2.4
Quality3.8
Difficulty22%
Would Retake105
Reviews22%
Would Retake
105
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
13
4
21
3
9
2
24
1
38
What Students Say
“Awful professor (if you can even call him that)”
ENG301 - 1.0 rating“Absolutely inflexible”
ENG301 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
53%
Textbook Required
40%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.89 avg changeRatings by Course
ENH430
5.0
(1)ENG376
4.0
(2)ENG105
3.3
(24)ENG105ONLINE
3.0
(2)ENG101
3.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
ENH430
5.0
ENG364
4.7
ENG204
4.7
ENG464
4.4
ENG366
4.2
Reviews (105)
Awesome teacher, very fun class, and he holds conferences so you can get feedback. You will learn a lot and enjoy the class at the same time. Just don't be afraid of criticism!
I would not take another class from Dr. Beatty. He was unclear about his instructions and deadlines, and arrived late to class every day. He also let us out up to 10 minutes late after every class. The assignments had nothing to do with any type of English or writing I will ever use again.
this class is useless, dont even bother. He grades horribly and makes you write the most ridiculous things. he is unreasonable and not helpful by anymeans. Avoid him at all costs.
This was one of my favorite classes so far at ASU. He gave it a film theme, so all of our papers had to do with movie-related topics. Our final project was a screenplay. I liked his method of using the class to help critique written assignments - it really helps you to improve your writing.
This _should_ have been a good, accelerated version of a standard composition class, but instead you have to do pointless assignments, like spending weeks writing screenplays & learning their page layout & other useless things. First-year English is supposed to teach how to write research papers, essays, & other college papers. Not this class.
Would you rather be learning different writing methods and learning how to critique, or be sitting in ENG101/102 learning the same things we all learned in high school over and over? This class is diverse and entertaining, and one of the most important lessons you can learn right away in college is how to take criticism.
His class is totally ridiculous! The assignments are pointless and he is unclear about what he is expecting. He is not helpful and i ended up failing the second week becuase i didn't do a 5 question assignment on time. He is not good at all...totally not r
Goodness... I don't think I've actually done any ENGLISH in this english class.... All we do is write two sentence answers about stuff we kind out about Plato on Wikipedia.com..... completely useless and boring
Nice guy. We get to write about movies, which rocks. Decently easy. I like it.
This guy is still there? When I was at ASU I dreaded his class..... bla....
Even though it was a 740 it was worth taking this class over another english. Dr. Beatty was helpful, fun, and very understanding. I'd highly reccommend him. The class was all about movies, and didn't entail alot of reading. Plus it got cancelled alot for research days :)
A lot of this class is based on groupwork, and he just sticks you in groups randomly, with no individual grade and everything relying on the functionality of the group. I got a good grade but I have no idea how.
If you don't really like English, take this class. I probably went 2/3 of the time because he cancelled so regularly. I didn't learn anything about English, but writing about movies and culture was alright.
This class was pretty easy, I never really read much, and the papers are about what interests you so they are decently easy. Beatty's a pretty nice guy so it wasn't ever a pain in the ass to go to his class.
Waste of time.
If you have any kind of brain, dont take this class. Writing papers on mundane subjects, forced to use ridiculous sources, the class is a prison sentence. Very unclear as to what he wants, found contradictions within assignment outlines. If you want an easy B or C, fine. If you want an A forget about it, he expects a perfect paper for some reas
i hated English classes BEFORE this class. The prof. is really cool, approchable and funny. if you need help he will definitely give alot of advices. he had set interest topics for the four maj. papers that we have to write. good class. great prof. i recommend this class
This professor is nice and somewhat helpful; however, his class is quite hard and he arranges it in a way that is confusing. He speaks relatively well, but his class is quite boring.
Dr.Beatty is very helpful and wants his students to do well. Office hours are very helpful. Papers are confusing because they are unlike traditional papers-that can also make it fun, though. Lots of coursework like reading, peer editing, drafts, etc. Hard course but it's what you put into it. More willing to help if you go to class and participate.
