DS 2004

This is perhaps the worst course I've taken in my four years of undergraduate career. The lectures were not engaging - we have a big class but instead of engaging in the entire class in conversations, the professor chose to engage in one on one conversations with particular students for a prolonged periods of time. This makes the lecture extremely boring and hard to keep up with because one has to follow the students conversation while the professor is making the whole class wait for that conversation to end. Additionally, the PowerPoints are not great either - they are LONG! paragraphs after paragraphs after paragraphs. Reading the lecture slides while listening to the professor has been proven rather difficult since there is so much material on the lecture slides. At the end, there is a big group presentation on ethical dilemma. The professor failed to emphasize on the presentation skills students should have so all of them are basically people reading notes off their printed notes, laptop or even worse, phones.

Ms. Sloane is the WORST teacher I have had at UVA. Despite the potential of the data ethics subject, her dull teaching style made the class unbearable. Attendance was mandatory, and I dreaded every class. Participation makes up 15% of the grade, and everyone did poorly on it. I frequently contributed to discussions, yet only received a B because my inputs were deemed not 'intellectual' enough, which was quite demoralizing. I missed class for a valid doctor's appointment without a note and it negatively impacted my grade. Ms. Sloane's often came across as rude and dismissive, making me feel belittled rather than educated. The quizzes, which are 25% of the grade, were a challenge for everyone I spoke to. I got a zero on a quiz that I missed due to illness, and she did not allow me to retake it and was not empathetic about my condition at all. Even my efforts to engage during office hours didn't help. I strongly advise against taking this class if you're looking for a supportive and engaging educational experience. #tCFS24

"Professor" Sloane might be the worst professor I've had at UVA. She made it very clear to us that she did not care about our individual success and would go out of her way to make the course more stressful with mandatory quizzes that could not be made up under any circumstances, including illness and any other kind of personal reason. I was excited to learn about data ethics but after taking course I have completely lost any interest in the topic. Sloane does not know what it means to be a caring and understanding professor and has a lot to learn from others at UVA like Seabrook for example. It is absurd to me that someone who lacks any empathy or understanding for undergrads could be hired to teach here. AVOID AT ALL COSTS