ECE-461
OCEAN ENGINEERING
Not in Fall 2026
Term
Overview
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that students say they actually learn something useful. Best for students who want substance, not a disposable elective. The sample is still thin, so treat this as directional rather than definitive.
DepartmentELEC&CMP
Terms offeredFall
Typical enrollment20–20
Semesters of data1
1.8
Hrs / week
8
Responses
20
Enrollment
40%
Response Rate
Evaluation Scores
Overall quality
Teaching, content, and experience combined.
4.3
Intellectually stimulating
Challenges students to think deeply.
3.8
Instructor effectiveness
Explains concepts and facilitates learning.
4.5
Difficulty
Higher means harder.
2.6
Feedback Analysis
Feedback Analysislow
Analysis based on student evaluations
Based on 24 comments across 1 sections
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that students say they actually learn something useful. Best for students who want substance, not a disposable elective. The sample is still thin, so treat this as directional rather than definitive.
Student Reports
How hard is the A?
A is doable but not automatic
The signal here is more do-the-work-and-you-should-be-fine than easy-A chatter. Students do not describe the A as automatic, but the evidence also does not paint grading as punishing.
Homework Load
Moderate homework load
Homework load looks moderate. The recurring signal is steady weekly work, but not a course that turns every assignment into a grind.
Lecture Load
Lighter lecture burden
Student comments describe this as more discussion-, seminar-, or workshop-driven than lecture-dependent. The lecture burden itself does not sound like the main source of friction.
Strengths
• Students repeatedly say the course teaches something concrete, whether that is content mastery, research skill, or a strong foundation.
Tradeoffs
• There is no single dominant complaint theme, but the feedback is not uniformly glowing either.
Best fit for
Best for students who want substance, not a disposable elective.
Watch out for
• Most of the signal comes from a limited sample, so be careful about over-generalizing.
• A large share of the evidence comes from one instructor's version of the course, so this may not generalize cleanly.
Student Responses
- How to work in a team toward an engineering goal. - How to iterate on a previous design in order to accomplish new goals. - The difficulties of the iterative design process.
Fall 2023 · Brooke, Martin
I learned how to work as a team and how to break down a big project into smaller components.
Fall 2023 · Brooke, Martin
I learned much more about machine learning, how to develop systems in outdoor conditions, and current technology in environmental studies.
Fall 2023 · Brooke, Martin
I learned how to epoxy electronics, perform wire management, and do buoyancy calculations on an AUV.
Fall 2023 · Brooke, Martin
Refreshed on the engineering method, working on a high-scale project with a team of engineers, and learning how to properly document the design and execution process.
Fall 2023 · Brooke, Martin
Rating History
Rating history
Error bars show \u00B11 std dev
| Term | Instructor | Overall | Difficulty | Hrs/wk | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | Brooke, Martin 3.4Rate My ProfessorsQuality3.4Difficulty1.9Would retake88%Based on 14 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 4.3 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 20 |
Instructor
Brooke, MartinELEC&CMP
Also teaches
ECE-449 SENSOR&SENSOR INTERFACE DESIGN4.2ECE-534 GRAD RAINFOREST ENGINEERINGEGR-101L ENGR DESIGN & COMMUNICATION4.0