3.5

David Kyle

Social Science - University of California Davis

3.5
Quality
2.5
Difficulty
53%
Would Retake
125
Reviews
3.5
Quality
2.5
Difficulty
3.5
Helpful
3.4
Clarity

53%

Would Retake

125

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

49

4

20

3

22

2

21

1

13

What Students Say

Fun and upbeat professor

SOC1 - 4.0 rating

Please, please, please avoid Dr

IRE104 - 1.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

45%

Textbook Required

50%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A+

95% confidence
Based on 36 grades
Most common grades:
A (20)
A+ (8)
Not sure yet (8)
Grade Distribution
A(28)B(2)C(0)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(6)
Based on 46 reported grades
A: 20
A+: 8
Not sure yet: 8
A-: 4
Common Tags
Get ready to read (18)
Lecture heavy (14)
Inspirational (13)
Caring (11)
Graded by few things (9)
Amazing lectures (7)
EXTRA CREDIT (7)
So many papers (6)
Rating Trend

Stable

+0.09 avg change
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
Nov
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

INTROTOSOC

5.0

(1)

SOC100

5.0

(1)

SOC1

4.1

(24)

SOC195

4.0

(9)

SOCIO1

4.0

(1)
+14 more courses
Difficulty by Course

INTROTOSOC

3.0

SOC104

3.0

SOC5

3.0

IR104

3.0

SOC100

3.0

Reviews (125)
3.0
2.0
SOC001
Dec 27, 2002

He is interesting in class, but kind of arrogant don't expect much help.

4.0
2.0
SOC1
Feb 25, 2003

Does a good job of teaching outside the text. (Can be a bit moody, though). Going to lectures is a must as nearly all exam material is taken from them.

3.0
3.0
IRE104
Feb 25, 2003

Lectures are very disorganized but amusing and interesting to listen to. If only we didn't have to worry about a grade for this class...Reminded me of B List actor the first day of school

5.0
2.0
SOC001
Mar 3, 2003

Interesting lectures. Brings the subject to life. Uses powerpoint for lectures...=organized. Kind of cute. :)

1.0
1.0
SOC1
Mar 4, 2003

No Comments

4.0
2.0
SOC1
May 29, 2003

Prof. Kyle is very entertaining to listen to and is very lively. He can be a bit moody sometimes, but hey I would be too if I had to teach without any classroom rules! He's only human. Kind of reminds me of John Stewart. Lectures are pretty good.

2.0
3.0
SOC1
Feb 2, 2004

If you want to take sociology, don't take it with Kyle. He talks about some interesting stuff, but for the most part it is an extremely boring class. I could never stay awake through the whole thing and that was not just because it was at 8 in the morning

2.0
3.0
IRE104
Mar 2, 2004

Terribly boring, unable to finish a single sentence, always goes on weird tangents. One test (easy) and a 14-16 page paper. Your grade is up to your TA. You will not learn much in his class. He is good at writing books but not at lecturing

1.0
1.0
IRE104
Mar 4, 2004

Save yourself some money and don't enroll in this waste of time class! He has no teaching or speaking skills, and he makes fun of anyone who raises their hand and does not praise him. If you are in his class, ask for his autograph... maybe he'll be nicer

2.0
2.0
IRE104
Grade: Not_Sure_Yet
Mar 19, 2004

very arrogant. criticizes those who raise their hands. talks 2 much about random stuff. took us 9 classes to finish 1.5 hr movie. doesn't go in2 depth about international migration much. the take home final was 2 long. midterm and 14-16 page paper was ok

4.0
3.0
IRE104
Apr 3, 2004

I really learned a lot of interesting stuff in this course about international migration. Kyle rambled sometimes but I liked his style. This course opened my eyes to the problem of migrants becoming slaves. Not that hard . . .report is a little long.

5.0
3.0
IRE104
Apr 4, 2004

I think the other comments mislead what Prof. Kyle's about. He is REALLY dedicated to his work and has a lot of interesting experiences. For this reason he goes off on tangents sometimes, but it shows his knowledge of the material. Overall - great class

5.0
3.0
IRE104
Apr 5, 2004

This was a great class, tho' I was already interested in the topic. I think these negative comments are written by losers who didn't go to class or made bad grades. Prof. Kyle was always helpful and never insulted anyone. I wonder who has ADD!!

5.0
2.0
IRE104
Apr 5, 2004

pof. kyle's cute . . ..got a good grade, learned a lot. i didn't expect to learn about slavery today as part of a course on international migration--wow! this was an awesome course . . i recommend it

5.0
3.0
SOC195
Apr 22, 2004

One of the best courses i've taken. small seminar was nice. kyle is a great teacher--and hot ;)

5.0
3.0
IRE104
Apr 26, 2004

Wonderful!! I'm an immigrant and learned alot about my own ethnic group. I think these other comments are by students who were not entertained enough--they should stay home and watch TV!

