Derek Iwamoto

This professor has taught: AAST262, AAST498J, PSYC262, PSYC432, PSYC468H, PSYC489Z, PSYC603, PSYC638, PSYC660, PSYC661, PSYC690, PSYC695, PSYC789, PSYC899

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Derek Iwamoto PSYC262 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/19/2024	Dr. Iwamoto is clearly a passionate and caring professor, but I would not take a course from him again. I studied hard for the midterm (which is worth 30% of our grade fyi), but it did not help, as most of the questions were incredibly specific. That is not to mention that no study guide or practice test was provided going into the test except for a verbal, 5 minute run-down one day in class. You have to attend every single class due to "in-class activities" which are a large chunk of your grade. I only missed one lecture, but I have two missing activity points, as he never told us to turn papers in one day and he will not give our group the point back. I do not recommend taking this class or this professor. I could imagine that you may have a positive experience being his research assistant, however, given his passion towards the material and his students.
Derek Iwamoto AAST262 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/09/2024	Great teacher who wants to get to know his students. Workload is not bad only one test an online quiz and some writing assignments. Highly recommend.
Derek Iwamoto PSYC262 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/01/2024	You get out of this class what you put into it--if you answer questions and engage with him more during lectures, you'll find yourself more interested in the material and literature. Lectures are a little boring otherwise, but the work is easy enough. You can tell that the Dr. Iwamoto is really passionate about this subject & his research, but the class itself and grading system can feel disorganized at times. Overall, the work is easy and you can guarantee an A if you put in your best effort.
Derek Iwamoto PSYC262 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/21/2023	He's extremely boring and reads off the slides. The only thing that discourages you from skipping is attendance points, which is just writing your name down on a piece of paper. I dozed off so many times in class. Also, he started the group project way too late. We only had around two weeks to do it. Honestly, if you're a psych major who needs a theme II and/or multicultural requirement, you can take this class if you don't mind sitting through monotonous lectures. The midterm was all multiple-choice and pretty easy. There is no final, which is nice.
Derek Iwamoto PSYC262 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/06/2023	he seems passionate about what he's doing but the class had no structure and he obviously has his favorites. and his favorites always have the upper hand in everything. this class wasn't for me. i didn't learn much since a lot of it was very intuitive. loved the TAs though!
Derek Iwamoto PSYC262 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/05/2023	Extremely boring. He just reads the slides and doesn't upload them until after class. He also does group activities which were just answering a few questions on a piece of paper and those were his ways of taking attendance. Every time I went to class I had to resist falling asleep. Would've definitely skipped every lecture if it weren't for group activities. Honestly, most of the midterm questions were common sense if you have the slightest idea about race relations in America. Like, you could get a B if you didn't study at all. As an Asian American myself, most of the stuff I "learned" was kinda meh.
Derek Iwamoto AAST262 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/02/2023	He's fine, I guess. He tends to be passive-aggressive though. And the class is full of his own research, which in and of itself isn't a problem, but it can be limiting. The midterms and quizzes are easy as long as you study for them, but there is the occasional infuriating question regarding material that was only briefly mentioned in class. (Stuff to prove you were there, not that you care about the content). Overall a disappointing course, but a very manageable workload and an easy A as long as you study for that midterm. The midterm itself is ridiculous though, for some reason being entirely multiple-choice and also worth 25% of your ENTIRE grade. The class is structured extremely poorly.
Derek Iwamoto AAST262 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/29/2023	Don't get me wrong this is an easy class and if you do the work and go to class you will get a good grade, but its absolutely painful to sit through. the content is interesting but the way he presents it is terrible; he stands and lectures for the full hour and when he asks questions he expects you to trauma dump. He's arrogant and assigns too many readings but he really cares about the topic and is willing to get to know his students and their personal experiences with it too. There's one big midterm that covers the first half of the class and you can do well on if you look at the powerpoints, and then there's a quiz and a presentation that are fairly easy. Not a lot of course work and what he assigns isn't difficult but god its the worst hour fifteen of my day.
Derek Iwamoto PSYC262 Expecting an A- Anonymous 11/21/2023	this man is the best worst professor i have ever had. he is extremely rude and mean towards his students when you ask questions or for accommodations. all the work he talks about is his own, resulting in this class being ego driven. the midterm and the quizzes are impossible, material vaguely mentioned. if ever. TAs are the only thing making it tolerable. the only reason he gets even one star is he does very well at creating an inclusive classroom and a safe space, minus his nasty attitude. trust me when i say save yourself the trouble of him.
Derek Iwamoto AAST262 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 01/26/2023	In terms of class content, the amount you learn really depends on your personal racial consciousness. Students may find this class fulfilling because it provides a safe space for discussion. But, some content may be outdated and restricted in regards to exploration. While I appreciate Dr. Iwamoto for being one of the very few Asian American faculties in the psyc department, his teaching style may come off as rigid and pretentious at times. I also find it concerning that he never offers or promotes any feedback forms, which isn't really standard practice. I acknowledge that he has been in the field for many years and has made substantial impact in the field, but the pride that comes with it can often impede his connection with the students and overlook other voices.
Derek Iwamoto AAST262 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 12/14/2022	Although Dr. Iwamoto shows a level of care for Asian American (AA) representation and wants to address systemic AA-experienced issues, he tends to limit his teachings only to work he's personally done. It comes off slightly ego driven which can be somewhat uncomfortable at times. Although he wants to promote a more inclusive and intimate classroom experience, which he does well with in-class discussions, it's limited to his very traditional teaching style using very rigid assessments and late feedback. Furthermore, he himself does not ask for feedback on classroom quality. He also has a lack of rubrics for written assignments but wants students to still share their personal experiences with him. With that being said, he does have a level of insight that can be a really good introduction to AA issues if that is what you're looking for, and I'm still thankful to have had him as a professor.
Derek Iwamoto PSYC489Z Expecting an A Anonymous 01/20/2022	Dr. Iwamoto is such an amazing and genuine professor. He's so passionate about what he teaches and encourages asking for help when needed. The class is structures as a 200 level class which makes it generally easy. I would highly recommend taking a course with him before graduation.
Derek Iwamoto PSYC432 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/21/2017	Professor Iwamoto really cares about his students and offers advice for graduate school. That being said, the class itself was poorly structured. The first half of the semester was relatively easy with a couple of writing assignments and a midterm, but the second half of the semester involved having writing assignments almost every week, finishing a group presentation project, and the final exam. It's definitely doable, but takes a lot of time management. His rubrics for long essays and the group presentation were a little vague and confusing, but he does offer 2% extra credit.