2.7
Quality4.4
Difficulty33%
Would Retake102
Reviews33%
Would Retake
102
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
20
4
21
3
10
2
17
1
34
What Students Say
“Professor Winger is by far the worst professor I've had”
IDS12157 - 1.0 rating“Bad teacher that gives daily reading of 20 pages or more with 20 questions or more”
IDS12157 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
87%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.00 avg changeRatings by Course
HIS217
5.0
(1)HIS307
5.0
(1)HIS135HIS253
5.0
(1)HIS216HIS135
4.0
(1)135
3.7
(3)Difficulty by Course
HIST101
5.0
HIST115
5.0
HIS307
5.0
IDS254
5.0
HIS200
5.0
Reviews (102)
He's interesting but very very absent minded. If he didn't have assistants, I don't think our class would happen. He gives ridiculous homework and asks us to write papers like graduate students, saying "you should thank me for this, I didn't learn it until grad school." Yeah right. The homework is what ruins the class.
Winger loves it when you participate in class and you need to be able to express your ideas about his random topics. I learned alot in his Civil War class but the only thing that sucks is the editing groups that he puts you in. And make sure you show up for class! He takes points off if you dont.
Winger is very passionate about history...and he thinks that everyone is the same. He gives out ridiculous homework & extremely long readings. He also goes off on random tangents and then we as a class have to play catch-up for the rest of the semester...his topics for the midterm and final are that of a thesis paper (and its an intro level class!!
Screw him and his banned errors list!
I hated this class. He goes off on tangents all the time and it's hard to follow him. He assigns a TON of reading. He also assigns a lot of stupid assignments. His paper grading is ridiculous. I went from an 80 to a 60 because of mistakes on other people's papers that I missed. Doesn't answer questions in. Terrible teacher, don't take this class.
Winger always goes on tangents and makes his class harder to follow. Along with his bogus assignments that you will get every time you go to class, and God forbid you not cite your sources on a five point assignment. The type of grading he uses for the papers is very hard. Don't take his class unless Mcarthy is your only other option.
Dr. Winger is very tough. His lecture set up is very cool for a history class room. He tried to make the lecture into a discussion. Many assignments, but they were all to challenge students to think 'historically.' His papers are tough by you learn a lot from them. God forbid a teacher challenge his students.
WOW...this guy is one of the worst teachers i have had in my ENTIRE life, AVOID HIM AT ALL COSTS. He knows his history, but thats not the problem. The fact is he's just not a good teacher. In fact, he sucks...alot. He almost makes me wish i wasn't minoring in history. I thought this would be one of my favorite classes this semester, but it is throu
save yourself the trouble...dont take him...unless you enjoy punishing yourself
Most difficult class I have taken, trumping my 300 level ones, great lecture discussion, but simply absurd level of work. You will have to write and cite sources on a daily basis, and if you are not an avid reader with a background in the subject, stay out. Avoid, unless you really wish to push yourself, and are not taking an excess of hours.
Give me an break. Of course the class is hard you people are in college! I am not a history major and I am currently taking this class and have gotten perfect scores on all my assignments. I haven't fully read any of the assigned reading and only look for key words to complete my homework. This class is not hard, the TAs grade everything.
Dr. Winger is a tough teacher but you will learn a lot about history. He loves teaching history and it shows. He is a very tough grader when it comes to papers, but it is important to write well, especially in history. His class was a lot of work but I can honestly say I learned the most out of any college class so far.
hard class with tons of work!!
Professor Winger was a great professor. While his grading was very hard, and the amount of reading was much higher than most of my other classes, he did a decent job helping me through the class. Great professor to sit and talk with in his office to discuss theories or ideas that I didn't understand at first. Don't get his class if you're not up fo
Dr. Winger is a really nice guy and knows what he is talking about. There is a lot of homework, but you learn a lot! The paper are hard though, and the grading is even more difficult. He has a crazy banned errors list, but it does help you in your writing. If you like to read and be challanged then this is the class and teacher for you.
