Spring 2027

Soil: Ecosystem and Resource

A systems-based investigation of soil structure, biology, water, fertility, and taxonomy, including human impacts on the soil environment.

offering recorded3 credits

Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 Nick Balster3.3/5

Summary

1 / 6

Past student reviews · Nick Balster

Lectures required close attention, and complacent learners risked falling behind, though support was available.

What you’ll be able to do

Describe the significance of soil and its properties
Identify and describe key components of soil solids and pores
Explain and predict the interaction of water with soil
Interpret basic nomenclature used in soil science
Analyze that causes and solutions for sustainability of soil resources
Quantify the interaction of clay surfaces with a soil solution
Describe the role of soils in many different ecosystems
Link soil orders with biomes and describe soil’s edaphic character
Analyze sustainability issues using a systems-based approach

Source: UW Guide 1 UW Guide 2 UW Guide 3

Grade history

↗

average GPA
letter grades

All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Professors

Spring 2027

Nick Balster

Adjusted rating

RMP difficulty

captured reviews

About this rating

Raw average: 3.20/5 from 64 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

For this course: 5.0/5 raw quality · 4.0/5 difficulty · 2 reviews

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Past student reviews · Nick Balster

Nick Balster’s lectures were engaging and informative but required close attention; students noted that complacency led to falling behind, though he offered many opportunities for support. He made a point to learn everyone’s name and demonstrated immense respect and care for his students.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 2.65 GPA, 41.7% A/AB (n=72 letter grades); Spring 2025: 2.68 GPA, 33.3% A/AB (n=84 letter grades); Spring 2026: 2.63 GPA, 36.8% A/AB (n=87 letter grades).

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

NICK BALSTER is recorded teaching in Fall 2006, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Spring 2027

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

Section	Mode	Enrolled / capacity
LEC 001	Classroom Instruction	0 / 100
LEC 001	Classroom Instruction	0 / 100
LEC 001	Classroom Instruction	0 / 100

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records

Download part 1

Student experience

the class

Past student reviews · Nick Balster

One student found Nick Balster's lectures so interesting and fun that they were the only ones not watched at 1.5 speed.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 2.65 GPA, 41.7% A/AB (n=72 letter grades); Spring 2025: 2.68 GPA, 33.3% A/AB (n=84 letter grades); Spring 2026: 2.63 GPA, 36.8% A/AB (n=87 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Past student reviews · Nick Balster

Lectures required close attention, and complacent learners risked falling behind, though support was available.

Past student reviews · Nick Balster

Dr. Balster showed respect and care for his students by making a point to learn everyone's name.

Topics

Soil structure, biology, water, fertility, and taxonomy
Human impact on the soil environment
Sustainability issues using a systems-based approach

Skills

Describe the significance of soil and its properties
Identify and describe key components of soil solids and pores
Explain and predict the interaction of water with soil
Interpret basic nomenclature used in soil science
Analyze causes and solutions for sustainability of soil resources
Quantify the interaction of clay surfaces with a soil solution
Describe the role of soils in many different ecosystems
Link soil orders with biomes and describe soil’s edaphic character

Grades

Spring 2027 · Projected

Before grades are released

– average GPA

Approximate 80% prediction interval

About this estimate

The course’s semester-average GPA, not an individual student’s grade. The center uses 5 same-season terms, weighted toward recent results.

The range uses the finite-sample 80th-percentile rank of absolute errors from earlier same-season forecasts. Each forecast uses only records from earlier terms. At least four forecasts are required; bounds are rounded outward and limited to 0–4. This is an empirical estimate: changing instructors or grading policies can reduce its coverage.

8 earlier forecasts · 0.22 GPA average error.

Grades over time

Through Spring 2027

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Where this course fits relative to

Latest available grades · Spring 2026 · all course levels

GPA

Higher than % of other courses in this group.

Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range

letter grades

More recorded grades than % of other courses in this group.

Typical course in this group: letter grades.

About this comparison

1280 courses over the same term, each with at least 30 recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.

Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

Download part 1

Selected offering source records

ENVIRST/GEOG/SOILSCI 230 · Spring 2027

Soil: Ecosystem and Resource

Recorded 2026-10-14

ENVIRST/GEOG/SOILSCI 230 · Spring 2027

Soil: Ecosystem and Resource

Recorded 2026-10-14

ENVIRST/GEOG/SOILSCI 230 · Spring 2027

Soil: Ecosystem and Resource

Recorded 2026-10-14

Raw records

[
  {
    "run_id": "20261014T203208-0851c9a1",
    "semester": "1274",
    "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1274:360:017786",
    "course_id": "ENVIRST/GEOG/SOILSCI 230",
    "course_uid": "course_0d4cf169ef7d2f1437b00cb6",
    "term_id": "1274",
    "source_course_id": "017786",
    "source_subject_id": "360",
    "title": "Soil: Ecosystem and Resource",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Spring"
  },
  {
    "run_id": "20261014T203208-0851c9a1",
    "semester": "1274",
    "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1274:416:017786",
    "course_id": "ENVIRST/GEOG/SOILSCI 230",
    "course_uid": "course_0d4cf169ef7d2f1437b00cb6",
    "term_id": "1274",
    "source_course_id": "017786",
    "source_subject_id": "416",
    "title": "Soil: Ecosystem and Resource",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Spring"
  },
  {
    "run_id": "20261014T203208-0851c9a1",
    "semester": "1274",
    "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1274:908:017786",
    "course_id": "ENVIRST/GEOG/SOILSCI 230",
    "course_uid": "course_0d4cf169ef7d2f1437b00cb6",
    "term_id": "1274",
    "source_course_id": "017786",
    "source_subject_id": "908",
    "title": "Soil: Ecosystem and Resource",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Spring"
  }
]

Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews

Download part 1

Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades

Model outputs & technical records

Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B

LLM outputs across runs

Download part 1

Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1

Model & dataset provenance

{
  "model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
  "model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
  "task_version": "17",
  "output_id": "4a5bd5b80ea5b3273b9bd1f8298cc77076c29a2b10f9c23cdf8fbc1617027d05",
  "requirements_status": "needs_review",
  "dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
  "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}

Soil: Ecosystem and Resource

Summary

What you’ll be able to do

Grade history

Prerequisites

Professors

Nick Balster

Calendar & sections

Student experience

the class

difficulty & workload

Topics

Skills

Grades

Spring 2027 · Projected

Grades over time

Where this course fits relative to UW–Madison

Sources & history

Catalog & offerings

Student reviews

Grade history

Where this course fits relative to