher. Did not teach at all.
If you want to be well-prepared for Calculus, I highly recommend taking Professor Burke. He is one of the best professors I have had and lectures are very clear. I have gained a vast amount of knowledge in this course and am confident that I will do well in Calculus.
Good professor if you're the type of student that prepares thoroughly for each lecture. He teaches assuming that you've done just that. He has tons of knowledge about math and can apply it, but if math intimidates you, he's not the coach you're likely looking for. Think Dr. Cox.
Professor Burke was one of my favorite professors I had for math at ARC. He is hard to approach, and may seem like no help, but his tests were really easy. He also gives open note quizzes everyday, which are easy points. Would highly recommend. He prepared me well for Calc. 400.
dont like this guy as teacher. don't recomended take him. take someone else.
His lectures are boring , just br prepared to read or you wont do well.
He is a great guy but probably should not be a teacher... Will NEVER give you a clear straight up answer. He is a nice guy but you need to work for your grade and TAKE THE HOMEWORK AND TESTS SERIOUSLY. I would definitely reccomend choosing another teacher. Gives pop quizzes every class but the qestions are from the practice problems. So do them.
Dosent answer questions Talks to everyone like their stupid Did not learn one thing all semester Monotonous and boring Talks at the wall makes you buy hundred dollar textbook and then doesn't use it once all semester
Professor Burke is getting a lot of heat here but if you can't handle speaking up for a question you have he will not check up on you! He's expecting adults who want to learn. I've seen people not pass just to a lack of EFFORT not his teaching style. He gives plenty of opp to pass the class if not get an A. Cant wait to take him for calc!
I would not recommend taking this teacher unless you are a person that gets math easily. He often doesn't explain things clearly. I took a hybrid course and he had no idea what he was doing or how to modify the class appropriately. Honestly it was the worst math teacher I've ever had. He's just coasting through to his retirement
Boring lectures. Spends a lot of time in class proving theorems instead of reviewing what he expects you to know. He obviously loves math but he is not an effective teacher! You're pretty much on your own to learn the material. Tests are not a fair representation of the homework assigned. Avoid if at all possible.
Honestly this guy should not even be a professor, he is the worst professor I've ever had. He gets angry when asked questions in class. He skips steps when doing a proof or examples, he is hostile during office hours, he is inconsistent with his grading between students and puts questions on the test that are not remotely close to material taught.
His tests are easy because he let's you have a page of notes and every problem that is on the test is shown how to be done by him.
Please do yourself a favor and avoid this teacher at all costs. What a waste of a semester. He spends class time proving theorems that have nothing to do with what he requires you to know on the test. He selects test questions that are not representative of the homework he assigns. Don't expect ANY help after hours either. AVOID!
He should not be a teacher! He knows his math, but has no teaching skills. You will only learn from reading the text. As others have said, his tests don't represent lecture or homework. I passed but it had NOTHING to do with him. AVOID AVOID AVOID.
John Burke is a great teacher. He is very understanding and has a great regard for students. In my case, he allowed me to take my final that I missed due to a personal emergency and was very timely about it and very understanding.
please please please avoid this teacher at ALL costs. As a student that has a 4.0 GPA and that understands tough topics really well, do yourself the favor. He takes all his shortcuts and writes the answer and wont go over the problem unless someone asks. Its basically a teach yourself kind of class and death by powerpoint for the whole course.
Very bad at explaining things and does every lecture via PowerPoint in class... the absolute worst way to learn math. Grading scale is really weird and TERRIBLE. The only good thing about this professor is that he allows u to retake any quiz which is the only way u can pass cause theres a quiz every single class.
He seems like he knows the math well, but doesnt really explain anything and skips so many steps that im confused most of the time. He used a concept based grading so the final is really the only assignment that matters. If you mostly know the meterial you might be okay, if math isnt your thing or you need someone to explain it, this is not it.
If you plan on taking this professor please think twice, horrible just awful. Very condescending which prevents people from asking questions. Whole class is powerpoint! Doesnt draw graphs to help students visualize trig functions. Skips steps in equations so solutions are hard to follow. He occasionally get things wrong because of this.
everyone was doing so bad in his class that he changed the grading criteria. If you got a 70% on the exam he will pass you. I passed his class because i passed the exam but i did not learn a thing. I literally had to hire someone else to teach me. sitting in his class is redundant, you will be stuck learning from multiple sources. unhelpful.
He has many online quizes what there you found many issues and problems on his answer keys and his automatic system also he is not responsible for that. He has some times problem to could solve questions and problems correctly so you will lost credits for that reasoning on your exams and tests too. Hs is not grading you properly and fairly.
He is one of the worst math professors who i had ever.
His grading was fair but it was tough to get a passing grade for the semester. Tests were too hard but he was a good teacher for me. His lessons and lectures were great because it helped me prepare for his tests and quizzes.
Mr. Burke, although well accredited and qualified, lacks the more 'Human' side of teaching that is required in a good professor. Besides the large amounts of homework, the tangents that Mr. Burke got off on while teaching made things difficult to understand. It was a true struggle maintaining a good grade and staying awake during his lectures.
This professor is genuinely a nice guy but;he should not be teaching math. Get a tutor a get ready to teach yourself because the first few weeks I didn't understand much in class. The beacon tutor he stated some of the stuff he covered wasn't covered until Calc I. Lots of homework, youtube/khan academy help. 1/2 the class didn't pass the tests.