5.0
1.0
SOC1
Sep 13, 2004

:) Easy A, cute prof.

5.0
3.0
SOC1
Nov 11, 2004

ADD? You uneducated whiners. He teaches Socratically which takes a breadth of knowledge that is hard to find. He stays on topic by using current events and the lives of the students in class. I only had Soc 1 from him but I have visited his office numerous times since and he has always given me time

5.0
3.0
SOC1
Nov 12, 2004

this guy is awesome, i was laughing out loud constantly during the class. decent amount of reading, but hes tight. i recommend him.

3.0
2.0
SOC001
Nov 12, 2004

His lectures get boring after a while. He tries too hard to be funny sometimes. The reading amount and assignments aren't that bad.

4.0
3.0
SOC001
Nov 12, 2004

he seems to fluctuate between interesting and boring lectures. shows some videos which can be crucial to quizzes and tests. he gives short quizzes and tests. yea he can sidetrack alot, but sometimes you need a break from listening about sociology for 2 hours. :P

5.0
2.0
SOC1
Dec 8, 2004

Prof Kyle started off the quarter with lots of really fun and interesting lectures. While the course is very easy, the lectures towards the latter part of the course lose their flair, and he becomes a bit boring. It seems like he starts the quarter off with a bang and loses interest 1/2 way through

4.0
3.0
SOC01
Dec 10, 2004

Professor Kyle is a pretty nice guy. He is sort of random, but that's usually fun and it keeps the class awake.

2.0
2.0
SOC01
Grade: A
Dec 13, 2004

Lectures are fun and interesting, but feel long and pointless. Six one page papers.

5.0
2.0
SOC1
Dec 15, 2004

i guess it depends on where you're sitting in the huge room. . . I thought he was always on topic even when telling a story. not too hard, good videos

2.0
3.0
SOC01
Dec 27, 2004

Hes a nice guy but he doesnt really stay on topic. Make sure you go to all the lectures because he gives surprise quizez to see who shows up.

5.0
3.0
INTROTOSOC
Dec 29, 2004

i'm changing my major to sociology 'cuz of this course. kyle is an awsome teacher. I agree with the topic thing but it all depends on what you mean by staying on topic--he uses lots of examples.

5.0
2.0
SOC001
Jan 2, 2005

He was honestly the best teacher I've had this quarter. All of his lectures are really funny and dynamic. It's true, he doesn't stay on topic to well, but for me that just made things more interesting. Class requires six one page essays and the TA's were way too hard, but Kyle is an easy & nice guy.

3.0
2.0
SOC1
Jan 4, 2005

In the beginning of the quarter the lectures were really good, and really funny. After the midterm the lectures got really boring and I dreaded going to class. Overall, it was really easy and made sense sometimes.

5.0
4.0
SOC1
Feb 7, 2005

one of the best classes at ucd. i think you either get prof. kyle or you don't--i did and loved it.

4.0
2.0
SOCIO1
Mar 12, 2005

boring guy, but easy class. really cool TAs

5.0
1.0
SOC1
Mar 25, 2005

One of the best classes at UCD!

5.0
4.0
SOC1
Apr 22, 2005

I am only rating the best teachers before I graduate and prof kyle is one of the best! I also had him for soc 138 a couple of years ago--awesome

2.0
1.0
SOC1
Feb 1, 2006

boring teacher that just likes to come and ramble about stuff to us. easy course with very little requirements. midterm & final were straight forward. you dont learn much, but can get a B with doing close to nothing. i got an A

1.0
1.0
SOC141
Mar 23, 2006

If i had signed up to take a class about steinway pianos and ipods, maybe it would have been interesting. let's just say this was the most pointless class i have ever taken. plus, kyle is so unorganized and has an awful attitude. he never once came prepared for lecture, and was 15 mins late to class every day. atleast it was an easy a!

4.0
2.0
SOC141
Apr 21, 2006

nice guy, learn about music as a metaphor for industrialization. Would people complain less if he gave C's and D's instead of A's? I'd rather learn about music technology than learning about Marx for the 10nth time over, that men are evil, and that the reason that people are poor is bc theyve been oppressed....refreshing straghtforward change

4.0
2.0
SOC141
Dec 21, 2006

He is a good teacher, the class is somewhat boring, but overall the class was pretty simple no brainer. Take home essay final, and in class blog presentation worth 20%.

3.0
2.0
SOC141
Jan 3, 2007

Kyle was a pretty good teacher but the format of the class sucked. We didn't really have to read the book so when we all got to class it was just childishness - he didn't lecture most of the time, instead students presented "blogs" which didn't teach anything and let students ramble. Pretty easy, though - quizzes are cake and the exams are doable.