It is hard to get an 'A' on a paper but he appeared very generous for the low end papers. He also cares more about the student learning than being a stickler to a grading rubric. Class is often a discussion, be prepared to show your work. He made several major changes to his syllabus throughout the semester. I was pleased with his style!
The class was not overly difficult and if you put some effort into your papers, you'll come out with an A. Dr. Beatty was very helpful with peer edits and will prepare you for a final draft.
He is a really nice guy who majored in marketing, so he's not exactly a typical english professor. He makes class interesting if you've done the reading. He grades a little hard but curves at the end. One of the better teachers I've had
This class is pretty straightforward, but he does grade hard on papers. If you do the homework (only like 10 assignments total), and do multiple drafts, you should get an A. Oh, and he does favor people who participate in class so make sure to read and to volunteer to talk about it.
I wouldn't recommend this guy. The papers were very time consuming and the homework assignments didn't have much relevance. His standard of writing is high and he grades tough. As a straight A student, my first B paper ever came in his class. I will say that he did help my writing to improve though. The final was argue for your grade. I got an A+ somehow.
I hate this class. He isn't very clear on the assignments, and when you ask for help, he doesn't really give you anything constructive. I had a difficult time trying to figure out what he wanted from my papers, and overall, I think he could have done a much better job as a teacher.
His class was pretty hard, but you kind of get back whatever you put into it. He is gives very vague directions on the papers, which is confusing, but he is willing to provide more direction if you visit him during office hours. That's the key with him; he likes to know that you're making a real effort if he's going to help you out.
Class wasn't too bad. He is a pretty cool guy. I took a hybrid class, which was online once a week and in class the other day. His assignments are pretty clear, and although they are tedious, they all get you to where you need to go. Class revolves around movies so its at least interesting. You get what you put inlike the last poster said.
This class is pretty chalenging. Homework is easy but he is a tough grader on papers. DOn't waste your money on the text book we used it twice. Go to office hours, they are helpful and he will like it.
He picks favorites. No sense of humor whatsoever. He'll let you revise homework that hasn't even been graded yet. Very unprofessional online-class blackboard layout. This class was the most unorganized class I've attended so far. If you have the opportunity, choose another professor.
Very unorganized online-page. Hard to find anything if you have an online class with him. He'll also favor certain students. If you have a question, he'll never give you a straight answer. Concern? forget about it! If he lets you revise a paper, it will be a paper that hasn't even been graded yet! Horrible teacher. Choose another teacher!!!!
I took a ENG 210 Screenwriting with him online over the summer. He did a great job helping the students to get a feel for what it's like to start working on screenwriting and the book he assigned (which isn't a textbook, it was something like $15 on Amazon) was incredibly helpful. None of the work is difficult, per se, but some is time consuming.
Dr. Beatty's a great guy... his class was interesting, clear, and I thought his website was very well put together. He's not going to hand you an A, you'll have to work for it... but I think that makes him a better professor than a lot of the haters are used to getting in this diploma mill. I highly recommend him.
NIGHTMARE! You have to read one novel and watch one film per week while writing two long form discussion posts and replying to atleast four others. The midterm and final are impossible. 150+ questions, given one at a time, in an extreme time limit. You have a paper due that is a minimum of 8 single spaced pages at the end. Grades horribly.
This was the hardest online class I have ever taken in my life. I thought it would be a fun interesting class but it turned out to be impossible. The teacher expects that you make this class your entire life. He is an extremely hard grader. He thinks he is super savy having a blog but it makes it very difficult to get assignments.
The tests are ridiculously hard.I took Great Directors and you are expected to remember the most random, specific details and are timed for each test and they do not sufficiently test your knowledge of the course content. I got A's in all my other classes where the content was much more challenging. I do not recommend this professor whatsoever.
Very good teacher; knows his stuff & very helpful when needed. A lot of work though...I got an A+, which is DEFINITELY a reflection of the work I had to put in. Not difficult, just time consuming. Overall, good class. YOU HAVE TO READ THE BOOKS, YOU CAN'T JUST WATCH THE MOVIE!!!
I will never take another class with this guy again. The final exam was a complete joke. He asked random questions about the stupidest details- not even relevant to the course. I ended up doing ok in the class, but I worked really hard not to fail. He's the kind of teacher who wants to screw you over. Avoid if possible.