Winger is a genius and for those of you who don't understand that, then you probably shouldn't be anywhere near a college or school of any sort. The class is a lot of work but he does a great job of preparing you for future history classes. If you don't learn how to write in his class, good luck passing any future history classes.
Makes us read a ton. Just this week we have 170 pages to read. Expects you to give you a lot to the class and obviously does not think students have other classes.
He only expects you to work as you should, not as you do. Class is not for the lazy, that's for sure. Excellant instructor.
I liked Winger. He made you work hard, but the man knows his stuff and he really seems to enjoy teaching. I loved the class discussions.
Winger is one of the WORST history teachers I have ever had and I'm a history major and have taken quite a few. He doesn't give any outside help he can't even be bothered to respond to one email that I sent. I dropped his class and took 135 with Kennedy I recommend him highly much better! I have taken 200 and 300 level courses with much better prof
I love his class. I'm a history major and feel that he truly challenges you. There is definitely a lot of reading and homework-something due every class-but it's more time consuming than difficult. No notes or tests, just papers. He's very intelligent and holds great discussions. If you want to be a better writer and student I highly recommend it.
This class was a lot more difficult than I thought it was going to be. There is a homework assignment due each class. I thought I was going to do horrible but I ended up getting a B. All in all he's a nice guy and I would recommend this class.
Dont take his class. He is a very big marxist. Grades were given acording to grammer in pappers instead of content. Dont take his class.
I had Winger for american history to 1865. He was a great professor. I am an actuarial science student and I had to take the course for gened credit. The class was more work than I had hoped for (2+ weekly assignments, 3 papers), but I learned alot. Winger is very intelligent and knowledgeable and genuinely cares about students.
He was an overall good teacher.
Very unorganized, can't really follow direction of discussions
I thought this class would be great, instead it was the biggest headache ever!He is ridiculously unorganized,and always tries to make excuses for it.Thinks that it's his job to teach you how to write (your grade suffers if your editing group has mistakes on THEIR paper,your own hard work matters not to him.)This guy has no business teaching!!!
Really a frustrating professor. It is hard to keep up with the class because it is so disorganized. I would avoid him.
He's not THAT bad, but not real good either. He is definitely disorganized. Just write good papers in his class and you will do fine.
Dr. Winger is quite possibly one of my favorite professors - the man is brilliant! Yes, he is difficult and does grade hard, but isn't that the point? His classes are primarily discussion based on readings, which I think creates a more engaging learning environment than a course simply based in lecture; with Winger, you truly learn the material.
I took his class freshman year. He's very unorganized. His lectures are impossible to follow because he goes off on so many tangents. Lots of reading, but that's to be expected. His papers are nearly impossible. He puts you in groups to revise each other's papers, but then you get penalized for mistakes you don't correct on THEIR papers. I hated it
I have to admit, this was a challenging class for me. However, when I took this class as a freshman, it really helped me understand and switch my major to History. There is a lot of work about 2+ assaignments a week, but no tests. Just two big papers. He kept me interested, even if he was sometimes off topic.I recomendRead books & go to class.
Winger is a genius, and his classes are NOT for the weak. He actually expects you to *work* and act like a real student instead of a whiny slacker. If you want to have a genuine intellectual experience, take a class w/this guy.
Had him for both History 135 and History of Civil War and Reconstruction. He is very rigorious on improving writing and reading the readings. If you keep up with the work and come to class regularly, it's a pretty straight forward class. Winger has a awesome sense of humor so class is actually enjoyable.
This class was VERY work demanding. There were 3 books that had assignments every week. It was very easy to get a B in his class if you do the work. However he is a very strict grader on the homework and papers. You better be an english major to get an A in this class.
He was very unorganized. He would give a quizzes,have students grade each others work,then he is unsure of the answers as you're grading them because he had not made a key. When you inquire about your grade he said he was not sure and I would have to wait because he was behind on grading.Very passionate,but a terrible professor. Scatterbrained!