Not sure why so many people are having problems with this professor. He gives you three+ weeks to complete written homework. The tests uses the same questions straight from the examples in the book, with numbers changes. And he allows a full page of notes. It really doesn't get any easier than that.
Written homework doesn't reflect what was learned in class. Too much verbal explanation rather than using examples when lecturing which makes things extremely confusing. He suggests not taking notes and just following along with printout notes, however, the printout notes are very tiny and cannot be read. Prepare to teach yourself outside of class.
Pretty hard to understand/hear his lectures if you arent sitting in the front row. Very Monotoned, So bring snacks to stay awake. Online homework assignments were way more difficult then class work. Be prepared to go to tutoring a lot and office hours to pass with a decent grade. Otherwise take a different Professor
Seems like a lot here are salty because it wasn't the easiest class and prof. Burke didn't baby anyone. He got quiet sometimes, but with notes, tables, and charts available during all tests and homework, he made it very passable as long as you tried. Not strict about anything like phones or showing work, like a lot of math teachers are
Just don't. Lectures are painful, confusing, & makes tons of mistakes. He expects you to know the material already & speaks down to you if you don't understand. If the entire class does poorly he blames the students, wastes class to complain. Attendance is required only if he doesn't like you. I tried to be patient but he's awful/rude/condescending
Makes me want to shoot myself worst and most difficult professor for this subject. Talks about who knows what and I dont know why. Awful examples and doesnt explain enough nor does book. Makes everything more difficult than it should be without proper instruction. Good luck. Dont do it. always trying to babysit and nag If you not listening.
Professor Burke can be a really hard grader, he is very specific in what he wants. Prof. Burke also, expects you to work hard in his class. At the same time, Prof. Burke is also willing to work with you if you need any help. Overall good teacher. warning, if you have a hard time hearing you might want to sit in the front, he speaks very quietly.
John treats his students as adults who are preparing to someday enter the workforce. Sometimes his lecture style, particularly with new math concepts, would go over people's heads. But if one were unafraid to ask questions, one could be sure that there were others who wanted to do the same. He frequently gave multiple examples of problems.
If you dont need someone to teach you then take this class because you wont benefit much from the lecture. He talks in a very low voice which is extremely hard to hear. Doesnt explain well and skips over explanations. He gives a lot of homework and quizzes, so if you dont do that well on tests that will boost up your grade.
Fr the worst professor I've had at arc. I cannot stand this man, he makes learning extremely difficult.
John transitioned us almost seamlessly from in-class to online during the pandemic. Expect lots of homework, but like any discipline, it takes practice and doing it in order to learn it. John prepares you for Calculus, well, because he's teaching pre-Calculus. He is easily approachable outside of class with ample office hours. Participation is key.
Prof. Burke is a tough grader and has a load of homework and assignments with quizzes the following day or week. Its super tough! But if you love math, I guess this is for you!
I took math373 and I thought him was decent until our first test. Our test average for EVERY test were terrible and he would always point it out and complain about it. Never did anything to help improve it. He also degrades students for doing bad on assignments that he thought were easy. He made the class harder (took in the class in high school)
Professor Burke is by far one of the best math professors I've ever had. The way he explains the material makes everything super clear in your head. Ask questions, and you'll get great answers. The amount of homework is well balanced in a way that's not too much, but at the same time allows you to practice enough to retain everything in your head.
Honestly I dont think he has bad intentions but he often goes over things on the written homeworks (worth 50 points) after the due date. When the class average was failure on a test he told us to study harder. He chuckles under his breath when people ask questions or sighs super loud which discourages me from asking questions at all.
Ngl we was a tough grader at first but that was for the easiest exam. For the hardest exam, he gave credit where credit was due and that's why I passed. He's got the best office hours. The exam is exactly what he teaches during lectures, no curve balls. It's a guaranteed pass if you just TRY. Lots of people dropped too early; shame really.
I'm an ESL student and sometimes it's hard to understand the lecture because maybe he's used to the old way of teaching? I was struggling as hell that I almost didn't pass the class but he gives me a second chance to pass the class if I could pass the final exam. Just come to his office hours and talk about your progress in class, he'll help you.
Great Professor! The grading criteria is fairly structured to not pull your grades down by just a test. People might feel discouraged to ask questions sometimes, but he would try to answer your questions at his best, and would not let you down. Might have to put a decent effort in homework. Lectures are great enough to understand the material.
Took Prof. Burke for 2 classes(Math 372 & 373). but he is willing to work through problems if you have trouble and responds fast and is available outside of class. His tests for 373 are much harder than his 372 class and include lots of confusing word problems. Although you do good on final he will raise your grade to the score you got on it
Professor Burke can be pretty straight forward. He'll tell you exactly what he expects for homework and exams. Some might think his straightforwardness can be rude. If you ask a question make sure it makes sense. Since Math is in multiple parts, clarify which part your question is about.
Only take him if you already know the material. He uses needlessly complex methods and requires you to use them, regardless of simpler methods available. Lectures are unclear, with few examples, and tests use very hard problems despite his claims. Worst professor I've had; I ended up dropping the class, something i've never had to do previously.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
94%
Textbook Required
39%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.54 avg changeRatings by Course
11122
5.0
(1)STAT301
4.7
(3)MATH342
4.7
(3)AT105
4.5
(2)MATH110
4.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
MATH32
5.0
MATH330
4.3
STAT300
4.3
MATH372
4.2
MATH100
4.0