3.0
2.0
SOC46
Feb 10, 2007

So boring... Powerpoint moved VERY quickly, and it was hard to copy everything down (and they were not put online.) His lectures were v. disorganized and boring, and he tried to tie EVERYTHING to his research. TA, Jen Bosche-Danzer was really nice and helpful! She did a guest lecture and it was the most interesting day of the class.

4.0
2.0
SOC104
Feb 19, 2007

I like Kyle. Yes, he does talk about his own research A LOT, but I happen to find Ecuador very interesting so I don't mind. The midterm study guide questions prepared us well for the exam and everyone did pretty well.

2.0
4.0
SOC138
Mar 19, 2007

Boring class, Overall he only teach us for few lessons (the first 2 week), then he told us to set up fair trade company. MT and Final is hard; not organize; many ppl from this class also agree that- "we learn nothing"!! So don't waste your times and $$

3.0
2.0
SOC104
Apr 4, 2007

I like Prof. Kyle. He's a nice guy and easy grader. Although the study guide he gave before the exams was hard to follow, simply just remember his PowerPoint, easy A overall.Read the text and highlight impt. stuff so that you have stuff to write on the exam.

3.0
3.0
SOC46A
Dec 21, 2007

Pretty boring. The reading is also boring and long. He likes to talk about his research which is uninteresting. The tests and weekly excercises are fair. The class is relatively easy, just an extreme bore. He's a nice guy, but is not a good lecturer.

5.0
4.0
IRE104
Mar 11, 2008

Professor Kyle is wonderful and full of knowledge. If you are at all interested in the topic of immigration--take this class!! He is a really great guy and is full of knowledge!

3.0
2.0
SOC138
Mar 30, 2008

i'll admit, he's not the best lecturer (esp 9 AM in the morning). but as long as you attend at least HALF of the classes and READ THE TEXT, you'll do good. trust me. other than that, he's a nice guy and he knows his stuff.

2.0
4.0
IRE104
Mar 4, 2009

DON'T TAKE THIS CLASS! All he does is ask questions and talk about his own research. He never actually talks about anything important.

4.0
3.0
SOC104
Apr 5, 2009

he's cool and its not too hard.

5.0
1.0
IRE104
Jul 24, 2009

I though his class was engaging and overall pretty easy. I took him over summer. He gave extra credit quizzes a couple time of the readings to reward those that attended class. Our class consisted of a midterm, a final, and a really easy org. project. I strongly recommend this Prof. Taking this class also provided me with an internship with him.

2.0
4.0
SOC104
Mar 14, 2010

Unorganized and boring.

2.0
4.0
IRE104
Mar 16, 2010

This was probably the most pointless class that I have taken at Davis in four years. It was so unorganized that I learned almost nothing. There was also a disconnection between the material in class and the exams.We did almost nothing during class time, and so it was impossible to provide examples from lecture on questions.

3.0
3.0
SOC104
May 25, 2010

I had him a few years back and thought he was ok...but after taking him again, I thought he got a little worse. The class was totally unorganized. We had a paper that had no real guidelines, I felt like. My friend said it was an ok class, a little easy, but I thought the grading was really hard.

1.0
4.0
SOC104
Jun 6, 2010

This class was kind of useless. I expected to learn a lot, but it was so unstructured and scattered. He always went over the allotted class time, which is irritating if you have class right after. I thought I did fairly well on the midterm, but I was shocked when I got it back to see a MUCH lower grade. Clearer guidelines needed for paper and test

3.0
3.0
IRE104
Jun 8, 2010

I took him previously for a Soc class, and thought he was pretty great then. After taking this class, I've changed my mind a bit. He's really nice and helpful, but I found lectures to be almost incomprehensible. The grading was a little hard, because I got a C- after studying quite a bit (this coming from a A/B student). It was ok overall.

5.0
3.0
IRE104
Dec 6, 2010

He's a great professor for this course because the reasdings are relevant for a global perspective of the issues and your specific paper is relevant to your area of interest so you get the whole shibbang!! He lectures a bit off topic but the exams are based on the readings, so DO THEM!

5.0
4.0
SOC104
Feb 2, 2011

I am in love with this class! Immigration has never been so interesting. Take home final, midterm questions were easy. Readings are interesting!

2.0
2.0
SOC104
May 28, 2012

Very boring and scattered lectures. Class was supposed to be on international migration but spent 95% of the time talking about just Mexico. Had to read 4 books. 1 MT,take home final, and a research paper for which he makes us get into groups which was very confusing and difficult b/c there were no guidelines given to us. Would not take him again.