I feel this professor has a lower rating than is deserved. He does grade hard, he does expect students to know the material, he demands students comprehend and use proper English. These are not outlandish demands. I had NO interest in the topic covered in my last class with him but enjoyed it anyway. Only take him if class is major-relevant.
If you are no up for the work, don't take this class! YOU MUST READ. Discussion based class-barely lectures. Participate as much as possible. You don't really need to take notes in class. He doesn't really know what your grade is until the end. Not for the faint of heart! Can be disorganized but still and extremely interesting and exciting teacher.
You have to keep up with the work, but if you make it a point to work hard and attend lecture, you will get a lot out of this class. Very interesting, and a very good teacher.
I took winger as a freshman and his class was hard but if it wasn't for him I would not know how to write a proper college paper. Iv taken multiple classes with him since and Winger is a genius! I would not recommend taking his class if your lazy. If you are a history major you must take a class with him before leaving ISU!
Take his class on fundamentalisms, it's very enlightening. Excellent professor; not for the lazy; the consummate intellectual.
He is so passionate about what he talks about that's impossible not to be interested. His class is hard, and so is his grading, but it's all worth it in the end. But you do have to work hard! He's very inspiring!
The best professor I've taken classes with in the History Department. He expects a lot of his students and doesn't water down the material or talk down to students, which can lead to confusion if you don't try to keep up. If you do the work he assigns, you will not leave empty handed.
Very unfair grader. Gives 50+ pages to read the night before and has quizzes with one line out of the pages. Talks above the knowledge of the students and this leads to confusion. Don't take this class. Way to much work for a gen ed.
Hands down the most intelligent person I have ever met. His classes are tough, but you will gain so much from them - how to read, how to write, and how to research. He goes out of his way to help his students and truly is passionate about what he teaches.
He's a really like-able guy & super funny but this course is undeniably confusing. You read three books (not every page, but certain chapters in each.) There are reading quizzes after every reading assignment & three papers. He is a really tough grader on papers! You think you are good at writing? Think again. He really makes you work for grade.
IN the first week we answered 4 question and I already had an F. I emailed him and asked why and he said "Chillax Miss Gates the grades might not be graded yet". He's pretty funny and nice on a personal level, but I have so much homework I crunch hard core man.
Winger is a very intellectual and humorous teacher! Be prepared to stay on top of your readings before you come to class. There are no real tests, but 55% of your grade is based on 3 papers you will write. Stay on top of things. Pay attention to what Winger lectures on and you will enjoy HIS 135.
He is a GPA Killer. He is very passionate about his class discussions but it jumps out of place. It can switch from one topic to another in an instant. No tests but a lot of reading and writing. You must not skip class to pass because you will miss so much information. Not only that, but his grading is excruciatingly painful.
His is a gpa assassin. He is the STALIN of grading. He does not care at all about your free time. He also gives last minute assignments. Bring a pillow to class he will read to sleep. I have a C in the class and I'm ranked in the top 20 out of 73!!!!! He is the smartes person I have ever met in my life. Good luck to anyone who has to deal with him
I do not even know if I will pass this class. It is ridiculous. He talks down to students and expects that we are all lazy and whiny. The grades are never in, and he is a really tough grader. I got marked down for not putting "Dr." in front of "Winger" in the heading of my paper. We were not even supposed to be graded on that. Don't take this class
HIS135: intense. Homework due everyday, lots of reading & writing, & attendance is crucial. Assigns three papers throughout the semester & grades with painful accuracy. NO TESTS. As a teacher, he's honestly not as bad as some say he is. Easily the most intelligent professor I've had. Students just love to wine. Put in the effort, you'll be fine.
If you are looking to just get a GenEd out of the way DO NOT TAKE Winger. He gives tons of work and if he does agree with your responses you will just get a 0. Tough grader on papers. Becomes more of an English class on grading grammar than history. Lectures are pointless, boring, and long. Only good thing as that there are no tests. Just papers.
absolutely hated this class.
okay class just take good notes and write your papers off what he says. i had no clue what was going on and did good.
