2.7
Quality3.9
Difficulty33%
Would Retake89
Reviews33%
Would Retake
89
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
23
4
10
3
7
2
15
1
34
What Students Say
“This class is terrible”
HIST102 - 2.0 rating“I work full-time, took this class online, got an A”
HIST102 - 4.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
39%
Textbook Required
27%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.99 avg changeRatings by Course
HISTORY102
5.0
(1)3SEPCLASSES
5.0
(1)HIST105
5.0
(3)HIST217
4.2
(6)HIST106
3.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
HIST209
5.0
HIST100
4.7
HIST106
4.0
3SEPCLASSES
4.0
HIS100
4.0
Reviews (89)
You do a lot of reading and he does a lot of talking. Which can get really boring really fast. To me, he's not great at teaching. I don't know if I learned anything. He gave us readings and then discussed them the next class and we also turned in a one-page paper every week. Monotone speaker. No helpful notes. Talks whole class period.
It is a pretty easy class. You have reading every week and then you write a paper about it. The are two essays you need to write and a film review paper. He likes discussions in his class so try to participate and he offered extra credit that I wish I took advantage of
Hated this class, lectures are unbelievably boring. He just talks the whole time and the class structure never changes, it gets really old really fast.I found the readings very boring which were 2 times a week with analysis. 2 papers 1 film analysis. Expect a lot of homework
This professor is very inspiration when he lecture about History but it will get boring fast. I have a hearing disability and I would not recommend anyone him if you have one. I had a hard time listening and not a lot of visual to understand. Also, be aware that you have to do homework a lot like writing analysis and 2 big essay. big grade for 2.
Most boring class i have ever had, the lectures are pointless. there is no structure to anything in his class. Participation is a must, the readings are supper boring and long. i dont recommend his class unless you enjoy history. Really disappointed in this teacher.
very heavy workload. weekly summary/analysis/response for readings. 2 take-home essays. 1 film review. tough grader. confusing in terms of directions and expectations. Nonetheless, professor MacDonald is a very knowledgeable. Learned many aspects of U.S. History throughout his course
I was expecting history 102 to be one of my favorite classes. I really don't like giving a bad review, but I have never struggled with a class so badly before... There is so much reading, and too much homework to keep up with... The lectures are boring... He did let us out of class early often and gave us a bunch of breaks
Very fun easy class. You will learn about everything from pre-colonial to the Civil War. One very short paper due each week and two long ones (midterm & final) Just show up, read about the topic before hand and discuss it and learn in class every day. P.S. America's history is graphic, gruesome, and grim with a sprinkle of motivation and wonder.
There was an enormous amount of reading and a great deal of homework, but overall there was no final, he let you out of class pretty often, and gave a bunch of extra credit opportunities
The reading material he provides is very lengthly and difficult to comprehend at times. There is one group project and two take home essays plus weekly assigments. He provided several extra credit oportunities. Overall, he is a good teacher,and very understanding.
Listen to him as much as you can, do the weekly modules, he provides the readings and you don't have to buy a book (yes readings can be kinda long), do the essays and you'll pass ; ) He is very polite!
Doctor MacDonald was amazing! I have never learned so much in a class! His one semester taught me more than all of high school. There are weekly papers due, but they are pretty standard. 2 take home essays, and one movie review. The three major papers were graded tough, but overall the class was easy. Highly recommended.
This was the MOST boring class and confusing class that I've ever taken. The lectures were long and sucked. I would see the same students falling asleep on a weekly basis. The weekly reading assignments were long and not easy to understand at times. It was hard to decipher what the reading assignments were all about. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS!
Professor MacDonald, is very detailed in his lectures and encourages class discussion.
This teacher is clear with what he expects and is not an unreasonable guy, no weird quirks. He is very smart and if you listen to his lectures and read a good amount of his material, you'll do fine. His lectures and all of the subject matter he articulates very well so if you show up and pay attention, you can pass, course if you read,get n A/B.
He does assign a lot of reading, so grow up and accept that you're a college student. Reading is the only way to learn history, so you're stuck either way. Readings are fun and very informative, if you put in a little effort you can walk away with a ton of enlightened knowledge from his classes. He genuinely cares and is very passionate.
great teacher and knows a lot about history highly recommend him.