The class itself was online and very interesting Discussion posts due weekly not too difficult The Critical Analysis is difficult b/c he wants something specific but didn't say exactly what he wanted The final was extremely hard. VERY detailed questions and not enough time 55 questions in 50 min I ran out of time and it will probably screw my grade
The books and films were great, but he grades really tough. Discussion posts required on a book/film every week- can seem like a bit much. Genuinely interested in the subject, but he's unclear as to what he wants on the critical analysis and gives a ridiculous 60 minutes for 55 questions (and some of the questions are multiple) for midterm/final.
Great teacher. One of my favorite English classes I've ever taken. The projects are all interesting and he's pretty helpful if you ask.
Great instructor! The syllabus is clear and simple, gives consistent feedback and examples of other students' writing so we know what to expect, and the class content is interesting. Granted, there's not a lot of time given to crank out film analyses, but it's just made me a more disciplined writer.
This class was the hardest class I have ever taken, and this includes all of the science and math classes I have ever taken (which are my least favorite subjects). He is not clear on what he wants from you and gives very little (if any) feedback. You will do a LOT of work, and I struggled with taking 2 additional classes. I do not recommend!
thought the class would be interesting-turns out his grading is impossible, he assumes everyone is a vilm student with hours to spend writing each week. His tests are impossible. If you can, DO NOT take a class from this teacher unless you're prepared to fail (coming from a gpa 3.8 student)
Tough grader on Critical Analysis. Exam was difficult at 45 minutes for 57 questions. Teacher could be more helpful and understanding.
Standards are clear. Posts examples of former students work to be sure. Discussions w/ 2 responses due weekly. If you watch the films, do the readings, and make a study guide you will do well. If you don't, then you will hate the final. Final is timed so you can't look every question (or even half of the questions) up. You get out what you put in.
Watching the movies was the easiest part.But when it came to actually writting it was a different story. You write a paper thinking it's great than you get a mediocre grade and ask why and all you get is "You need to get more in depth". You write 2, 3 more papers and once again that's the only comment you can get from this guy. Zero feedback!
Hard grader, provides little to no feedback, do not take unless you have to one of the worst teachers i have ever had does not seem to care and is of no help at all
Unwilling to help. Absolutely inflexible. Unreasonable. Pompous, arrogant, uninspired. He is the problem with higher education. His emails are curt and ambiguous, so as to imply his superiority to you. Do not take this man's classes--not even if you have to.
He's pompous, arrogant, and just plain awful. His only assignments are based off the discussion posts. Normally that's fine, if he was remotely flexible with said posts. His grading is obscene and his comments are incredibly frustrating. I definitely wouldn't reccomend this guy.
Very good course. I highly enjoyed his course and he is very good at feedback on your writing throughout the course. I would take another of his courses. However, don't look here if you are looking for an "easy" online course. You will definitely need to work for your A!
I took this class online. The movies really make you think! And it's good they do, because each discussion board is basically half the size of an essay. However, if you know how to articulate your way around a sentence, deeply analyze a film and manage your time, this will be a fulfilling course. Your grade depends on your personal engagement.
He doesn't give clear feedback but one thing for sure he is plain mean. I reached out to him for help in improving my performance in grades because he literally takes points for anything and he basically denied help. I did like his assignments overall but not a teacher I'd plan on having again.
A poor teacher. Will not provide numerical grades.
Fantastic feedback, willing to correspond via email, lots of work and reading. Really interesting class.
If you miss even one discussion board (which you will if you have anything else going on in your life) then you fail the class. It's too much work and he is completely inflexible and unhelpful.
The professor's comments were not useful in the slightest. I do not say this to be rude but he generally had almost nothing of value or substance to write about. The responses were all in shorthand and incredibly vague that it was hard to understand how to better yourself the next time around. If anything, you had to email him to be clearer.
I enjoyed this class, but if you are looking for an easy A this is not the class for you. Dr. Beatty is a tough, but fair grader. He responds to emails quickly. Expect to do a lot of reading as well as watching the films several times each. You have to write in depth discussions to get a good grade. The final is tough and timed.
Fun course. Depending on what you choose to write about it can be emotionally exhausting. Prof Beatty does not give good feedback. A sentence or two on a 12 page paper. Even if it gets a good grade, I want to know how to improve. Still, it was an easy A
If you like throwing darts in the wind, this instructor is a match for you. He prefers film majors. He provided two student film reviews as good examples but does not explain why they are good examples. He does provide any instruction on how to review a film. Poor instructor - he will give the same score every week. I would pass on this instructor.
Never having studied film before, this was a really tough class to take in the beginning. But after the first few assignments, it got a lot easier. There's a lot of reading and each film should be watched twice - at least until you get the hang of it. The final was really tough, but he graded it on a curve. I loved this class!
Dr. Beatty is a somewhat tough grader- he doesn't just hand out As. But it's clear he wants students to engage with the class, and he provides great feedback. He allows students to choose their own discussion topic, picks great films, and overall gives students freedom to explore the subject. I wish I could have taken another of his classes.
Some of the comments on this professor: Prefers film majors. FALSE. After week 1 he emailed out 2 students papers as examples of A work- both ENG majors. Does not explain grading criteria. FALSE. He gives examples more than once. Shorthand comments: TRUE. Miss DB post fail: Probably TRUE. Simple, just do the work. No numerical grades-FALSE
I get some of the negativity, but YOU get what YOU put in. The grading criteria isn't laid out in bullet points, but if you read the multiple examples provided, you'll know what you need to do. There is only ONE post per week so don't expect to get by with short, meaningless posts! The films are usually 2 hours, giving you plenty to work with.
Dr. Beatty was by no means a bad teacher. Put the work in and you'll get the grade! He doesn't hand out 100% grades just for doing the work; you have to go above and beyond. However, if you do that, sometimes he'll give you bonus points. Read the example papers, and if you still need help, reach out to him; he's definitely willing!
He basically wants you to write essay length and essay quality papers, which he calls "discussions", within a fraction of the time it takes to do so properly every week. Penalizes you if your word count is less than 1000 words, is not consistent with due dates and acts as though this is the only class you have. Not worth the headache or your time.
I'm normally really good at English classes. The films were really good, and the workload is not heavy. BUT, this professor is a really tough grader, and it's not really clear what he wants, and feedback is not helpful...
For what would be considered an easy A, this guy makes it difficult to stay in the class. 1800 dollars for someone to tell you how you need to put this and that into a resume or an online profile is a joke. Find another professor if you have to take this class imo, as this arrogant professor will hurt your GPA if you are competitive.
Not only were only 3/7 films actually good, this professor expects way too much for discussion board posts & replies. Get ready to write 600-1000 word film reviews, never get a grade on an assignment higher than 80% for ambiguous reasons, sit through multiple 3 hour movies, and reading countless articles. I can't believe I never dropped.
Would not recommend taking this class unless you are familiar with French or if you are a film major! This was a very challenging class and the discussion posts had to be lengthy and use a ton of evidence. He is a pretty tough grader, and the final is extremely hard (although he curved).
This was a TOUGH class. 2 discussion posts each week on 2 movies & the grading criteria is NOT CLEAR even w/ examples. My advice? Write over 1,000 words per main post/reply to get a good grade. The final was INSANE. 74 ?'s in 64 mins and each question had multiple answers. I ended up getting a 65% on the final. Luckily, he curves grades.
He doesn't have clear grading criteria and I'm unsure how one's interpretation of a movie can be "wrong". He talks about how it's to dive deeper into the discussion and if you have a well thought out discussion about the movie imo you should get full marks. But if you don't get everything 100% correct you won't get a good grade.
I have a completely put together LinkedIn profile,, with thorough job descriptions, over 200 contacts etc., but received an 80 on the LinkedIn assignment- with zero feedback. Awful professor (if you can even call him that). You will get zero personal feedback on your assignments, and instead he will only post a "group trends" -worthless
Subject material is great - it's a film class! But his grading is totally obscure. He seems to assign grades at random, and not providing feedback as to why you don't get full credit. Additionally, there are zero video lectures provided by the professor, so we just get a lot of "announcements" on the class site. Lazy.
