Joseph Holler

Not great. Holler assigns hours of lecture videos to watch (with a mandatory question set) each week, saying we don't have enough time to go over it in class, and then spend every lecture doing pretty much nothing of value. Labs are long, but a reasonable length for the class probably. Pointlessly harsh grading - you have to get a 95 or higher to get an A for some reason, and he will take points off for the most minor things or his own biases on the projects.

Not great. Holler assigns hours of lecture videos to watch (with a mandatory question set) each week, saying we don't have enough time to go over it in class, and then spend every lecture doing pretty much nothing of value. Labs are long, but a reasonable length for the class probably. Pointlessly harsh grading - you have to get a 95 …Read more

This course is one of the most intense I've taken at Midd. Professor Holler is incredibly skilled with GIS and has a fantastic approach in shaping young GIScientists--but that can be hard to keep up with. It's a hard class and he's trying to shove a lot of content in a very short time. I have no doubt it's the most efficient way to learn GIS quickly, but as someone who really had no need for the class (I just thought it may be interesting and could be nice to acquire GIS as a computer skill), it is far too much for me. I did not expect it to be easy, but it has been particularly tough. Expect lots of outside work learning about GIS tools, and long hours in the lab working on projects. Typical week features a couple hours of video lectures (plus you have to take notes), one to two question sets, and a major project every couple of weeks. Heads up, the course is largely front-loaded.

This course is one of the most intense I've taken at Midd. Professor Holler is incredibly skilled with GIS and has a fantastic approach in shaping young GIScientists--but that can be hard to keep up with. It's a hard class and he's trying to shove a lot of content in a very short time. I have no doubt it's the most efficient way to l …Read more

Professor Holler has enthusiastically explained every topic in our classes. He adjusts class content based on current events happening in the US (Hurricane Milton) and he also requires to write multiple short response papers connecting the syllabus and readings, which promotes synthesis and deepens overall understanding of the topics. Group work is also a big part of our classes, helping us to collaborate on researching and understanding.

Professor Holler has enthusiastically explained every topic in our classes. He adjusts class content based on current events happening in the US (Hurricane Milton) and he also requires to write multiple short response papers connecting the syllabus and readings, which promotes synthesis and deepens overall understanding of the topics …Read more