3.0
4.0
SOC104
Jun 27, 2012

Very scattered lectures, sometimes painfully disjointed. This class will need a lot of self initiative because Kyle teaches and does everything in a very unstructured way. You will need to keep your self and the material organized and focus, cause he won't do it for you. I learned a few things but in retrospective I would have taken someone els

5.0
3.0
SOC195
Oct 11, 2012

Very great professor. We had a great time in this seminar class and it was very related and tied into the readings. The best part was taking part in a class project that involved all the students and was very informative and fun. I was worried about taking a seminar class in general, but I would take this class 10 more times.

5.0
3.0
SOC195
Oct 11, 2012

Great experience w/ Prof. Kyle! SOC 195- with the topic being the imagination,It was open discussion.If you did the readings,engaged in discussion and asked questions it was super interesting and enjoyable!Prof. Kyle is a super smart guy, and very passionate about the imagination. The more you pick his brain, the more you get out of the class!

5.0
3.0
SOC195
Oct 16, 2012

By far the best class I've taken at UC Davis. Why didn't I get an A? I had a problem with my computer on the day of the final, but I am happy with the grade I got because I got so much more out the class than just a grade. For the first time I feel like I was truly mentored. Dr. Kyle is very knowledgable in his subject yet he values your input/idea

5.0
3.0
SOC195
Nov 18, 2012

Great Class! Learned alot about a topic that is still rare in the Sociology field. Sociology of the Imagination is growing, and Prof. Kyle is the best person to learn about the growing field. Great class, recommend to everyone!

5.0
1.0
SOC1
Apr 26, 2013

His lectures are slightly disorganized but his tests follow easy logic and he's very approachable if you don't understand something. I would definately recommend this class.

4.0
3.0
SOC1
Jun 8, 2013

He rambles on during lecture and is always talking about his own research into creativity. Very disorganized. Lectures are very boring but mandatory for the final. The ridiculous video project he makes you do is terrible. Try to avoid this class.

5.0
2.0
SOC1
Jun 18, 2013

I felt that in order to understand the course and succeed it was necessary to go to discussion. I found Professor Kyle interesting to listen to and extremely knowledgable on current and past sociological issues. There are 8 chapter reports which you choose, a project, no midterm and a final. His lectures turned my changed my current thought process

2.0
3.0
SOC001
Jun 24, 2013

Professor Kyle was very disorganized. I probably went to half the lectures because they were just so boring and out of place. Watched documentaries and had to do 8 chapter reports. Make sure to get an easy TA. No midterms just a final. I felt i would have been more prepared for the final if there were midterms. Overall i got an A in the class.

4.0
2.0
SOC1
Jul 12, 2013

Dope professor, this guy knows what's going on! His structure, if any, is very "creative", really gives an intro to Sociology course a different meaning. 8 mini essays, put in time and show your TA you care and you'll do great. I made the biggest mistake of waiting to see him the last week of school. This guy is a genius, take his class!

4.0
1.0
SOC1
Jul 30, 2013

Such a chill professor. Goes off on tangents and in lecture his material is hard to follow but if you read the book, do your chapter reports, and get a good TA, this class is deff an easy A.

4.0
1.0
SOC1
Sep 12, 2013

Such a sick professor. He goes off on tangents a lot and focuses a lot on the world of "creativity" but it was such a good take on the subject versus other teachers who simply drown you in reading and hard exams. TAKE THIS PROFESSOR!! No midterm, one final (which he basically gives you the answers to..) worth taking the class!

4.0
1.0
SOC1
Dec 2, 2013

Fun and upbeat professor!! He goes off on tangents A LOT but he really reviews before the final exam so its easy to do well in the course. TAKE THIS TEACHER!!

3.0
2.0
SOC46A
Dec 16, 2013

He was nice, and while he did go on tangents sometimes, even they were related to the course, but sometimes you'd have to think about it to see the connection. Hardly studied for his tests and got an A. There is a group project, quizzes, 1 midterm and 1 final. If you know how science experiments/scientific method works, you'll be at an advantage.

1.0
3.0
IRE104
Aug 9, 2016
Wouldn't take again

I have never rated a professor until now. Please, please, please avoid Dr. David Kyle by all means! He is incredibly unorganized (plays videos for last minute lectures) and has readings that do not align with lecture. He is unpredictable. As a side note, this is coming from a student that did all the readings and went to every lecture!

5.0
3.0
IRE104
Grade: A
Sep 2, 2016
Would take again

Although he deviates from the conventional teaching style, his lectures were really informative and interesting. The essay prompts might seem hard at first but it was a nice challenge and really made me think about the material. I did well by taking detailed notes during lectures, doing all the readings and connecting the two for each essay.