I was almost scared off by bad ratings, but I did just fine and enjoyed the class. You watch a film every week, write a 1000 word analysis, and reply to someone else's. Not sure why anyone would take an upper div English class and not expect to write! Do the work and take notes bc the final is hard. Put in effort and you'll be fine!
I've never felt the need to review a prof before, but he was just awful. He has a very specific way of thinking about film, and if you happen to disagree (regardless of how well you support your position) you will lose points without any reasoning given. I respectfully challenged him on something via email, and he blatantly ignored me. Awful
The movies are great but the professor is not! Doesn't offer any useful knowledge, doesn't have clear standards, and doesn't respond respectfully to emails. I would recommending choosing another class if at all possible.
Avoid this professor! The films are good but there is a lot of extra reading of articles. His study guide sample questions were insane with no clear guidelines. Discussion posts are easy once you get the hang of it. The more words, the better the grade, but the final was insane. Too much to remember from the MANY articles you needed to read. AVOID
This professor is structured horribly and is never clear on what he wants from assignments. The very first assignment was to write and respond to an introduction, however, he only gave full credit to those who responded to two posts because "they went above and beyond". His grading continues like this where he says one thing but wont give full cred
an introductory film class. sure its considered english but nonetheless an introductory class, shouldn't ask for 1000 word paper every other week. The exams have too much information, some of which are incredibly fine details easily looked over. You will not get an A unless you do everything on the rubrik and more than what is asked.
Ive never had to write one of these before, but after taking ENG 394 with him, I feel the need to. He gives 0 feedback and the tests are incredibly hard. The test have minor details that you would look over. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS
I had a 4.00 GPA No lectures. Little feedback. 5 total graded assignments. Many mediocre readings that repeated eachother, instead of teaching it himself. The 3rd week introduced a new discussion group format- no due dates in canvas. Only 1/3 groups were given a due date. Due dates changed frequently for no reason. Avoid this incompetent "teacher".
He was unclear with his grading and was very harsh, and one assignment made my grade drop. Please don't take him if you want an A, I was on the dean's list last semester and he screwed up my average.
Professor Beatty is a tough grader but as long as you put in the effort and time into the films and reading he is pretty fair. I definitely worked hard for my grade and wasn't the easiest but I thoroughly enjoyed all the assignments and readings. Very interesting class and would take him again.
Hardest grader Ive ever dealt with. Wants 1000 word novellas for every discussion board post and will basically give you a 0 on a discussion board post if its even 90 words less than 1000. Basically wants a ph.D thesis for every assignment submitted. Even with accommodations for my disability I could barely pass this class.
I have mixed feelings about this professor and his classes. His classes are somewhat interesting and manageable, but he is a nightmare grader. His grading standards are all over the place. Just know that you will have to put in 110% effort to get an A- or something.
Im taking his Horror film and short story class right now. Im an English major so Im used to having to write, but its like he doesnt want anyone to pass. Unless you give your all 24/7 to this class, he will not pass you. Course was so fun but DO NOT CHANCE THIS PROFESSOR! ��������
Like another review said, he wont give you 100% on anything unless you go above and beyond. I think the only 100% I got was the syllabus quiz. His first time teaching this course, but very unorganized. I had to contact him a few times regarding due dates. Not an easy A. Definitely improved my writing skills by taking him. Very stressful.
Ridiculously tough grader. He gave me a 97% on my INTRODUCTION FORUM with no explanation as to why. I got around an 85% on every other assignment and then 53% on the final. 63 questions 1 1/2 hours to complete and only one single-sided page of notes. If you do need to take this class watch every movie 3 times and then extensive notes on articles.
He appears to lack even basic empathy. Tops the list on the rudest professor I have encountered. Avoid any class he teaches, he will be sure to make it miserable.
This was the most stressful class I've ever taken. I could've handled the large amount of work each week, but it's the fact that the work doesn't matter in the end. The final exam is worth 62% percent of your grade, so if you're a bad test-taker, you're going to fail the whole class. The 5+ articles per module are also in the final exam by the way.