Took His 135 as a Gen Ed class. He should be more of an english professor because he grades harder than my actual english teacher. If you aren't a GOOD writer I advise you not to take this class. His lectures are pointless but you have to go because turning in homework is your attendance. Only good thing about this class is no tests.
Absolutely do not take this class or any class with this professor. His lectures have nothing to do with the homework or essays he assigns. I am convinced he became a teacher just to hear himself talk. While i am getting a B in the class, the pain of going is not worth it. Has tons of homework and reading every week
Before I rant, he's a great guy and everything. Really smart, and I like the idea of learning instead of just doing big tests. Also besides this class I earned straight A's throughout my Freshman year. However, this class is way too work heavy. I was one of the best kids in the class, and I still only got a B+. His ideas go over everybody's head.
DO NOT TAKE. Many 1-2 pg papers worth 5 points each that eventually murder your grade in the long run when the class avg for hw assignments is 3.5. Very hard to follow during lectures that take place after hw assignments based on the lecture are done and graded. Very hard grader especially if you disagree with him. Need to put in A LOT of effort.
Hardest GenEd I've ever taken. Most brilliant, funny professor I've ever had, but my god is his class difficult. Lots of reading and quizzes. If you're not a fantastic writer, I wouldn't recommend you take this. I found it to be extremely educational but extremely challenging. If you like a challenge go for it, but brace yourself. It's tough.
So much homework, so much reading, all for nothing. You will get bad grades on the homework and the papers. No exams, just papers and a ton of homework. He is almost always late at emailing the homework. Class was a pain to sit through, I learned nothing. He has the right idea of how to teach a history class, but he turns it into an english class.
Absolutely would take him again. He was one of the most difficult teachers I have ever had but his passion, knowledge, and humor make it all worth it. He strives to make students more aware of historical arguments and his class discussions will always be interesting. He really works to teach students how to better their writing and debating skills.
One of the most difficult teachers that I have ever had. If you are very interested in this course and topic I would recommend it for you. He has an interesting view against textbooks and is more argument-based. If you aren't aware of what is going on you will certainly be lost. Difficult grader with high expectations. Be ready to work hard & learn
Bad teacher that gives daily reading of 20 pages or more with 20 questions or more. No one I've talked to likes the class or him.
Where to begin? Professor Winger is by far the worst professor I've had. He is a true GPA killer. My highest grade so far out of all assignments is a 90%, and I put all my effort into them. He assigns daily homework and readings which take the most time out of all my classes. He treats it like a major class. Avoid at all costs!!!
Dr. Winger is a great person and teacher . His class is a lot of work but if you do the work You will get an A. He is very funny and caring.
Good teacher, ton of work, be prepared for lots of reading
Dr. Winger is by far the worst history teacher I've ever had. He's very unorganized and no clear instructions. Assigns 60 plus pages to read a night. Post assignments he wants turned in an hr. prior to class. He tears you down on every assignment. He cuts off students that are answering his questions. Definitely avoid him at all cost. GPA killer.
-Average homework assignments 2 a week and each between 2-6 pages long -have to buy THREE textbooks -2 papers, no tests -online midterm and final + in class final -online homework due every Sunday -boring lectures unless you're interested in the topic -the professor challenges what you were taught growing up
If you are not forced to do not take Winger. Definitely the most time consuming class I had all semester. Be prepared to do 3+ hours of homework every assignment. Lectures are long and boring, but they do help you on the final so you shouldn't skip. He is pretty funny but the homework load is ridiculous.
Winger does not belong in teaching this class. Nothing against him personally, a great teacher as well as a great guy, but the work that went into this class was heavier than any other class I have ever taken and is beyond ridiculous especially when talking about a gen ed class. If you need to take this class just make sure its not with him.