Get ready to read
Inspirational
Amazing lectures
3.0
4.0
SOC104
Grade: B+
Oct 21, 2016
Wouldn't take again

Overall, he's a great guy and extremely knowledgeable! I would recommend to avoid his classes.

Tough Grader
SO MANY PAPERS
EXTRA CREDIT
5.0
2.0
SOC104
Grade: A-
Apr 10, 2017
Would take again

I thoroughly enjoyed this class as well as Professor Kyle's teaching style. He does go off on tangents often, but I always found them interesting, and he never tested on things he didn't teach. There was one paper a week, no midterm and he gave us the answers to most of the final questions right before handing it out. 10/10 would recommend!

Get ready to read
SO MANY PAPERS
Amazing lectures
5.0
3.0
SOC01
Grade: A
Aug 22, 2017
Would take again

He is a very eclectic professor. He started off with strong and mysterious lectures that were excellently tied together and hidden with "Easter eggs" he'd revisit throughout the class. Then he started mixing documentaries with lectures. He's not a conventional prof; we're observing the docs for the themes he teaches in lecture. He's good&Underrated

Get ready to read
Inspirational
ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE CLASS
5.0
3.0
SOC195
Grade: A
Nov 27, 2017
Would take again

Come to class, participate, and complete assignments and you will do well. Take home essay exams. Provides powerpoint slides with comprehensive notes on class lectures and takes class time to review the assigned reading material. No Textbook, just a novel, and selected readings he will post in canvas. Fun Class, interesting, and inspirational.

Participation matters
Inspirational
Hilarious
2.0
1.0
SOC1
Grade: A
Apr 5, 2018
Wouldn't take again

While Kyle clearly knows what he's talking about, there was no structure to the course. We watched a lot of documentaries, which I mostly found interesting. Readings are pretty long, but I only learned from this textbook. We had a couple take home one page essay question quizzes and the final was also just essay questions. Not too hard to get an A.

Get ready to read
5.0
3.0
SOC001
Aug 11, 2018
Would take again

I truly enjoyed this class as well as Professor Kyle's teaching style. I found his lectures very interesting. He's extremely knowledgable on current and past sociological issues. And he never tested on things he didn't teach. Go to class, participate, and complete assignments and you will do well. Take home essay exams. 10/10 would recommend! :)

Inspirational
Amazing lectures
Caring
5.0
3.0
SOC001
Aug 11, 2018
Would take again

I truly enjoyed this class as well as Professor Kyle's teaching style. I found his lectures interesting. He's knowledgable on current and past sociological issues. He doesn't test on things he doesn't teach. Go to class, participate, and do the assignments & you will do well. A few take home essay exams. I would recommend! :)

Inspirational
Amazing lectures
Caring
3.0
2.0
SOC195
Grade: A
Jan 24, 2019
Would take again

Okay class! very interesting guest speakers but really unorganized. Interesting class tho. I would take him again. Nice guy overall

Get ready to read
2.0
4.0
SOC5
Mar 7, 2019
Wouldn't take again

He clearly is passionate about what he is talking about, but he has pretty poor communication skills. I would come out of every lecture not understanding a single thing he said. He uses the textbook only a little, but heavily relies on the coffee book. He also crammed a bunch of essay assignments into the last three weeks of class.

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
So many papers
3.0
2.0
SOC5
Grade: A
Mar 26, 2019
Would take again

He's very passionate about the subjects. However, he's disorganized with the class. Usually, he could talk on one thing for too long and deviated from the agenda. There's no tests or quizzes, just all very short essays. However, he's disorganized on the assignments. The class was quite easy overall. It would be easier if he is more organized.

Inspirational
EXTRA CREDIT
So many papers
3.0
2.0
SOC05
Grade: A-
Mar 27, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Professor Kyle is passionate about this subject but extremely unorganized. I think the worst part about the class was that he waited until week 7 to assign the second essay and week 8 to assign the last essay assignment and final (10 pages). Lectures are pointless and the topics covered do not relate to what we have to write about in the essays.

Get ready to read
EXTRA CREDIT
So many papers
1.0
3.0
SOC01
Grade: B
May 10, 2019
Wouldn't take again

He doesnt talk about what he tests on at all. Banters on about artificial intelligence which has nothing to do with the class material youre tested on.