Dr. MacDonald's class gave an insightful yet often overseen view of the real and at times ugly history of the United States. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and enjoyed the fact that it was challenging. His class is lecture heavy but it is a pleasure to take. He is a professor who genuinely cares about the material, which was refreshing.
This was a difficult class to say the least. After trying to reason with the professor I could not handle his refusal to truly guide a student through this class. Refuses to post a rubric for his assignment (essays he does post), will not provide examples of what he feel is good, and opinionated on his grading. Online classes need more guidance.
The class itself wasn't so bad. There is a lot of reading involved,and participation on discussion boards is mandatory they accumulate half of your grade; however, he is impossible when it comes to grading. I followed what he asked of me from his feedback but my work still wasn't good enough. I don't recommend this class unless you're a Hist Major.
This class is terrible! I'm not scared to actually work to earn my grade, but with no guidance it's impossible to please him. There is a lot of reading involved which shouldn't be a surprise, since it is an online class. He grades at a very difficult level and is hard to please.
Vague instructions. Uses same canned statement every week, only changes a few words to make it specific to the material covered that week. It seems as though he is unable to articulate what he expects. Rather than establishing how assignments will be graded at the beginning of the class, be ready for a trial and error with your submissions.
Prof. MacDonald is extremely hard to please, when everyone in the class does poorly he blames the students rather than considering his instructions were not clear, and he does not respond to student emails. I understand this is a college level class and therefore lots of work is required but I sense he does not care if his students succeed at all.
The class is structured so students are given a chance to voice their opinions and have an open discussion. As long as you do the reading and add a bit to the discussion you will be fine.
He is very inspirational. He may talk a lot but he will make you understand the material that way and goes over what you read. Accessible to questions and feedback on papers. As long as you read the material the work will be easy. Book is required for a reading but it is not mandatory.
This is the hardest class I've ever taken, but, he is very in depth and will teach you things you've never known about. Dr. MacDonald can also be a bit confusing as times but the best formula for his essay I found is: one paragraph for the intro, and one for each supporting article. When I started doing to this my grades went up to 90s.
Robert MacDonald is a horrid professor. His lectures make no sense, the power points are essentially useless as they are nothing but pictures. Your learning comes from the essay writing, which is constant. Avoid this teacher at all costs.
He provides the readings needed in class and never gives out something that is not necessary. Be ready to write and understand the material from the lecture and the readings. The class is not hard as long as you keep up and have a good understanding of what happened in each section and if you don't just ask him, he won't just say read the syllabus.
Be able to manage a large amount of reading. Highly recommended class for history majors 4 -5 essays, no long papers, graded on content, topics are a bit tough but not impossible. Debates are fun, don't stress out about them, just read. Very nice prof
He is a very nice guy, but his online class wasn't easy at all. I understand it is a college level class, but he wasn't specific on the class material. He sets up the modules like we're history majors. It is too much reading for an online class. I feel that he wants perfection from his students. Don't take this guy if you want to pass this class.
Way to much reading in this class and a lot of writing. You will not get any help for deciphering the things he expects you to read. most of the documents are in old English so you'll have to read each one about 10x to understand. Forget about getting an A in this class, even if you do everything right and study hard the best you'll get is a C
The level he grades at is way too high for a History 101 class, and I personally wouldn't waste your weekends on this teacher if you aren't majoring in history, because that's the only way you would be able to please him anyway. A too harshly graded analysis and discussion each week. Also don't buy a book, he gives you all the documents needed
This professor......... his grading criteria is not clear. This class is not a good investment. I don't think he considers that students have other classes and essays/ exams because you will be bombarded with tons of reading. You will have to do an analysis on the book and read 2-4 others that he will provide. I'm telling you avoid this Professor.
The class itself was okay, but the teacher, not so much. The feedback is useless. You are pretty much fed to the wolves. My English teacher was more helpful with the material, so what does that tell you? If you have other options, then avoid this class. There is a reason for the many negative reviews. Good luck to those who take a risk.
Everyone should take this class, so they understand what has really happened in this country. He is very knowledgeable and passionate. There is a tremendous amount of reading, and you will need to write much more than 500 words each week in the analyses, to do well. I had to dedicate about 20 hours a week for writing & reading. I earned my grade!
