ENERGY AND CLIMATE introduces energy sources and their environmental impacts, applying basic physics principles to evaluate energy issues.
Reviewers note increased workload and tedious lectures, though one finds the course easy if they have prior physics background.
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Satisfied Quantitative Reasoning (QR) A. Not open to students with credit forPHYSICS 103, 201, 207, or 247.
This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Justin Vandenbroucke receives mixed reviews regarding his teaching style and course rigor. Some students find him boring and tedious, while others describe him as caring, helpful, and approachable. Workload perceptions vary, with some finding the course easy and others noting increased difficulty.
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2020: 3.37 GPA, 58.8% A/AB (n=34 letter grades); Fall 2020: 3.31 GPA, 52.8% A/AB (n=36 letter grades); Fall 2021: 3.07 GPA, 47.6% A/AB (n=21 letter grades).
No course-specific feedback yet.
Historical reviews of John Sarff: John Sarff is described as a great, engaging teacher who makes the material accessible through demos and real-world connections. Reviewers note the class is easy and good for a broad overview, though some find the material heavy at the end. He is praised for being nice and willing to work with students.
HAKKI OGELMAN is recorded teaching in Fall 2006, Spring 2007, Fall 2007, Spring 2008, Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
JOHN SARFF is recorded teaching in Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
JUSTIN VANDENBROUCKE is recorded teaching in Spring 2014, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 2021. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
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| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | Classroom Instruction | 26 / 46 | 0 |
| DIS 301 | Classroom Instruction | 12 / 23 | 0 |
| DIS 305 | Classroom Instruction | 14 / 23 | 0 |
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.
Justin Vandenbroucke's PHYSICS 115 reviews are polarized: some find the course easy with good support, while others describe it as tedious and overly work-intensive.
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.38 GPA, 64.0% A/AB (n=25 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.52 GPA, 79.2% A/AB (n=24 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.79 GPA, 94.1% A/AB (n=17 letter grades).
Reviewers note increased workload and tedious lectures, though one finds the course easy if they have prior physics background.
Students report conflicting experiences: one finds lectures boring and unhelpful, while another praises Vandenbroucke as caring, kind, and helpful in office hours.
Latest available · Spring 2026— not enough history to project Fall 2026.
Through Spring 2026
Not enough comparable courses for Fall 2026 in UW–Madison.
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.
Energy and Climate
Recorded 2026-09-07[
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}
]Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesRecorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
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