2.4
Quality4.4
Difficulty24%
Would Retake94
Reviews24%
Would Retake
94
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
94 total ratings5
11
4
15
3
17
2
22
1
29
What Students Say
“hands down, in my 4 years at CSU, he is THE WORST TEACHER EVER”
PHIL1105 - 1.0 rating“DO NOT WAIST YOUR TIME YOU WILL REGRET IT”
PHIL1101 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
89%
Textbook Required
38%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.23 avg changeRatings by Course
PHILSCI
5.0
(1)ANY
5.0
(1)ETHICS
5.0
(1)PHIL1225
5.0
(1)PHIL1115
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
PHILOSOPHY
5.0
MORALSETHICS
5.0
PHIL
5.0
POLSCI
5.0
SURVEYOFPHIL
5.0
Reviews (93)
soooo much reading and several pages of notes to take a day. You never have a grasp of what's going on. Nice guy tries really hard but just confuses the crap out of everyone.
Amen to that. He is really nice and he trys to explain it to you, but it is still difficult to grasp. Unless you like this type of history or enjoy this type of challenge, I wouldn't take this class unless absolutely necessary.
He doesn't try to make it difficult but that doesn't change the fact that it is. You have to understand from the beginning if you don't you never will. And you have to take alot of quizzes, that usually don't make very much sense. I wouldnt recommend him.
Nice guy, but his class is hard. I agree with everyone else in everything else and I don't have a failing grade. Quiz days are the worst, but his test are easier than his quizzes, but even the tests are hard so you're screwed.
Very intelligent man, he's so smart he can't put things in normal person words. Those little quizzes killed me. The writting assignments are nice though. He's alright.
he is a very poor teacher who doesnt know what he is speaking about
difficult subject, he needs to limit the amount of readings and concentrate on less material. review before tests would help alot or at least an outline of what was really important. oh yes, never, never try to leave in the middle of class, it WILL be very, very ugly.
It's already hard to make this subject matter exciting, and he doesn't make it any easier, in fact I think he makes it even more diffiucult. He loves his job but nobody else does. Uses ten dollar words and has little regard whether or not you learn the material. Quizzes are ass kickers.
Picture Bob Sagget with the vioce of the guy from the eyedrops commercial. he is very boring and doesnt try to make the material any easier than its not already. i DONT recommend him. ps never leave in middle of class,it wont be nice.
Pretty awesome teacher
I took Van Kley for Philosophy of Science last Spring and its true the material he teaches is difficult and complicated, but if you show him that you're willing to put forth the effort of coming to see him, and asking questions, then he is more than willing to help. My writing skills improved drastically in this class.
I had him one day and got 5 pages of notes the first day. He sounds like Kermit the frog (to me) and seems very emotionless and monotone. And from these rating, I seem to be right!
This is the worst prof. I have EVER had. He is smart... but he is always right. You can study the chapter tests and notes and still fail. The first 3 tests we took 70% of the class FAILED!!!! He told us he we needed to learn how to study and made us sign up to go to tutoring.
....Avoid this man like he has LEPRECY! He has absolutely NO idea what the hell he is talking about. Can not answer a question directly. If W's annoy you, but you still want to take one of his classes, sit in on one...you'll swiftly change your mind. I left after one week and I think my IQ went down 10 points for staying in there so long.
He was nice, but very unclear. He tries to make us laugh...but nobody does. His tests are way too hard and he isnt very clear on what we need to study. Philospohy is hard, but with him, it is even worse. Dont take this class if you dont need to.
I think that he is rude and dry. He doesnt explain things well and when you ask for help or for him to clarify he makes it even worse.
DO NOT TAKE THIS MAN!! The only thing that I've learned in that man class is to not listen to him and go home and figure it out on my own.
The class is not what you'd expect from an introductory survey class. It's taught far more in depth and requires a lot more effort than I thought. Be ready for some of the most difficult, abstract, and inconclusive thinking yet. If you're looking for something easier, look for another professor. Van Kley is about as difficult as you can get.
Anyone that tells you he is a good teacher is LYING. I am a Senior with 92 Credit hours, a 3.4 GPA. Van Kley is the WORST instructor I have ever had. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASSES, HE SHOULD BE FIRED! HE STINKS!! We started with 32 students in the class and only 11 were left to take the Final. RUN!!!!!