Took his online HIST101 class. Don't do it. His instructions are very vague, and he expects you to answer questions that weren't even specified in rubrics, instructions, etc. I wasn't personally bothered by the writing/reading, but the fact we were left in the dark concerning graded assignments was what ticked me off. Got a B because of it.
Professor Macdonald is a cool professor overall. But if you want an easy class to pass then this is definitely NOT the class for you. Not only will you have assignments every week, but he is also very hard on grading. If you do end up taking his class, make sure to read every prompt carefully, and read materials from the modules. wouldn't recommend
Prof. MacDonald is a great teacher but there is so much reading. If you like reading then this class is for you. participation really matter in this class so show up and get ready to learn.
For the lack of a better term, Professor MacDonald is WOKE. He can be rather... blunt but he is honest and real about it all. He teaches well, I took his History 102 class in person and there's a lot of components mainly online. I missed some classes but I made up for it in the assignments and papers. Lots of reading though.
I work full-time, took this class online, got an A. His readings are several hours of work alone weekly; he curates his readings from selected historians, and you only have to buy one. Very interesting material. Doesn't use cookie-cutter textbooks. Only "complaint" is that his feedback can be canned. Writing is a major component of the class.
Terrible terrible teacher!! Does not give good feed back, does not respond to student emails, does not give clear expectations, vague directions, this class was a nightmare. Dont take this class if you want better than a C.
Best Educator Ive ever had! He isnt a normal history prof. He constantly pushes you to expand your way of thinking and allows you to stand strong in your own beliefs.
He is an amazing history professor. It is alot of reading and writing but worth it. I will be taking him for all of my history classes.
Like the others said, very vague instructions and tough grading. I would not recommend his class.
Dreadful. His grading criteria is not only very strict, but also extremely vague. He is extremely hard to please and assigns group work for an essay. It is already difficult as it is, but be prepared to have someone not carrying their share of the work. You can try your hardest on assignments and still be left with a C+/B- almost every time.
The key to passing his class is to ask him questions and listen to his feedback. No tests just writing papers. He gives you practice assignments so that you are able to see what you need to fix before the real assignments. If you ask questions and follow his feedback you can pass. Alot of people complain because he is tough grader.
Each week a large number of sources are given to read. MAKE SURE TO READ THEM ALL!! He will expect the use of all of them. The grading rubric is not very specific and he will grade somewhat subjectively. Take this class when you have a small class load because you will spend FOREVER working on this class.
This class is pretty much self-taught. A lot of reading is required. The entire class is group projects and presentations. He does not lecture, he just reads from various books, letters, and articles. Bring a pillow because the class was not that engaging. He is a very tough grader and be sure to participate in class discussions, it counts.
This class is very difficult. He assigns upwards of 3 readings every class. These are quite long readings, 23 pages on average. Furthermore, he does not teach the material in class, he instead quizzes you and then assigns a group presentation. Every Day. Furthermore, if you have any conservative beliefs, prepare to shun them. Join a different 101.
Professor Dr. Macdonald was a fairly good professor. His class requires a lot of time management as there is a lot of reading to complete the weekly interpretations. I will say that he provides the material (photocopied and uploaded into modules) and listed under primary, secondary and sometimes additional sources. Plenty of reading and writing.
He's a nice guy, but this class is literally ALL essays. Not my strength. And even if you answer all the prompt questions and include his sources, he still docks points for thesis strength. I felt like I could never win no matter how hard I tried. Graded more like an english teacher than a history teacher. I didn't learn as much as I wanted to.
If you want a passing grade in History do not take this professor! No matter how hard I tried on the assignments he always found a small thing to deduct points on. He doesn't mind to give bad grades, and if you ask for a redo he will not give it. There is a ton of reading and all of the assignments are essays. I do not recommend.
Im not sure if this professor is upset that hes not teaching at a university or not. VERY HEAVY WORKLOAD CLASS. The amount of reading is INSANE. DO NOT take this class if you are returning school in your adult life and work full time. Near impossible to finish all of the reading and watch all of this videos required. This isnt an easy credit.
I cant understand the negative reviews against Prof. MacDonald. I thoroughly enjoyed this class. He is nice, personable and he does require you to work. Theres a lot of reading but if youre strategic enough you can complete the work without reading everything. If you communicate with him, hell work with you. Maybe people dont want to work.
