This guy is a great teacher. Keeps you entertained, explains things very well, and his tests are very fair. You will not get an easier teacher for this class. Homework is 10% of your grade. He normally collects 3 or 4 problems every week and a half. Three tests and a final. Tests are easy if you know how to do your homework. Best teacher I have had

Barker is great! I loved his ME344 class. He was clear, to the point, approachable, and funny to keep students engaged. HW was effective and reasonable. Tests were like HW, time was a small issue, but not major. I've been at UT for awhile now, and he is my favorite professor so far. I give him BIG thumbs up and would recommended him highly!!!

Dr. Barker is GREAT! His lectures are helpful and detailed but not dry and academic. Invites questions and does a good answering them. HW assignments are very reasonable. Tests are tough, but if you do the homework it should go like clockwork. I would highly recommend him to anyone to take for any class.

Barker is great teacher. He explains the material slowly and clearly. His tests are fairly reasonable however, he can a tough grader. Would recommend taking.

Took Barker last Spring and failed the class. He completely changed his homework/tests/and teaching style for 202 around and is now much easier. Now I'm on track to make an A. Would recommend now that he's gotten his act straightened out.

Thermo is hard. Barker does a very good job explaining the material, telling you the "what" as well as the "why". GO. TO. CLASS. You will fail if you don't go! I missed one class, and the example problem we did was on the final worth 30pts/100. Try to understand why you're doing the things you're doing not just equations-it won't be enough.

Barker is a mediocre teacher at best. He assigns homework material and then goes over the material in the lecture that it is due. His tests are difficult and his grading style doesn't help at all. I am a straight A student and this is the only other grade I have ever made, C. Steer clear from him

Barker is a spectacular lecturer, and he makes an effort to make sure you understand the material. His tests are difficult, but not impossible if you take the time to actually do the homework and understand the concepts. His bad reputation is completely unwarranted, and his classes are, by far, the most informative I've taken at UTK.

Good overall with good lectures. A seemingly nice guy when in a group setting. He gets condescending and arrogant when you go to ask him for help privately, however. He will still help you, but he's going to be snobby about it. He will not work with you on rescheduling tests. Basically the lesser of 2 evils for several classes, so pick your poison.

Statics is kind of a common sense class. I think most people know that and I know Barker thinks that. With that being said, Barker teaches it well even though you can tell he thinks the material is strait forward. He is a very tough grader and there are two midterms and one final. You get 90% of your grade from the three exams and 10% from the HW.

A lot of people disagree, but I think Dr. Barker is a great teacher. Although I heard he wasn't good for Statics, I have taken him for Thermo and Heat Transfer and greatly enjoyed both. He is VERY particular, but once you accept that it's easy to do what he asks. I feel like I really learn the material taught by him. ME 344 is still tough though!

Lectures were clear and well organized. The homework was reasonable and straight-forward. His grading on tests is different, but that is by no means a class-killer. Honestly, people that think he is a bad professor probably haven't had a bad professor yet. He's good, and I recommend him. One more thing, don't expect any curving.

He's the definition of fair, but he's hard. His tests are limited in length making each question heavily weighted. He does partial credit by making each step in his required methodology worth a given amount even if final answer is correct full credit may not be received. The most important thing solve the problems how he wants you to.

As others have mentioned he is easily the toughest grade around. He is also very to talk to and doesn't have the ego the other Phd have, he is probably the best Prof. in the ME Dept in regards to teaching very clear and very thorough. Exams are moderately challenging. I would easily take him again for any ME course. He just knows how to teach.

Barker is easily one of the best professors in the engineering department. He makes the material interesting, and I found it easy to pay attention and do the work. The downside is he's a hard grader, and you need to learn what he likes. Take him if you want to gain deep understanding of the material and better problem solving skills.

Barker is an amazing lecturer who really makes you understand the material. That being said, he is still a tough teacher. Make sure to do the homework and do not skip class. The examples he does in class are sometimes used on tests and they really help you understand the material better.

Dr. Barker is a great professor and his lectures are easy to understand and are beneficial, so DO NOT SKIP. He is a very tough grader and expects you to write down every step in your thought process, so be conscientious when writing your work. Other than his tough grading, no major problems with him. Willing to help in & outside of class.

Dr. Barker really knows how to teach thermo and you'll get more out of attending lectures than learning the content outside of class. He goes at a slow pace and really simplifies thermodynamics. He is a very picky homework grader... but it's only 10% of your grade and it prepares you. His tests are very straightforward and you have plenty of time.

Very good teacher. DO WHAT HE SAYS HE WANTS YOU TO DO ON EXAMS and GO TO CLASS. If you do this, and you prepare for the exams by practicing the homework and in class examples, you will get a good grade. Students trash him because they didn't follow directions and he took points off despite him clearly stating that's exactly what he would do.

Dr. Barker is a very good and clear professor. You know exactly what he expects from you on exams (Write your equation in symbolic form. Write the variable, answer, and units and box the whole thing etc...) and if you follow his instructions you won't lose the points that so many other reviews complain about. Exams and homework are very similar.

He can be nitpicky with the grading, but he wants to make sure you know what you're doing and not just memorizing a bunch of steps to solve a problem. That's why he asks for so many specific things on exams that students love to ignore and then promptly whine about. Be sure to go to class as nothing is uploaded except assignments.

I genuinely miss this man. I have never had more engaging lectures than the ones Barker presented. However, he grades extremely harshly. You MUST format the homework and tests exactly as he states or you will miss out on a lot of points. Make sure you show all work and go to as many lectures as you can. You'll learn a lot.

Dr. Barker is a great lecturer; you will always leave class understanding something way better than when you came in, and he is very accessible outside of class if not. He is a very strict grader, but for good reason. He wants you to walk away a more organized engineer that when you came. Most importantly, GO TO LECTURE! You need it for the grade!

He is honestly one of the best professors that I have ever had. He's very clear in his expectations and he keeps his lectures interesting. The biggest downside is that there really isn't room for error. If you mess up on an exam, there's no chance to make it up. My advice is make sure you can do the homework and problems similar to homework.

Dr. