# Travis Olson — Courses & Reviews | UW–Madison [View on UW Courses](https://uwcourses.com/instructors/TRAVIS_OLSON) ## Dataset ### revision e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349 ### repository twangodev/uwcourses ### schema version 6 ### importer version 7 ### projection id 94468b7d4154126ca413937bb4738a6d21e0c2277f6fa397a6078ad80a32384f ### observed at 2026-09-07T15:55:43.033547+00:00 ### built at 2026-09-10T23:19:01.870283+00:00 ### courses 8951 ### current instructors 5754 ### limited false ### terms * 1272 * 1264 * 1262 * 1254 * 1252 * 1244 * 1242 * 1234 * 1232 * 1224 * 1222 * 1212 * 1204 * 1202 * 1194 * 1192 * 1184 * 1182 * 1174 * 1172 * 1164 * 1162 * 1154 * 1152 * 1144 * 1142 * 1134 * 1132 * 1124 * 1122 * 1114 * 1112 * 1104 * 1102 * 1094 * 1092 * 1084 * 1082 * 1074 * 1072 ### term 1272 ### departments | subject | count | | --------- | ----- | | AAE | 90 | | ABT | 20 | | ACCTIS | 36 | | ACTSCI | 14 | | AFAERO | 10 | | AFRICAN | 87 | | AFROAMER | 71 | | AGROECOL | 21 | | AMERIND | 53 | | ANAT\&PHY | 7 | | ANATOMY | 2 | | ANESTHES | 8 | | ANSCI | 57 | | ANTHRO | 95 | | ART | 125 | | ARTED | 10 | | ARTHIST | 121 | | ASIALANG | 129 | | ASIAN | 109 | | ASIANAM | 28 | | ASTRON | 38 | | ATMOCN | 69 | | BIOCHEM | 51 | | BIOCORE | 10 | | BIOLOGY | 14 | | BIOMDSCI | 18 | | BME | 66 | | BMI | 41 | | BMOLCHEM | 10 | | BOTANY | 69 | | BSE | 44 | | C\&ESOC | 73 | | CBE | 48 | | CHEM | 101 | | CHICLA | 52 | | CIVENGR | 133 | | CLASSICS | 47 | | CNP | 10 | | CNSRSCI | 50 | | COMARTS | 137 | | COMPBIO | 15 | | COMPLIT | 11 | | COMPSCI | 138 | | COUNPSY | 78 | | CRB | 19 | | CS\&D | 71 | | CSCS | 40 | | CURRIC | 193 | | DANCE | 93 | | DERM | 8 | | DS | 88 | | DYSCI | 35 | | ECE | 155 | | ECON | 145 | | EDPOL | 114 | | EDPSYCH | 97 | | ELPA | 70 | | EMA | 53 | | EMERMED | 17 | | ENGL | 206 | | ENTOM | 40 | | ENVIRST | 148 | | EP | 15 | | EPD | 67 | | ESL | 16 | | F\&WECOL | 60 | | FAMMED | 22 | | FINANCE | 50 | | FOLKLORE | 40 | | FOODSCI | 43 | | FRENCH | 63 | | GEN\&WS | 145 | | GENBUS | 72 | | GENECSLR | 17 | | GENETICS | 60 | | GEOG | 113 | | GEOSCI | 83 | | GERMAN | 82 | | GLE | 48 | | GNS | 38 | | GREEK | 27 | | HDFS | 41 | | HEBR-BIB | 13 | | HEBR-MOD | 10 | | HISTORY | 233 | | HISTSCI | 56 | | HONCOL | 13 | | ILS | 43 | | INFOSYS | 9 | | INTEGART | 7 | | INTEGSCI | 22 | | INTER-AG | 18 | | INTER-HE | 11 | | INTER-LS | 22 | | INTEREGR | 16 | | INTLBUS | 21 | | INTLST | 50 | | ISYE | 83 | | ITALIAN | 53 | | JEWISH | 56 | | JOURN | 88 | | KINES | 128 | | LACIS | 26 | | LANDARC | 61 | | LATIN | 24 | | LAW | 120 | | LEGALST | 48 | | LINGUIS | 35 | | LIS | 89 | | LITTRANS | 78 | | LSC | 52 | | M\&ENVTOX | 7 | | MARKETNG | 62 | | MATH | 153 | | MDGENET | 8 | | ME | 130 | | MEDHIST | 43 | | MEDICINE | 60 | | MEDIEVAL | 32 | | MEDPHYS | 39 | | MEDSC-M | 29 | | MEDSC-V | 41 | | MHR | 68 | | MICROBIO | 45 | | MILSCI | 16 | | MM\&I | 22 | | MOLBIOL | 6 | | MS\&E | 59 | | MUSIC | 165 | | MUSPERF | 126 | | NAVSCI | 20 | | NE | 44 | | NEURODPT | 11 | | NEUROL | 7 | | NEURSURG | 4 | | NTP | 11 | | NURSING | 111 | | NUTRSCI | 65 | | OBS\&GYN | 18 | | OCCTHER | 39 | | ONCOLOGY | 14 | | OPHTHALM | 5 | | OTM | 43 | | PATH | 34 | | PATH-BIO | 29 | | PEDIAT | 26 | | PHARMACY | 31 | | PHILOS | 77 | | PHMCOL-M | 11 | | PHMPRAC | 45 | | PHMSCI | 60 | | PHYASST | 37 | | PHYSICS | 88 | | PHYSIOL | 3 | | PHYTHER | 37 | | PLANTSCI | 52 | | PLPATH | 35 | | POLISCI | 192 | | POPHLTH | 58 | | PORTUG | 33 | | PSYCH | 101 | | PSYCHIAT | 22 | | PUBAFFR | 54 | | PUBLHLTH | 23 | | RADIOL | 11 | | REALEST | 41 | | RELIGST | 90 | | RHABMED | 9 | | RMI | 24 | | RP\&SE | 102 | | S\&APHM | 17 | | SCANDST | 73 | | SLAVIC | 89 | | SOC | 149 | | SOCWORK | 87 | | SOILSCI | 46 | | SPANISH | 83 | | SRMED | 21 | | STAT | 94 | | STDYABRD | 52 | | STS | 8 | | SURGERY | 25 | | SURGSCI | 33 | | THEATRE | 91 | | URBRPL | 60 | | UROLOGY | 5 | | ZOOLOGY | 89 | ## instructor ### instructor uid instructor\_f70276316e19f305e2736d02 ### source enrollment ### source instructor id taolson4 ### identity basis netid ### identity status source\_identified ### name Travis Olson ### email TRAVIS.A.OLSON\@WISC.EDU ### first observed at 2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00 ### last observed at 2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00 ### ratings #### review count 42 #### quality 3.43 #### difficulty 2.83 #### quality count 42 #### difficulty count 42 #### profile id rmp:2912119 #### source url #### match basis exact\_name #### observed at 2026-09-07 16:01:12.475816+00:00 #### courses ##### course 6bc496e4640fd08f71e1b041 ###### review count 11 ###### quality 4.45 ###### difficulty 2.64 ###### quality count 11 ###### difficulty count 11 ##### course c9bdf631650ccfb896fcfc26 ###### review count 12 ###### quality 3.58 ###### difficulty 1.92 ###### quality count 12 ###### difficulty count 12 ##### course 3464c11254a81dbe86277318 ###### review count 6 ###### quality 1.83 ###### difficulty 3.5 ###### quality count 6 ###### difficulty count 6 ##### course cc1de60e9953cdd9c469e9a5 ###### review count 13 ###### quality 3.15 ###### difficulty 3.54 ###### quality count 13 ###### difficulty count 13 #### bayesian quality 3.504092188240837 #### prior mean 3.6596857835465957 #### prior weight 20 ### current true ### courses | course\_uid | course\_id | title | credits\_min | credits\_max | gpa | | -------------------------------- | ---------- | --------------- | ------------ | ------------ | ----- | | course\_3464c11254a81dbe86277318 | MATH 112 | COLLEGE ALGEBRA | 3 | 3 | 2.606 | ### revision e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349 ### instructor url /instructors/TRAVIS\_OLSON ## history | term | course\_uid | course\_id | title | | ---- | -------------------------------- | ---------- | --------------- | | 1272 | course\_3464c11254a81dbe86277318 | MATH 112 | COLLEGE ALGEBRA | ## timeline | term | courses | | ---- | ------- | | 1272 | 1 | ## term 1272 ## courses ```json [ { "course_uid": "course_3464c11254a81dbe86277318", "course_id": "MATH 112", "title": "COLLEGE ALGEBRA", "credits_min": 3, "credits_max": 3, "gpa": 2.606, "badges": [ { "id": "grade-outcomes", "label": "Lower grades", "tone": "negative", "evidence": "Spring 2026 · latest released grades before Fall 2026: 2.38 GPA across 440 letter grades, versus 3.62 for UW–Madison (1283 courses). Requires a difference of at least 0.20 and 30 letter grades. Historical outcomes, not predicted difficulty.", "sources": [ { "label": "Grade history and sources", "href": "/courses/MATH_112#grades" } ] } ], "description": "College Algebra covers properties, equations, and graphs of elementary functions, providing algebra skills required for calculus.", "discovery": { "term": "1272", "offered": true, "history": { "counts": [ 679, 677, 1154, 707, 1236, 515, 236 ], "count": 5204, "gpa": 2.556110684089162, "topShare": 26.056879323597233, "firstTerm": "1224", "lastTerm": "1264" }, "instructors": [ { "course_uid": "course_3464c11254a81dbe86277318", "uid": "instructor_11fc98ad2c3450044c001a9c", "name": "John Spoerl", "quality": 3.781532530496905, "quality_count": 2, "instructor_url": "/instructors/JOHN_SPOERL" }, { "course_uid": "course_3464c11254a81dbe86277318", "uid": "instructor_f70276316e19f305e2736d02", "name": "Travis Olson", "quality": 3.504092188240837, "quality_count": 42, "instructor_url": "/instructors/TRAVIS_OLSON" }, { "course_uid": "course_3464c11254a81dbe86277318", "uid": "instructor_3d49f99e90ec83826add77c0", "name": "Ethan Schondorf", "quality": 3.3558137248231263, "quality_count": 3, "instructor_url": "/instructors/ETHAN_SCHONDORF" }, { "course_uid": "course_3464c11254a81dbe86277318", "uid": "instructor_eda3ee9986bcc3bfa6e0d544", "name": "Logan Heath", "quality": 2.9340612739618543, "quality_count": 8, "instructor_url": "/instructors/LOGAN_HEATH" }, { "course_uid": "course_3464c11254a81dbe86277318", "uid": "instructor_7dfaae0b3547c9b876f0a1d8", "name": "Alejo Salvatore", "quality": null, "quality_count": null, "instructor_url": "/instructors/ALEJO_SALVATORE" }, { "course_uid": "course_3464c11254a81dbe86277318", "uid": "instructor_fcb71288ba396483a58082fa", "name": "Alex Menzia", "quality": null, "quality_count": null, "instructor_url": "/instructors/ALEX_MENZIA" }, { "course_uid": "course_3464c11254a81dbe86277318", "uid": "instructor_35c960f0c0d9bf34e8f17b64", "name": "Alex Vischer", "quality": null, 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{ "citations": [ { "instructor_name": "Travis Olson", "review_date": "2023-12-12 20:31:17 +0000 UTC", "review_id": "7dda775dbfdcabdc9104d7ef", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:2912119", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTM4NjMzNTUz", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2912119", "type": "review" }, { "instructor_name": "Travis Olson", "review_date": "2023-12-17 03:44:22 +0000 UTC", "review_id": "e56a782e39e715226c2e65f1", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:2912119", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTM4NzEzMjUx", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2912119", "type": "review" }, { "instructor_name": "Travis Olson", "review_date": "2024-01-03 18:46:42 +0000 UTC", "review_id": "251651798fc5d21bb3085fc0", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:2912119", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTM4ODI1OTEy", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2912119", "type": "review" } ], "text": "Travis Olson is described as personable but ineffective, with reviews citing tangents, fill-in-the-blank notes, and self-teaching requirements. Students report that quizzes are frequent and tests often differ from class material, leading to frustration and minimal feedback." }, "reviewFiles": [ "/data/e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349/reviews/course_3464c11254a81dbe86277318-0.json" ] } } ] ``` ## reviews ### items ```json [ { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:01:12.475816+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQzMTAxODg2", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:2912119", "instructor_name": "Travis Olson", "course_label": "Math222", "course_id": "MATH 222", "course_uid": "course_6bc496e4640fd08f71e1b041", "review_date": "2026-05-12 05:46:06 +0000 UTC", "comment": "He was an ok teacher the problem was the grading. He would take points off for formatting errors that weren't even in the rubric and when you would ask about it he would say that he couldn't change it even though in the rubric you would hit all of the criteria. Also he would have office hours maybe once a month as he was never there. ", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2912119", "quality_rating": 2, "difficulty_rating": 3 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:01:12.475816+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQzMDEzODk5", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:2912119", "instructor_name": "Travis Olson", "course_label": "Math222", "course_id": "MATH 222", "course_uid": "course_6bc496e4640fd08f71e1b041", "review_date": "2026-05-04 02:13:46 +0000 UTC", "comment": "really good", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2912119", "quality_rating": 5, "difficulty_rating": 2 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:01:12.475816+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQzMDExNTU4", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:2912119", "instructor_name": "Travis Olson", "course_label": "Math222", "course_id": "MATH 222", "course_uid": "course_6bc496e4640fd08f71e1b041", "review_date": "2026-05-03 21:14:30 +0000 UTC", "comment": "Professor Travis Olson is one of the best teachers I have ever had in my life. People throw shade on him purely because Calculus 2 is a hard class to teach, but in my experience, he is a great teacher. He is very good at teaching and is able to simplify EVERY topic in Calculus 2, so much so that anyone can understand.", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2912119", "quality_rating": 5, "difficulty_rating": 1 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:01:12.475816+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQyOTg2MjE4", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:2912119", "instructor_name": "Travis Olson", "course_label": "Math222", "course_id": "MATH 222", "course_uid": "course_6bc496e4640fd08f71e1b041", "review_date": "2026-04-30 19:38:42 +0000 UTC", "comment": "Olson is great at explaining and working through long problems. The class is SO exam heavy. Practice tests are a must, and I took more than 5 for each exam. Lecture attendance is important but if you miss a few and stay on schedule you'll be fine. Discussion did not help me at all in this class, but I image it helps for some people.", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2912119", "quality_rating": 5, "difficulty_rating": 4 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:01:12.475816+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQyOTczMTUy", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:2912119", "instructor_name": "Travis Olson", "course_label": "Math222", "course_id": "MATH 222", "course_uid": "course_6bc496e4640fd08f71e1b041", "review_date": "2026-04-29 20:31:40 +0000 UTC", "comment": "Travis is a really great professor and explains things very well. He is super fun and makes math lectures fun to go to. It is a really difficult class and that is the nature of calculus but he made it doable. Most of the TAs are not very helpful but Dhruv is the best TA ever! You have to teach yourself a lot of things but do lots of practice.", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2912119", "quality_rating": 5, "difficulty_rating": 4 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:01:12.475816+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQyODMwNzE3", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:2912119", "instructor_name": "Travis Olson", "course_label": "MATH141", "course_id": "MATH 141", "course_uid": "course_c9bdf631650ccfb896fcfc26", "review_date": "2026-04-14 05:24:18 +0000 UTC", "comment": "I do not like math at all and still managed to get a good grade in this. The math is very rudimentary and he explains it in very accessible ways. Very laid-back. Lots of tests, but they're easy and he drops a lot of them. No final unless you bombed a previous test and want to retake. Highly recommend as a basic math class for non-STEM majors. ", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2912119", "quality_rating": 5, "difficulty_rating": 3 } ] ``` ### total 42 ### page 1 ### courses | course\_uid | course\_id | | -------------------------------- | ---------- | | course\_3464c11254a81dbe86277318 | MATH 112 | | course\_c9bdf631650ccfb896fcfc26 | MATH 141 | | course\_cc1de60e9953cdd9c469e9a5 | MATH 221 | | course\_6bc496e4640fd08f71e1b041 | MATH 222 | ### matched true ## social Image true