Dr. Winger is indeed a challenging professor. His class is not easy, his class is stressful, and his class is time-consuming. I received a C in his class, but it felt like a major achievement. Most of all, you actually learned something. Most people want the standard point system, quiz, and readings which is an easy pass versus actually learn.
Professor Winger has a great heart and is passionate about history but is extremely unorganized and allows his students to take the fall for it. You will learn a lot from him but at the expensive of hours of work. On top of all of this, he is a very hard grader.
He is a very knowledgable person but his knowledge does not necessarily translate well to the classroom. This is definitely the hardest class I have ever taken and it is a Gen Ed. Unfortunately, I had the pleasure of taking this class partially online due to COVID. He doubled the work load yet hardly graded any of the assignments. Stay far away.
Nice guy, but I took this class as a gen ed and it was probably my most time-consuming class. Long assignments and very high expectations regarding the quality of work. I would avoid taking his class for a gen ed, seriously. I wish I would have scouted him before registering for the class. It's been twice as stressful as my major courses.
Professor Winger assigns an ungodly amount of homework, usually 50-100 pages of reading and around 40-50 detailed questions due each time you have class. He also does not take "I don't know" for an answer. He will pry and embarrass you in front of the whole class even if you admit you did not do your work and don't know the answer.
He expects us to do entire research outlines before class as a daily assignment. During this pandemic, its literal hell. He sucks.
Professor Winger assigns an insane amount of homework, usually multiple readings and many detailed questions due each time you have class. He also does not take "I don't know" for an answer. He will pry and embarrass you in front of the whole class even if you admit you do not know the answer to the question he asks.
He's a nice person but his lectures are very fast paced and he doesn't provide the slides to students until hours if not days after they are presented. When in class he doesn't talk about what is on the quizzes and talks about random bs instead. Also there are no tests and barely any homework but the quizzes are very very difficult.
Honestly the worst professor Ive ever had. I still have no clue what we learned about and the semester ended. Has something up his ass about peer editing and footnotes. Has no regard for the fact that his students struggle. Thinks we can all get As on everything just like he did in college. I would strongly suggest against taking his classes.
Prof. Winger is a challenging professor, dont get me wrong. However, his class strengthened my writing skills immensely. On the last slavery/racism paper, I received a 98% which says a lot if you know him. Yes, its quite a bit of work; but it helps build work ethic, pride, and character. I would 100% take his class again.
Dr. Winger is very knowledgeable yet is awful at classroom management and is not great at passing that knowledge to his students. Grading standards aren't clear, lessons are unstructured, and he didn't even know when his class ended for the first three weeks. He assigns an LOT of homework, but often doesn't make performance expectations clear.
Do not take his class!!! It is very difficult! He talks the entire period and has no slides or anything for notes. You will have 3 assignments a week but he will never discuss them and how to do them. No extra help was offered either. Extremely difficult, try to take something else if you can.
this class is very stressful as an anxious student. attendance is not mandatory, but your grade drops 10 points for every class you don't attend even if you email him. the workload is a a lot, he doesn't reply to emails, and you're basically on your own for the whole semester. he calls you out a lot and won't hesitate to make you feel stupid.
I had to pay thousands of dollars and suffer a blow to my GPA to deal with a technologically and organizationally incompetent professor. Very difficult to stay afloat in his class due to unannounced changes to assignment structure, aggressive TA's and grading feedback, and little value with assignments. Don't make my mistake, pick someone else.
Dr. Winger is the most impactful professor a history/his ed. major can have. He stresses writing as foundational knowledge and pairs that with interesting reading. Approaches history as a socratic art, meaning questions to be debated with arguments rooted in historiographical and primary source evidence. HE DOES NOT LECTURE. Class is a debate.
Dr. Winger assigns a crazy amount of homework, pages worth of reading with in-depth questions and footnoting twice a week. He is also extremely hard to reach over email. His directions are unclear, and his assignments are hard to follow. This class made me shed tears on multiple occasions. Take this class with a different professor if you can.