4.0
3.0
SOC104
Grade: B+
Jun 10, 2019
Would take again

One of the best professors that I have had at Uc Davis. I took his soc 104 class and it was one of the best classes Ive ever taken, 3 essays 4pages long , midterm which just like the study guide he provides and a take home final! The class covers many topics about immigration as it open new perspectives

Respected
Graded by few things
Clear grading criteria
2.0
1.0
IRE104
Grade: A+
Jun 18, 2019
Wouldn't take again

One of the worst professors that I've taken at Davis by far. Completely unorganized in his lectures, circular arguments that go on hour long tangents that impede any major conclusions that he is trying to reach. Was hoping that this course would deliver more about the intricacies of international migration, but stuck to his own self-published work

Graded by few things
5.0
3.0
SOC104
Grade: A-
Jun 26, 2019
Would take again

Professor Kyle is by far one of the best professors I've had at UC Davis. He's really passionate and intense about the subject matter, but is not at all intimidating. He really wants you to learn the material & take your time with the assignments & provided several extensions as well. He tells you what you need to know for exams as well.

Accessible outside class
Amazing lectures
Caring
2.0
3.0
SOC104
Grade: Not sure yet
Nov 7, 2019
Wouldn't take again

As a lecturer, very scattered. Does not have a clear idea for the days lecture. Actually goes on tangents often and then becomes upset when people want to leave when the class is over. Thought the class had a term paper/discussion after, but it doesn't. Talks over class time everyday. even blocked the back door so people couldn't leave early.

Get ready to read
Graded by few things
Lecture heavy
1.0
4.0
SOC104
Nov 8, 2019
Wouldn't take again

I hated his teaching style. He did not use notes or powerpoints or write on the board. VERY hard to follow during lectures and that is all he did the ENTIRE class period. Luckily he didn't grade too hard but only 4 or 5 things went in the grade book so don't miss the essays he assigns. Avoid his class!

Get ready to read
Graded by few things
Lecture heavy
1.0
3.0
SOC195
Nov 11, 2019
Wouldn't take again

David Kyle is probably the worst professor I've ever had at UCD. 4 weeks into the quarter, he completely changed our syllabus and randomly assigns projects with vague parameters. He doesn't even actually teach anything, so the suffering isn't even worth it...

Participation matters
Lecture heavy
3.0
3.0
SOC104
Dec 11, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Nice and understanding, but definitely does a pretty poor job going over concepts because of his distaste in PowerPoints. Coupled with the fact that be goes on a lot of tangents, it's very easy to find yourself lost in the class and lectures. Midterm and final are take-home papers which could be a good thing if you enjoy writing.

Get ready to read
So many papers
Graded by few things
5.0
2.0
SOC1
Jan 10, 2020
Would take again

Took this class my freshman year, and I can say it was one of my favorite classes I took as an undergraduate. The class was very interesting. Besides reading text, we watched documentaries and did group projects. Every class I learned something new. Would definitely take again.

Respected
Inspirational
Caring
5.0
1.0
IRE104
Jan 17, 2020
Would take again

Professor Kyle is really passionate about the things he teaches and made each lecture interesting to listen to. We had to do some readings, but the graded assignments and exams were pretty easy as they don't test anything that was not covered. Professor Kyle is also very approachable and helpful during office hours. Overall, a great class to take!

Respected
Get ready to read
Inspirational
5.0
4.0
IRE104
Grade: A
Jan 17, 2020
Would take again

One of my favorite classes that I took at Davis. It's clear that he's passionate about what he does. The way he ties in personal experience and his own research makes lectures easier to engage in since he's not just regurgitating facts and figures. Would highly recommend taking this class or reaching out to him if interested in issues of migration.

Accessible outside class
Clear grading criteria
Caring
5.0
3.0
SOC005
Grade: Not sure yet
Jun 4, 2020
Would take again

He cares about his students so much!! He is passionate about the topics covered in class and those tops are also amazing honestly important for you to understand in your day to day life. He cares more about how much you learn than about a letter grade, so he focuses on assignments being useful.

Inspirational
Amazing lectures
Caring
5.0
3.0
IRE104
Nov 17, 2020
Would take again

Not only is he a great professor, but more importantly, he's a genuinely kind-hearted person. Would definitely recommend to take for any class. If you have any issues with the class he's always open to talking about it and making accommodations for you if needed.

5.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: A+
Aug 6, 2021
Would take again

one of the most passionate profs I've ever had. really cares about the content and doesn't care that much about letter grades, so assignments are very open. he's so kind hearted and his class is heavily based on his lectures, which are very interesting and engaging as well. i def recommend him, you'll learn so much and have met a great man.

Accessible outside class
Inspirational
Amazing lectures
5.0
1.0
SOC139
Grade: B-
Oct 12, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Professor Kyle had a tough time this quarter with being in person. He honestly tried his best to teach the course. He gave extra credit. Truly an amazing person.

Gives good feedback
Get ready to read
EXTRA CREDIT
3.0
3.0
IR104
Grade: A+
Dec 30, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Professor Kyle is extremely passionate and is understanding towards students. His lecture is a stereotypical lecture. He will speak for an hour and a half, sometimes more, on not just one concept but rather a story. At times it felt like a Ted talk and without any presentations slides, it can be quite challenging to follow.