VK is just as hard as any other professor can get, its just a hard topic that people aren't used to. the class requires !effort! and !!!thinking!!! (i think that's the whole point). not a free ride, so don't expect one, or you'll be one of those who drops out. may have a hard time relating certain topics to those who don't understand. hes managable
Van Kley is certainly one of the hardest teachers at CSU--perhaps too hard if this were. But, this ain't high school anymore, kids. Be prepared to actually go over the notes he gives, and to actually read the assignments he recommends. The topic alone is abstract enough, still, Van Kley is always prepared to clarify tough questions.
I've seen many bad reviews about Dr. Van Kley on this page. I, however, do not think he is a bad teacher. He does challenge and he does, believe it or not, expect you to read the assigned material. He is willing to help you but you have to be willing to help yourself to get that help. So, expect a challenge if you take onf of his classes.
Do not take his class. He gives you a ton of work to do, daily. He wants you to write a 250 word summary on all of his lectures. You have to write 4 essays on his test. Beware, if you have registered for his class find another professor immediately.
the course is far too difficult to be considered lower level. instructions are lean and requirements are hefty. content is strictly sybolic representation and equations, and really has little to do with arguementation as advertised. must be great at math. book is unclear. van kley doesn't understand the difficulty this subject poses to students.
Avoid him if at all possible. He is a nice guy, but both of his tests require 4 essays (625 or more total words). He talked way over my head on most things.
Van Kley is tough, but an A can be done. Come to class ready to work, read the assignments, ask questions. Let him know if you need to leave early and it's cool. Slackers need not apply.
I learned a lot from Dr.VanKley. The class was a challenge, but he presented the material "logically" and clearly. I would take a class with him again.
This was a great class. The lectures were well informed and amusing, and help was always available outside of class.
I struggled to keep up while taking notes. We asked him if he could possibly offer more organization to the class, but he refused. If I got something wrong in the notes because I couldn't keep up, I would also get it wrong on the test. He is very nice and friendly, but I think he might be too smart to teach an intro level class.
Most of the people who dont make decent grades in his classes are lazy. I only read the book when I needed quotes for reports. GO TO CLASS not going is a big fail and he wont be willing to help you but he is ALWAYS available/willing to help at any time. CSU students are used to being given test material he doesn't do that grow up and learn to read.
Take notes and read them. He gives outlines straight from his tests, if you don't pass, you didn't study that simple. If you can't pass his class you probably shouldn't be in college, making a C is easy. A or a B you actually have to study...
Dr. Van Kley is very knowledgeable and gives great examples and stories but it is hard to keep up taking notes during his lectures. His handouts are extremely helpful + study guide. His tests are extremely hard. Read and re-read text and document every example he gives. Good teacher but hard class.
I personally did not like the class. He knows his materials very but has difficluty explaning them clearly to students
I will thoroughly agree with the comment that he is too smart to properly teach the class. If you read the books, take notes and pay attention in class you will pass, however he counts off for getting definitions even a few words off. He understands everything perfectly, and does not understand why we have trouble. Nice guy but a bit frustrating.
The problem with VanKley is that he is very intelligent and incredibly knowledgable about his subject, but he expects his students to be on the same level as him. Had him for Phil of Science, dropped because I felt like I was in Harvard grad school. SOO difficult. Avoid at all costs unless you are a philisophical genius like him. Wisdo is better!!
I just got done taking Moral Philo with Van Kley. HE IS INCREDIBLE. He is very coherent and you get smarter just listening to him talk about ethics. My favorite teacher yet at CSU. Just listen in class and the test will be easy. This class changed my life.He teaked on coffee one day and we watched Star Trek and how LT. Data was a robot with values.
hands down, in my 4 years at CSU, he is THE WORST TEACHER EVER!!!! this class is impossible to do well. He randomly gives 4pt quizs that everyone fails. The essay question was a list of 8 questions, I went to the writing lab and LAUGHED about how stupid the essay topic was.DO NOT TAKE HIM unless you like bad grades, trust me im on the deans list
Van Kley is the perfect professor for certain students, and the worst for others. If you are willing to work hard, you will leave the class with an A and a THOROUGH understanding of the topic. I've taken two classes with him, and Ive loved them both. Most imporantly, however, you MUST keep up with the class. ENJOY!
He is a horrible teacher and if there is anyway around taking him do not take him ! Because he gives pop quizzes everyday and if you come in like 5 minutes late he will not let you make up the quiz so if there is anyway around taking this man do not do it!
Just got done taking Formal Logic with Van Kley. Great mind, but I don't think he's ever taken a teaching class. He is really helpful if you go to his office after class, so I definitely recommend doing that if you do end up taking him. However, I would never tell ANYONE to take Formal Logic with ANY professor.
Interesting class but not with this teacher. I found out the hard way, if you want to succeed with this teacher you must take notes because he wants all of your answers in his words. All test were multiple choice and short answers with 1 long essay question (2 on final). Take him if you want a challenge but make sure you take notes!!
Moral philosophy with Professor Van Kley was incredibly challenging. He is so intelligent that he speaks another, circular language. His daily 4 point quizzes are silly; no one passes them. The written assignments are ridiculous with a composition of many different theoretical questions-impossible. All test answers must be remembered verbatim.
I had Van Kley for Intro and Formal Logic. I mean yeah he can be tough but he has actually become quite hilarious. Plus, his knowledge of philosophy is almost unparalleled! Your class just needs to keep it lite from time to time and he'll cut up and you'll have fun with the course too. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Slight monotone though
HE IS NOT CLEAR, HARD TO UNDERSTAND, AND EXTREMEMLY SOFT SPOKEN! DO NOT WAIST YOUR TIME YOU WILL REGRET IT! I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO THIS WEBSITE YOU SHOULD TOO!
PHIL Formal Logic (fall 2012) with Dan Van Kley. He is quite helpful in class and during office hrs. There was an quiz every week. So expect homework. Approximately, 2 exams and a final. Dan Van Kley is very monotone, immensely knows everything about the topic,but can also be funny. I would definitely recommend tutoring and/or group studying.
Formal logic is not an easy class, nor should it be. It is a college course about logic. I'm pretty sure most students don't come to class knowing the ins & outs of logic. It was definitely a challenge but as long as you put forth the effort you can succeed. I made an A, so it isn't impossible. Study hard & get a study buddy! It helps a lot!
VanKley is tough. There will be a 4 q online quiz and assigned reading every class. Three tests, mostly essay, you must write two papers and participate in a classroom panel discussion. There is a curve. You will discuss world poverty, gun rights, property rights, and privacy among other things. Pretty interesting. Textbook is super expensive.
I would not recommend taking his class online. I spent at least 25 to 30 hours a week in this class and studied everyday. This is an intro to Philosophy class; it is the hardest class I've taken and I am a junior.
Prior to having taken this class, I had what I'd consider to be a moderate interest in philosophy. Now I feel as though my inner, dormant philosopher has been awakened. If you have any type of work ethic, you will pass. If you do not, you will fail-cut and dry. Getting to know the works of Descartes, Hume, and Plato were a joy and a privilege.
I had to drop this class to save my GPA. The material is hard to comprehend and he is no better at simplifying the material. There is a 5pg paper, online quizzes, and essay based tests. I'm sorry but there needs to be a better teacher for that kind of class. Go for Wisdo if you're interested in philosophy classes.
PLEASE RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN AWAY FROM THIS CLASS! He is monotone, makes constant mistakes making it hard to learn, the information is confusing and he does not do well at explaining it. Even the tutor couldn't help me because he didn't understand all of it.
Dr. Van Kley is an amazing professor, but his class is VERY hard! When you go into the class, you have to have the mindset to working as hard as you can. If you do that from the beginning, you will do better than most of the class. You have to go to every class meeting or you will be completely lost.
I took this class trying to avoid hard classes- I jumped feet 1st into a hard class not even knowing it Lol. You HAVE to come to class or watch tegrity videos and study from day 1, if u don't u'll fall behind and fail. Hard class, but prof is really helpful & goes out of his way to help anyone who shows initiative. If u try u'll AT LEAST make a C.
He's very monotone, can be very confusing, but is very willing to help if you come to his office. There's 25+ online quizzes, two papers, and three exams. The final exam is the most difficult because it asks more specific things than the others and is cumulative. SHOW UP. TAKE NOTES. If you try, you'll be fine.
I am HistoryPhilosophy of Math and Science with Van Kley and he was my teacher for PHIL 2010 (Introduction to Philosophy). He is very monotone, asks for the absolute most on all of his assignments, and the material is very hard to understand. Sometimes, when he tries to explain it, I still feel confused after trying clarity.
I would NEVER recommend for anyone to take his class at all. He doesn't explain things well at all, and if you ask him to explain something you still won't understand, or he beats around the bush and never really answers a question. Just don't take his class.
Although this class was a little difficult, if you ask him for help or clarification, he is more than willing to explain to you after class or during his office hours. He will always use Tegrity, and is the only professor I've had to use it. It helps more than you can imagine, esp for days you aren't as focused in class. He has clear instructions.
