Mark Geisler

If you like biology, this is your class. Be prepared to learn very detailed information about synapses, parts of the brain and eyes, etc. Dr. Geisler is so passionate about his field, especially his research in E.E.G. technology, that he prefers if you absorb everything he knows about it. This means the exams are very detailed and you need to read the text as well as take careful notes. Only the first 6 chapters of the textbook will be covered in the class. And about note taking, he doesn't use ilearn or post his notes online so you are forced to copy his Powerpoint presentations in class. This would be OK except that his slides are so full of words that you are too distracted while writing to actually listen to the lecture.

Three multiple choice exams plus a final. He drops your lowest score and the final is cumulative. The very nice thing he does is take 30 of the 40 questions on the final from the previous exams. You get the answers at the end of every exam so you always know how well you are doing. He allows 5 extra credit points you make from participating in psychology experiments. I had probes glued to my head while I did math problems as fast as I could.

If English is your second language you should be fine because he enunciates like crazy, it takes getting used to actually, but it makes him very easy to understand. This is good because 90% of the semester will be him lecturing. Hardly any videos or guest speakers.

All in all a good class taught by a great teacher, just be prepared to work hard. Oh and no class presentations required!

Dr. Geisler is the best professor I have thus far encountered in the Psych department. I took his psych 492-"Perception": Biological psych course, and it was really interesting. He did a great job at breaking complex concepts and always has a lot of energy which keeps you interested in his lecture no matter what. The tests were directly off the lecture notes and the readings, and as long as you attend class,read, and pay attention you will have no trouble getting a good grade in his course. It's a really interesting course Idefinetly recommend taking it, even if you're not initially intersted in biological psych, you probably will be after the first class!

If you want to take Psy 571 but fear the dreaded stats class, this is your man. I was skeptical since this was his first semester at SFSU. But trust me, I'm no math wizard and by following his direction (i.e., attending all his lectures and doing the assigned homework), I got an A! And I was sweating taking this class but it really was almost fun because he made it easy to understand. Plus he's a great resource if you're interested in research, and a hell of a nice guy! We need more professors like Dr. Geisler.