This professor was amazing! There are 5 essays that are the major part of your grade and lots of reading. But he gives you time to do research and analysis to make the essay great. He is very dedicated to his students and gives feedback that is needed. Unlike other classes, this is one is the one you will remember the lessons.
People who complain about this class are not used to a college environment where, yes, CRITICAL READING is now expected of you. Especially in a HISTORY class! This teacher is woke; all of his readings have always been interesting and provoking. He's also more than willing to help you if you are struggling and reach out to him.
Professor Macdonald is a great professor hower I do agree that the class is heavy loaded! I learned alot from his though the class was split due to the virus we finished up the semester online but he kept in touch via canvas which shows he cares about the students success. An A is possible but you will work for it! Class is not for the lazy.
The professor wants cookie cutter answers that fall in line with his personal beliefs. He gives reading material for you to "Analyze and Critique." The problem is the authors he gives you are EXTREMELY opinionated. Opinons that he 100% subscribes to. So if you disagree AT ALL he will give you a bad grade and say "you didn't understand the material.
The professor's lack of experience teaching an online class is clearly visible. The assignments were clear and easy to understand but the readings provided to answer the question often do not actually answer the question. Once you're frustrated enough to message him he only responds tells you to read the useless documents again.
He is extreme left-wing and pushes his political agenda upon his students. He needs to focus on teaching history and stick to facts, not opinionated bias.
If you want to read one hundred pages of a book, then write a detailed response that is graded so harshly that you'll question your writing skills, then this is the perfect class for you. I've read more in this class than in all of my years of high school. The workload is absolutely ridiculous and every assignment is dull, tedious, and repetitive.
The coursework is really dull and heavy, and it's not a class I look forward to studying for. It's loads of reading which for a student like me, I retain nothing when I have to read too much for one class. He's quick to send out emails about how he's going through personal things, but if you email him for help, don't plan on getting a reponse back.
Take a class with Prof Macdonald! He is wonderful & his Hist of Nevada class is awesome. lots of reading but it's interesting & pretty easy. You'll learn a lot about the US in general. He's helpful & kind & gives a 24h grace period on late work. You only have to do 6 out of the 10 main assignments & there's extra credit. Loved him!!!
Dr. Macdonald is an amazing professor and was always really kind to his students. You only have to do 6 out of the 12 responses that he assigns to the class. However, you need to be using your critical thinking skills in all questions asked. The class is a lot of reading and writing. Spend time on all of your assignments!
Very engaged professor. Pretty straightforward with what he expects and gives you helpful feedback and a timeframe to resubmit assignments. Plenty of extra credit opportunities which you won't need if you just follow his instructions. Workload seems very heavy at first, but once you get a clear understanding of what he wants, it gets easier.
This professor does not have a grading system. There are no points. You either complete it or you don't, and if you dont, you wont pass this class. If you have all the time in the world, no job, no life, this is the class for you. His feedback is super vague. He has us reading way too many articles, and most of the articles arent even readable.
Professor Robert MacDonald's Nevada history class was really one of my favorites this semester! If you like history I would definitely recommend this class as you learn a lot of interesting facts from a variety of different perspectives of people in the U.S! Great professor that inspires critical thinking and gives plenty of time for assignments.
The instructor does not create a productive learning environment and I do not at all feel comfortable engaging in class participation. The instructor is a partisan who cherry-picks history to support his personal ideologies and offers no balance. The amount of reading material is excessive and his personal commentary on it is like propaganda.
I was so excited to take this class and learn about American History. This professor ruined it and I'm traumatize to take another History related class. He gives crazy amount of work and he is a very harsh grader. For 1 assignment it takes over a week to complete and he will not be happy with it. Do not take him.
Probably the least intuitive class Ive ever taken. Not only is the workload super heavy, but as many people said this class is tailored in a way to fit certain ideologies which is just awful. The first assignment almost took me a whole week to finish, which makes me scared for my future assignments in this course. Please do not take it.