Great professor! This class was tough but he made it interesting. He's pretty funny and very willing to help. He's also optimistic and wants you to do well. Grading is very clear. We had weekly quizzes and three exams (he gives partial credit on problems, too). Overall I liked this professor a lot and would definitely take him again!
If you don't pay attention to what he says in class, you will NOT pass. His test are weighed very heavily. First test was 17% and another 23% with a 5 page paper, and a final. That was it. His test questions come straight from lectures though. Attendance policy as well. If you skip, you wont pass.
Dont set yourself up for failure with taking this class. This instructor is one those "if you pass WONDERFUL, im all about my "A" students, but if you fail, oh well did you study
I would only recommend taking this class if you're actually interested in it. Otherwise, it will be very tedious because you'll have to do a lot of heavy reading. Dr. Van Kley is, overall, a great professor. It's true that you need his lectures, but he records them and puts them online for you. If you don't understand something, ask.
He is a super tough grader, and he doesn't clearly say what he's looking for in his papers. We had to read articles for practically every class period and had to take a quiz on each of the readings. There is one group project, and he doesn't give a breakdown of how he grades it. The final grade breakdown is confusing.
Dr. Van Kley knows what he is talking about. The class is challenging but if you utilize the tutoring opportunities you will be fine.
I'd say that this class was about as tough as pre-calculus. Dr. Van Kley's strength as a professor is in how he structures his classes rather than his communication skills. If you're confused, your time would be better spent with the class tutor or a savvy classmate, not in his office. However, his online materials are very helpful!
This class was scary in the beginning but ended up not being as bad as i thought. The tests were okay as long as you do the study guide youll be fine, consists of multiple choice, short answer& essay. He only tests you over what he teaches in class and all his recorded lectures are posted online. Be ready to have a reading everyday before class
(Part 1) UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU EVER SIGN UP FOR ANY COURSE TAUGHT BY THIS MAN. The material is hard, and he makes it harder than it needs to be. If you don't quote the philosophers/authors VERBATUM than he counts it as wrong. He will not work with you. He does not care about your grade or your sanity.
Formal logic is somewhat difficult. Studying is a must!! I recommend tutoring for this class. I started off poorly and as the class progressed, I did much better. Sometimes you can't go by the rates on here, will have to experience the professor for yourself. Also everything will not be easy in life, work will have to be put in.
Very passionate professor, gives great lectures. But I would not recommend taking this class. The test are difficult to study for and require a lot of writing - all essay and short answers. Make sure to focus on the quizzes and papers if you want to pass because the tests are very hard.
This class can either be super easy or super difficult. If you dont like old english, maybe rethink taking this class. Prof talks really low and monotone, class can be boring. The discussions in class are very interesting. If you do not read the assigned readings, you may fail the class. Quizzes every week! Class is verydifficult but not impossible
He's okay, but his voice is monotone. He doesn't post his notes on CougarView but he does record his lectures. His tests are also not multiple choice and if you don't read, you'll most likely fail. I got an 80 on the first test but the guy next to me completely failed. If you're not interested in reading then I suggest you not take his class!
While many people are saying don't take him, as long as you actually try and go to his office hours if struggling, you'll pass. He genuinely cares about students who show up and wants you to succeed. His class can be boring, but I mean it's formal logic. His other classes are only boring if people don't do the readings because it's discussion based
In all honesty, only take this class if you have nothing to do with your life. The class isn't that hard but it definitely would make you regret not dropping it before the deadline. You have a few readings that range from 6 pages to 27 pages, it all depends. The way that he grades can really break or make you, it truly depends. Honestly, good luck!
Hes very organized. Comes in late, doesnt know what homework he assigned us. We also only had 3 grades, so if you failed you were screwed. The test had no multiple choice and a lot of writing. Dont take this class.
He is actually nice but his voice was very quiet so it would be hard to hear him sometimes during lecture. There was always homework due coming to class and there were only two tests in total, yes total: the midterm and the final and only four grades for the entire semester class and they were all pretty big grades. You have to read to understand.
(PHIL 2020) He is very vague with his lectures so you NEED to ask questions when you're confused. He only assigns 6 quizzes, a midterm, a paper, and the final. The homework he assigns isn't graded but he does ask for the answers in class. I suggest taking PHIL 2020 before 2500. You will use your textbook, find it for free on Z-library
Worse class I have ever taken. If this class isnt mandatory for you dont bother taking it. He does records lectures but attendance is mandatory?(were in a pandemic). This class material is fast paced, so get help when you can. Had him for Formal Logic.