Get ready to read
Graded by few things
Lecture heavy
5.0
3.0
SOC100
Grade: A
Jan 3, 2022
Would take again

He is a nice person with enough patient, his final was a little bit heavy but he gave students barely no assignment during the quarter

Gives good feedback
Respected
EXTRA CREDIT
4.0
1.0
SOC104
Jan 14, 2022
Would take again

He's very nice and patient. However, his lectures were really hard to follow. Very generous with the extra credit

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
EXTRA CREDIT
1.0
2.0
SOC138
Grade: A
May 3, 2022

I set up a meeting with Prof. Kyle to go over my essay at the end of the quarter and he spent the ENTIRE time accusing me of plagiarizing my essay! Said it was 'too professional' and looked like I had copied my sources verbatim. Had to go back over my paper and cite every single source in-depth (ended up w/ 20 total) so he wouldn't try to flag it.

2.0
3.0
SOC05
Grade: Not sure yet
Jun 4, 2022

The concepts were interesting and relevant. The hard part was deciphering what he was talking about. Lectures are just him talking. No agenda, just talking. Many times he goes on tangents in the middle of his sentence and ends up never finishing that sentence. This course would have been much easier if he were more organized

Group projects
Lecture heavy
Graded by few things
3.0
3.0
SOC005
Grade: Not sure yet
Jun 4, 2022

Textbook and lecture heavy. He is passionate in what he does, but struggles to condense the information. Loves to talk. Lectures, which are kind of disorganized and hard to follow, are just him talking for an hour and a half straight. I appreciate the enthusiasm though

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
Graded by few things
2.0
2.0
SOC195
Grade: Rather not say
Jan 7, 2023

He is a chatter box but does a poor job at citing work. You leave his class disoriented. Planning would do his lectures, class, and students good. Assignments are unstructured, he frames it creatively but I would argue it's simply lazy. I took multiple courses and they all teach the same thing. Assignment, same thing. Lectures, same thing.

5.0
3.0
SOC139
Grade: A+
Jun 11, 2023
Would take again

This class was very interesting, especially with Prof. Kyle's lectures. He gives you plenty to work with for the assignments. Grades consists of 1 "blog" paper (1-2 pages) per week describing what you got out of the lecture, only need to do 7/10 assigned, and 1 final paper (9-11 pgs). This class allows free form thought and discussion, very fun.

Caring
Lecture heavy
Accessible outside class
5.0
2.0
SOC139
Grade: A
Nov 19, 2023
Would take again

Soc 139 with Professor Kyle is a great class. He takes attendance but you're allowed to miss 4 classes with no penalty. His lectures are really interesting even though he can go on tangents sometimes, and I really enjoy going to class. This quarter, all of his assignments have been graded on completion. I highly recommend his course.

Get ready to read
Amazing lectures
Online Savvy
5.0
3.0
SOC139
Grade: A+
May 7, 2024
Would take again

Great Class!! I learned many things and enjoyed it overall!

Online Savvy
5.0
3.0
SOC139
Grade: A
Nov 22, 2024
Would take again

I love how he tells stories, he is a natural story teller and I personally really like his style of teaching.

Inspirational
Caring
Lecture heavy
1.0
2.0
SOC139
Grade: A
Dec 6, 2024

Lectures are unstructured and content-sparse. He says a lot of things that sound deep but lacks actual interesting anecdotes or theory. Half of the readings in this class were dystopian fiction books, and most of the real content came from documentaries he assigned outside of class. He's nice and grades easily, but I learned very little.

2.0
1.0
SOC002
Grade: A
Dec 19, 2024

Professor Kyle structured this course around five different novels, usually dystopian in nature, but would then barely speak about these novels in class and instead would show documentary after documentary. Some days he would even show up an hour late which would cause our TAs to have to take over the class.

Get ready to read
So many papers
Graded by few things
1.0
3.0
SOC139
Grade: A
Dec 23, 2024

Extremely unorganized lectures with no clear takeaways. Class had the potential to be thought-provoking and highly applicable, but fell short in so many ways. Lectures felt like a waste of time. Updated the Registrar with final grades that were incorrect and took days to change it, which felt like he was playing around with our grades for fun.

3.0
2.0
SOC002
Grade: A+
Dec 25, 2024

Dr. Kyle is a nice and passionate professor, but his class was a bit disorganized. He published class notes after lectures, but during lectures, they were tough to follow. Deadlines were also made unclear. We had a few assigned books and writing assignments, but it was often unclear when we had to finish them by.

