There are 19 quizzes total, one short essay and one research paper, a presentation, museum assignment, and 4 tests. Prepare to read and work a lot as this is not a blow off class. Mr Backer is incredibly nice and knowledgeable. Don't hesitant in asking him for help. If you do the reviews for the tests there is no reason not to make an A on them.

If you don't pass this class, then it's all on you as the student. This professor makes it easy to understand the material and gives you exactly what you need to pass. Participation and listening to the lectures matters because he goes over the material on tests, so your fault if you fail. Big on extra credit if you want to go the extra mile.

Prof. Backer is awesome. I thoroughly enjoyed Art History and while there is a lot of reading, the topics are always interesting and kept my attention. Very cool material and he seems to love what he does. Very intelligent and will actually research a question you ask if he does not know it and will post it on D2L.

This class sounds very interesting in the beginning but once you see the content upon starting, you get anxiety just seeing how many assignments he gives. His media, lecture and reading material are tedious and come in large quantities. Maybe in-class is better but I would NEVER take an online class again after this.

Excellent professor. Very knowledgeable about his subject matter and an excellent resource for any assistance needed. And, he's freakin' adorable.

I took the 6-week online class, and it was a lot of work in a small amount of time. WATCH THE LECTURES! His lectures cover most of the material on the quizzes and fully prepare you for the test. I barely did any reading for this class- but the book is very helpful as a reference. There were 2 papers, and he graded fairly. LOTS of awesome feedback.

There are 20 quizzes(all very straight foreword from the textbook and taken online before each class), 3 tests, 1 research paper over a topic of your choosing, and 6 journal entries. I took this class for my creative arts elective and was surprised at how much I have enjoyed it. Follow along in the notes and do the review and you should get an A.

Prof. Backer is extremely accommodating & very well-read. If you are taking this course because of your major or simply out of interest, Prof. Backer is the right person to learn from. He gives great feedback & is thorough in his reviews. Follow syllabus to the T & you'll excel.

Took this class online as a summer course. U'll be working 24/7 on assignments for this class the whole session, if u take this in summer don't take another class w it. If u have any concerns/questions email him & he will get back to u timely & is very nice & accommodating. Advice: take photos of quiz questions & answers, it'll help on the tests

A major project in this class requires a trip to Houston and almost all the extra credit given requires attending events at the college... so this isn't a good choice for someone who lives a long distance away from Houston and the college and can's make it to these things. Gives good feedback and is a organized, clear grader. Great professor

great teacher! At first I wasnt sure about him but he is honestly a really great professor and easy going!

Online quizzes. Material isn't difficult but you actually have to study for the tests because it's a lot of material. A little course heavy but the course layout is very easy to understand. He's very organized. Book is required for the tests.

Get ready to work: 1 research paper and a draft, 1 museum paper (you have to actually go to a museum), 2 quizzes due each week, 1 blog post due each week, 1 discussion due each week. 3 Exams and a Final! He gives great feedback and is knowledgable and he is very understanding of everyone's individual situation. Communication is the key with him!

Really great professor!! Uses online textbook most of all, so you can just buy the online access and skip out on the massive textbook. He genuinely cared about his students, and was flexible and understanding. Loves to encourage his students, and get to know them.

Very course heavy, if you work long hours, this class will be difficult. Course material easy, just takes time. One group project. Allows multiple chances for extra credit. No real reason to fail this class. Gave very good feedback on assignments, quick to get grades up, organized. Sends weekly emails on what is due the following week.

Amazing professor. Very nice and a fairly easy grader as long as you do the work. Accepts late work but takes 5 points off per day. Very kind and caring of his students.

I took him for art history and at first the class in d2l was pretty hard to navigate. The homework assignments were on a third party program that configured and formatted to my MacBook Pro poorly, so do it on a windows. It made it impossible to click answers towards the bottom of the screen, so I never made more than a 70 on them.