Super heavy workload (can take up to a week to just finish an assignment), biased political views, excessive amounts of reading, the list just goes on. If you have a family, work full time, and have other classes like some or even most of us do, taking this class will just add so much more stress to your life. Do not take this class
the amount of reading is unreal it take about a week to finish one assignment would not take again
If I could rate him a zero I would. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND HIM TO ANYONE! HE GIVES A HUGE AMOUNT OF ASSIGNMENTS IN ONE ASSIGNMENT. His time frame of when he wants everything submitted is unreal, unless you have no job, and even then. By far the worst class Ive ever taken.
This is the hardest class I've ever taken. It takes me about 2 weeks to finish ONE assignment. There's lots of reading involved and so many questions. I work and go to school full time, so if you have a busy life, don't even bother with this class. This class is super painful and if you're even thinking about this class, run far away, trust me
I am so disappointed in this class. Do NOT PICK HIM, he gives HEAVY reading and he doesn’t grade assignments. You have to complete it to his exact liking and if you don’t he makes you redo the assignment and even then doesn’t pass you.Only take if you have no kids, no job & tons of free time.
His homework is very difficult and there are a lot of reading. Although he will ask you to resubmit your homework, no matter how many times you do it again, he will not pass it. No one knows what he wants. He will always say that the homework is not detailed enough and ask you to resubmit it. I don't know how to complete the homework.
If your main focus is school then take the class with this professor but if you have a life outside of school then reconsider he gives very heavy assignments and asks you to constantly revise the responses its like doing the assignments all over again.
This teacher sets his students up for failure. Worst teacher ever and won't even give you credit even though you wrote pages and pages of work. He doesn't care about your well-being, mental health, etc. He is the worst teacher ever and you should take this class if you like crying. He won't accept your work unless it's word for word what he wants.
Workload is ridiculous, I hate this class
Horrible grading rubric. Feedback is not clear. Not sure how grading even works in his class. Very condescending when grading.
0.1/10 Very tough, zero leniency, bias grader (meaning it must be how he would want it written and very specific). Disorganized. Half of my class is currently failing as the semester is not even finished. We all chatted through discord & collectively are getting very similar responses as to why we are getting such a bad grade..Do not recommend
Professor Macdonald is great! He creates an interactive and large learning environment to encourage your own exploration of the material provided. He provides clear guidelines of how he would like you to review and engage with the sources provided. The papers can be long but they are very fulfilling to complete. I would definitely retake.
This professor is unorganized gives incomplete instructions doesn't grade accordantly had a horrible experience. .
At first the class seems tough, teacher seems tough. If you think about it too hard it will be heard. He helped me a lot, the more you ask questions the better you will do. You don't have to do every assignment. You will learn a lot (I did) about history in each assignment. . FOLLOW THE RESPONSE EXAMPLE.
Professor MacDonald is very passionate about History and truly wants students to understand and engage with the subject. Very accessible: lenient deadlines, textbooks available for free at the CSN library, answers emails and grades in a timely manner. Some intensive reading that may be difficult for students with many outside responsibilities.
Honestly don't know what to say, as I can't fit everything in 1 message. Be prepared to read five 20-page history transcripts EACH week (not even exaggerating), and on top of that write 3 essays all within the same assignment. If you don't answer just one question to his exact liking, he won't grade it and will remake you do the whole assignment.
Theres 12 assignments. 1 Assignment per week. You only have to complete 6 assignments out of the 12. Thats the good news. The bad news is how the paper maybe be quite difficult for a few of y'all, the reading part is super intensive. Depends how good you are at finding information, you'll probably read at least half a book long for each assignment.
So grades are due today and I still 3 ungraded assignments that were submitted in March / April. These assignments are roughly 7-9 pages long. I keep getting emails that they will "be graded this week", but still nothing... for weeks! I have no idea if I will receive credit for this class as his grading policy is either it's accepted or not. AVOID!
I was super worried about this class based on the reviews, but honestly was one of my favorite classes this year. If you taken one AP class in high school, this class isn't that difficult. Sure, I had to write a 14 page paper, but there was only 6 assignments.... Just don't wait until the last minute. I liked the work I did with this class.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
39%
Textbook Required
27%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.99 avg changeRatings by Course
HISTORY102
5.0
(1)3SEPCLASSES
5.0
(1)HIST105
5.0
(3)HIST217
4.2
(6)HIST106
3.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
HIST209
5.0
HIST100
4.7
HIST106
4.0
3SEPCLASSES
4.0
HIS100
4.0