Dr. Winger is rly scary at 1st. Ur going to feel like u have a ton of HW and u are not good enough to be able to do the class. As u keep going, u will see how great of a professor he is +u will gain SO MUCH from his class. It does take a lot of time to read, write assignments, and prepare for class... BUT you will leave his class educated as hell.
Dr. Winger is such a sweet person. Your opinion ALWAYS matters to him and he will listen to you and find a way to incorporate your feelings and work into classes. Get ready to read and write, though. He does not give tests, but he does assign a lot of reading assignments. Love the guy, highly recommend him if you are up for a challenge!
Yes, the course was difficult and it came with a lot of reading and work. But Dr. Winger was such a great person and truly cared for his students! He really took the time to get to know you and if you needed help, he would be there. I would not recommend for freshman, but for sophomores and up. The course was not easy, but I would take again!
Dr. Winger is very passionate about his work and findings, so it makes class much more enjoyable. He is so caring and respectful of all of his students. There is a tough workload, but it's worth it in the long run to improve writing skills. I would recommend for sophomores and up.
Dr. Winger is so sweet and caring! He would love to get to know you on a personal level and always takes the time to answer peoples questions at the end of class. He does assign a ton of homework which is heavily reading based, but there are no exams. Only three papers, but it is based on your opinion of the material. He is a great teacher!
I loved the assignments, but we had so little time to actually get them done. Kept trying to hold zoom class over the summer at an hour where many students worked jobs during the day. Extremely tough grader.
Dr. Winger is very knowledgable and is incredibly understanding of the content's difficulty. Homework is due before class starts and was often difficult to complete without first listening to the lecture but Dr. Winger always gave the opportunity to resubmit after class for a better score. I definitely recommend taking at least one of his classes.
This class is a lot of work but you will learn more with Dr. Winger than with any other instructor. No exams or quizzes but a lot of reading which is all online. Most of the homework is graded by undergrad TAs and they grade very similar to Dr. Winger. Do the homework and go to lecture and you will be fine. Definitely take this class with Winger.
I was in this class for a week and then dropped. This course was based on your writing skills. and not easy writing it was literally essays and footnotes and all this stuff that was every assignment. so if your not a good writer, i would not recommend this class. dropping this class was such a stress reliever.
Dr. Winger's class is a challenge, but engaging. The workload is heavy, but the insights gained make it worthwhile. Utilize Unstuck ai and other study tools to stay on top of the readings and assignments.
This is an extremely reading and homework heavy class, with multiple in depth readings assigned with discussion questions prior to every class. If you even get behind on one assignment, it can be very hard to catch up. The class was more of a discussion than lecture, and papers were opinion based, and to be backed up with the readings.
You will be expected to know and understand Old English on the first day. You will have hours and hours of extremely difficult homework every day. Winger is cool and a fun professor, but he can be kinda a jerk sometimes. This is more of a class to take if you already know everything there is to know about history. It was very educational, but hard.
Genuinely one of the worst teachers I've ever had
Dr.Winger expects a lot from students. There are many, many long assignments (example: we had class on M/W and he would assign our Wed. homework on Mon. night after class, not giving a lot of time for lengthy assignments.) Regardless, I learned a lot of valuable history from this class, and Dr. Winger is one of the best professors I've ever had!
Dr Winger is a very smart guy and his discussions are very engaging. He was very accommodating with me and granted many extensions. That being said, his class is very tough and he assigns a lot of homework. During the peak of his class, I was spending 20-30 hours outside of class on his assignments and its very easy to get overwhelmed.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
87%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.00 avg changeRatings by Course
HIS217
5.0
(1)HIS307
5.0
(1)HIS135HIS253
5.0
(1)HIS216HIS135
4.0
(1)135
3.7
(3)Difficulty by Course
HIST101
5.0
HIST115
5.0
HIS307
5.0
IDS254
5.0
HIS200
5.0