This was an easy A, as long as you do all the assignments. Lots of quizzes, 3 tests, and 3 essays due. Professor Backer responds really quickly, which is helpful. Learned a lot about art history. I would take him to fulfill your creative art class.

He was really great the lectures are just to strengthen your knowledge of the text so I highly recommend getting the text book. overall he was a really solid professor. he was also very understanding to things I was dealing with outside of class

Although I took this class in 6 weeks, I did very well because Prof. Backer is a fair grader and he doesn't give a lot of assignments.

Professor Backer is very patient and understanding towards his students. He gives plenty of extra credit opportunities and even then his class isn't insanely difficult. He's very enlightening in his teachings and provides a manageable amount of work. His tests are student led which I loved, meaning he allowed us to make the questions.

Solid choice, just complete the assignments and the couple of 2-page essays. Very easy class and interesting subjects.

Professor Backer is a very fair and reasonable teacher. He gave excellent feedback and was very kind and respectful to his students. It is very clear and straightforward what he expects from his students and he will respond to your questions politely. I would sign up for another class with Professor Backer in a heartbeat! -JF (Art History 2022)

I took his Art History class in 2017 Spring and loved it! Be prepared to read! The tests and quizzes are easy if you read the book and study. He's really sweet and will help you if you need it. One of my favorite projects was when I had to go to the museum and answer questions on specific pieces of artwork. Such a interesting and fun class!

Lots of group work, but none are difficult to complete. Occasional presentations of an assignment on the same day, but not difficult to do. Tests are based off the textbook a lot and it is open note. Overall good professor, not that well at time management, but easy art course class.

Took his class for summer school in 2024. Gave good feedback on work and allowed for extra credit. He also provided alternative assignments for ones that required you to go somewhere. Very glad I took his class instead of the one at my high school. Homework is easy to do and he allows you to use notes on quizzes and the lectures are easy to follow.

This class is writing based, but if you can manage (and are a good writer) then you could enjoy this class. However, do know that it also has heavy workload and you practically can't catch your breath throughout the weeks. I enjoyed writing and analyzing art in this class, but the workload not so much. This is both a warning and recommendation

I attended his course over the summer, and considering the time constraints, I believe this class was structured perfectly. The lessons have a direct correlation to the assignments, and intentional learning is all you need to pass the class. His feedback is invaluable, and you can tell he reads your papers thoroughly.

I took Mr. Backer for English 1301,I believe it was his first year teaching english, but for anyone reading this take his class!! I honestly enjoyed the class a lot, it was a lot of class discussion and some lecture, but it helps to keep everyone engaged. His grading was fair and we had a lot of essays, but that's what the class is. Def recommend!

I ran out of space to type on the last one for eng 1301, but just wanted to add he is very communicative, and answered emails fast. As long as you're respectful to him, he will be back. Always have feedback on essay drafts, so you knew what to fix. He also wrote me a recommendation which was nice

I think this professor did a really good job. He does have quite a bit of work, but most is able to be done in class and is a collaborative effort. It was a pretty intense class, but it being honors level I expected that. By the end I felt I practiced a lot of real-life skills that can be used later on. Just be prepared. Also very responsive.

Really nice Professor, only reason why I wouldn't take the class again is because I'm not an art major. He is really accessible and easy to talk to! And always tries to make class really fun and entertaining as well as engaging! Ps. Never put an inappropriate background during online class......

I enjoyed learning about art even as a science major. It is a lot of homework, but it's very easy if you just give minimal effort. Professor Backer has always been very understanding and open to offer students help. Sometimes people in the breakout groups for the in class assignments did not even turn on their camera or mic, and I'd have to do all.

Took him last year. Good teacher short assignments every day, and notes due every other day. You are required to go to Houston Art museum for final essay. Overall easy class if you do your work on time

I took this a summer class and i LOVED it. I had zero interest in art history before this class but afterwards i have frequently found myself going back to Smart history. this class is so easy and i totally recommend it.