Caring
Lecture heavy
4.0
1.0
SOC002
Grade: A
Jan 8, 2025
Would take again

Super super easy class if you are on top of things and can write decently well. Most of the books you don't have to fully read, just take the basic concepts and explain thoroughly. Everything was take home and mostly writing, as long as you get the basic concepts from the notes he posts you will definitely do well. Super fun and easy GE.

4.0
2.0
SOC002
Grade: A
Jan 8, 2025
Would take again

Great professor and easy class. Does talk a lot during lecture and very passionate about the course. However at a certain point it does get boring but lecture is not mandatory at all. Posts his lecture notes after class. All assignments were essays and were only 2 pages double spaced. Some were pass or no pass. All opinion based. Would take again.

Lecture heavy
5.0
3.0
SOC139
Grade: A-
Jan 9, 2025
Would take again

Professor Kyle's SOC139 class is engaging and manageable. Assignments include weekly short reflections and a final paper. While attendance is mandatory, he allows some flexibility. I found unstuck study and the free textbook helpful for preparing.

4.0
3.0
SOC002
Grade: A
Feb 12, 2025
Would take again

The TAs graded everything. I had an amazing, cheery TA which made discussion fun and essays easier to write (she made her criteria really clear and easy to follow). Kyle's lectures were very connected to current events happening in the world today. Essays would be based on lectures and readings (would recommend read the books assigned).

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
Accessible outside class
5.0
1.0
SOC005
Grade: Not sure yet
Mar 13, 2025
Would take again

Though he kept talking about everything in lecture, it is an easy class.

Caring
2.0
2.0
SOC005
Grade: A+
Apr 1, 2025

Completely changed the course, it was not "Global Social Change," he turned it into a course about coffee shops, not even on the global scale. Disorganized and confusing. He taught concepts that he made up, specific to his research, and irrelevant to what the class should be. Would not take again.

5.0
1.0
SOC002
Grade: A+
Apr 4, 2025
Would take again

He's a great professor, super easy class

Gives good feedback
Inspirational
Caring
2.0
1.0
SOC139
Grade: A
Nov 5, 2025

Turned a class called "Corporations and Society" into "AI and Documentaries". Lectures are just watch parties of random videos; it feels like he found them the day before. When he does talk, it turns into unorganized rants and borderline conspiracy theories. It's an easy class, but paying for this class is a waste of time.

1.0
4.0
SOC001
Grade: Not sure yet
Nov 26, 2025

The class was called intro to sociology but would more accurately be described as 'intro to ethics and theories of AI.' The entire class revolved around the digisphere and AI, and not so much an intro to broader sociological theories. Lectures were long and often consisted of documentaries. Prof. Kyle frequently went off topic during lectures.

Participation matters
So many papers
Lecture heavy
1.0
1.0
SOC001
Grade: A
Dec 8, 2025

Good lord. Easy class but I don't see how this man is still a lecturer. Felt like he did no prep for lecture and went on tangents so often I don't think he even knew the concepts he was supposed to be teaching about. Easily worse prof I've had, stopped going to lecture because looking over the slides was less frustrating and more helpful

Participation matters
5.0
3.0
SOC001
Grade: Not sure yet
Dec 8, 2025
Would take again

I really really liked this class, professor is awesome, but its not for everyone, he is a little bit messy, but I don´t like extremely serious professors, he is pretty chill, and assigments were very easy, if you like the topics the class will be so easy, the final is a final paper. The TA´s made me excited to go to class. Love it!!

EXTRA CREDIT
Inspirational
3.0
2.0
SOC001
Grade: Not sure yet
Dec 13, 2025

Kyle's a funny and nice guy, but not the greatest lecturer. I feel like only about 10% of class time was actually dedicated to the course material; we mostly just watched documentaries and talked about AI. Assignments are manageable, and don't miss out on the attendance questions; that will hit your grade harder than you think.

Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

45%

Textbook Required

50%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

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Predicted Grade

A+

95% confidence
Based on 36 grades
Most common grades:
A (20)
A+ (8)
Not sure yet (8)
Grade Distribution
A(28)B(2)C(0)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(6)
Based on 46 reported grades
A: 20
A+: 8
Not sure yet: 8
A-: 4
Common Tags
Get ready to read (18)
Lecture heavy (14)
Inspirational (13)
Caring (11)
Graded by few things (9)
Amazing lectures (7)
EXTRA CREDIT (7)
So many papers (6)
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Ratings by Course

INTROTOSOC

5.0

(1)

SOC100

5.0

(1)

SOC1

4.1

(24)

SOC195

4.0

(9)

SOCIO1

4.0

(1)
+14 more courses
Difficulty by Course

INTROTOSOC

3.0

SOC104

3.0

SOC5

3.0

IR104

3.0

SOC100

3.0

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