Fast paced. Students rarely speak up if they have a question, so Dr. Van Kley perceives the silence as comprehension and moves on. You will need to watch recordings to fully grasp concepts. Van Kley is soft spoken, but always sounds good on recording. You will have to dedicate time for this class. Trying is a necessary condition for passing.
He lectures and provides test. That is it, that is all. He does not teach or try to make sure that students understand. You will need to dedicate extra time after class to teach yourself. Overall I would not recommend his course.
If you are wanting to lose the last drop of sanity that you have left in you, this is the class for you! This man encompasses the definition of someone who needs to PICK A STRUGGLE. He doesn't know what he's doing, tough grader, is vague yet expects you to have specific answer on the thousands of assignments he gives but doesn't grade. RUN!!!
HE IS AWFUL!!!!!! He is vague with what answers he is looking for. He is an extremely tough grader and doesn't even provide feedback so you don't know what you're doing wrong. He does not respond to his emails so you can't ask for help AND doesn't grade on time so you don't know what you have.If you're looking to lose your mind take this class.
Does not actually teach, give feedback, expectations or even grades until the end. Gives as much work as a full time semester. Changed the syllabus multiple times during the semester. Gives at least 1, sometimes 2 or 3, 3-4 hour tests a week (paragraph answers), heavy reading, 5 discussion posts with 6 responses,and gave a total of 5 4 page papers.
In my 2 years of college, he has to be the worst professor I have ever had. He says things are due on a certain day, but doesn't change the due date so it ends up being counted as late. He does not seem to care whether you pass or fail, since he does not actively grade the assignments you submit. 2 grades have been submitted since August.
There were several weeks where NONE of the assignments were posted for me. I tried emailing him many times about this asking him to make them available, but he never responded or fixed it. As a result, I wasn't able to access and complete a few weeks' worth of work. He really doesn't seem to care if you fail.
Worst 'professor' I have ever had. He does not grade, provide feedback, or respond to emails. Only two grades have been posted, with >15 assigned, with two weeks left of the semester. It is self-evident that he does not respect our time or our grade.
This "teacher" doesn't teach, doesn't grade assignments or respond to emails. Students in the class started reaching out to each other and found he gave us all the same final grade (75) after having graded all papers the same. He never graded the weekly assignments or quizzes though. Finished the class with basically no knowledge gained.
I was really excited to take philosophy to learn something new, but it ended up being the worst class out of all of mine, and I have an A in all of my classes. He is very hard to reach, and when I do reach him his communication is very poor and short. He does not give feedback on the quizzes so you never know what you did wrong. I don't recommend.
If you show up to his class and understand a third of what he is saying, or even hear him you are one of the few. Most of my fellow students practically gave up on his class because we couldn't understand a single thing going on and he really didn't help, at all.
Dr. Van Kley's lectures may initially seem dull, but engaging and reading are key. Many complain, but often it's due to lack of attention. Despite challenging lectures, his deep course knowledge is undeniable. Advice: read during homework; relying on chatGPT or internet search is inefficient.
NOOOOO
Just no absolutely no. There's nothing good about this class. You can barely hear him half of the time and when you do hear you can't focus on what he's saying cause he plays with his beard that gross people out. He doesn't even know his own course schedule half of the time... I can go on and on about this class. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS PERIODDDD
Terrible. He stands and twirls his beard while waiting for students to answer questions about what he should be teaching. Spent a 75 minute class on one question of a quiz. Must think everyone is a philosophy major and SO interested when 95% are taking it since it's required. Speaks like a SNAIL. Shows up late to his own class/talks past the end.
Tough professor with unclear expectations. Lectures are hard to follow, and feedback/grading is virtually non-existent. But unstuckstudy helped me prepare for tests and stay on track.
I really dislike this class. The instructor doesn't answer questions clearly, he is hard to hear, and refuses to share notes. He rushes through slides, giving barely any time to take said notes. I've stopped looking both ways before I cross the street each morning I have this class.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
89%
Textbook Required
38%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.23 avg changeRatings by Course
PHILSCI
5.0
(1)ANY
5.0
(1)ETHICS
5.0
(1)PHIL1225
5.0
(1)PHIL1115
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
PHILOSOPHY
5.0
MORALSETHICS
5.0
PHIL
5.0
POLSCI
5.0
SURVEYOFPHIL
5.0