Any opinions on this course?

Not so sure if I should select this course or not.

If Alan is teaching, stay away, far far away, from it. You will learn nothing.

On timetable it says ‘VON MOHRENSCHILDT, MG’

Any idea?

Few friends took him last year. Had mixed reactions... his tests were fair and he is a good lecturer from what i've heard.

Personally, I consider Prof von Mohrenschildt to be one of the best professors I've had thus far. If he's teaching, I would steer very close indeed.

Then again, being in Tron, I'm probably biased.

ETA:
Yikes, I'm a genuine dunderhead. I completely forgot I actually took this course with him last year ... *facepalm*

In my experience, the course was interesting enough (thought the theory could get a tiny bit dry) and taught well - but what really made it (the course) shine were the labs. In our case, Prof von Mohrenschildt had us learning how to program basic artificial intelligence for robots (follow a path, avoid walls et cetera).

Legend has it that the year prior to ours had to suffer through making a functional pacemaker.

Obviously, it's a mixed bag of quite a bit of theory and interesting labs but overall a good course nonetheless. In the case of tests, very fair in all respects. As long as you attend the lectures, do your bit of homework, you're set.

My only quibble with the course was that I found it a bit difficult to relate the theory to the labs sometimes (though I guess it all made sense after I was done the course).

I haven't taken this course personally (it's one of those software engineering courses that software engineering students don't actually take, lol).

I've heard quite a bit about it over the years though. If Dr. Wassyng were still teaching it, then I'd agree with the above post - avoid by all means possible. He's probably the least reliable professors in the CAS department. The software/tron capstone with him last year was awful.

However, since Dr. von Mohrenschildt is teaching it, I'd highly recommend the course. Dr. von Mohrenschildt pretty much embodies the phrase like a boss. He's probably one of the coolest professors at McMaster, and he's of royal heritage in Switzerland (he's a baron and his family has a goddamn castle).

I had him for signals and systems back in second year, and he taught the course beautifully. One of the better courses I've taken at McMaster. From what I hear, he's teaching basic artificial intelligence/robotics in this course, which as far as I can recall, is his specialty - so it should be awesome.

Originally Posted by Ownaginatios

*snip*

However, since Dr. von Mohrenschildt is teaching it, I'd highly recommend the course. Dr. von Mohrenschildt pretty much embodies the phrase like a boss. He's probably one of the coolest professors at McMaster

Pretty much.

... and he's of royal heritage in Switzerland (he's a baron and his family has a goddamn castle).

*snip*

No. Ruddy. Way.

But more importantly: the man needs a personal fan club.

But more importantly: sauce?

Originally Posted by Zachary

But more importantly: sauce?

It was a rumor going around a couple years ago that he was "royalty". Not sure how it started, but it was "confirmed" when apparently some students in a lab were talking about it as he walked by and he was all like "how do you know about that?!". Take from that what you will, but von Mohrenschildt doesn't really joke much.

Also, I believe there is some sort of plaque thing in his office that says something about it as far as I can remember.

I want to believe....

He jokes when people are absent from lectures - albeit, it's the same joke every time.

And true or not, the man's got enough of that 'air of command' to pull it off.

I took this class in 2010 with Dr. Wassyng and we worked on the pacemaker. I would place it at the very bottom of the list of classes I took in 3rd year of Tron.

I have had Dr. MvM as a professor and I would reiterate what the others are saying. He and Dr. Lawford are probably the best professors I had at McMaster during undergrad. If Dr. MvM is teaching SFWR 3K04 and the focus is on artificial intelligence with labs dealing with robots I'd be all over that.

I took 3k04, with Wassyng. I didn't learn shit but it was easy as fuck.