All I have to say is he is really hard when it comes to Exams. You will have about 6 readings, and you better read all of them and remember them if you want to pass his class. I am not done with his class yet as it ends in Dec and it's only Oct. I took the midterm and knew it was over so if you want an A and no stress do not set yourself up.
Cannot begin to explain how terrible this teacher is. Explains nothing on how his assignments work (good luck figuring out what you're supposed to do), grades really heavy later on, terrible with feedback and snarky in emails. You'd think a fun online course like this would be enjoyable and somewhat easy, but it truly is not. Wish I could drop it
Uses a lockdown browser for the final, BUT allows a full page of notes, front and back. My biggest issue was with the films chosen. Not many of them were funny considering it was a "Romantic Comedy" class. As long as you took good notes while watching the films and went into the final studying beforehand and with notes, it wasn't difficult to pass.
The Professor: Professor Beatty is solid. His instructions are clear and the course materials were well organized. However, at times his grading was very unclear. The Workload: Lot of reading and discussions. The Tips: Work and read ahead when you can! This class has a lot of work so, get ahead! Would recommended taking it but prepare to read.
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR. Nightmare of a course. I had an A all throughout the course and then up until the final I finished with a D+. The final was weighted at 50% of the overall grade which he eventually lowered to 40%. Ridiculous for an elective but I actually admire how much of a rule follower he is. Except the rules he makes are very vague.
This was the most stressful elective I have taken at ASU. Material is extremely outdated. He rarely provides feedback for you grades so there is no room for improvement. As a student, this is extremely discouraging. The only way you are able to receive close to full credit on an assignment is not detailed in rubrics. Best to avoid this professor.
Beatty is an excellent person whom I had the opportunity to speak with directly regarding an assignment. We uncovered that a few elements the grader claimed were missing, were present in the assignment. If you like desperately looking over your assignments, trying to find the mistake you didn't make, take this class.
Difficult grader with unclear expectations. On the other hand, the content is invaluable. Keep your head high and finish.
This was the most time consuming class I have ever taken. I was expecting this to be a really fun elective, but it is jam packed with a lot of films, a lot of writing, and a very tough final project, along with a locked browser exam with 75 questions and all fill in the blank. With the final exam being 49% of my grade, i may not keep my A:(
Only gave full credit if you went above and beyond. Did not explain I guess only those who were obsessed with Hitchcock got full points. Deducts points if no one REPLIES to YOU. So my grade was on other people's participation. Take jabs at you for not doing well. If he put that cleverness in his course material it would have been interesting
By far the worst professor I have ever had, his scale for grading is atrocious with a 49% weighted final and very little meaningful content. Was definitely told he wasn't a real professor because he was teaching an elective and he decided to take it out on his students. Terrible. The only C+ I have ever received in college.
His approach was a failure (mainly because he was absent from 90% of the course). He showed up in our discussion board once or twice tops (no exaggeration), so the course was student-lead. The entirety of the course is the discussion board, but his film trivia exam was the bulk of the grade. He taped us taking it which was extremely invasive & odd.
The class is challenging, but engaging. Doing the films, readings, and using Unstuck AI for study prep helped me do well. The professor has high standards, but is fair if you put in the effort.
Not necessarily the worst but could be better. Grades by few things which impact your grade big time. Asks for specific information in class projects but vague about what he's looking for and will mark you down if you don't do what he expects from the work. A LOT to study but no homework or quizzes to help memorize the info. Vague feedback.
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR'S CLASS. The grading scale is a trap; if you miss one assignment, you've already failed. On day 1, he has a 100-point assignment due. So far, he is the only professor who does this. The final consists of 75 questions, accounts for 300 points of your total grade, and is a proctored English exam. AVOID THIS PROFESSOR.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
53%
Textbook Required
40%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.89 avg changeRatings by Course
ENH430
5.0
(1)ENG376
4.0
(2)ENG105
3.3
(24)ENG105ONLINE
3.0
(2)ENG101
3.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
ENH430
5.0
ENG364
4.7
ENG204
4.7
ENG464
4.4
ENG366
4.2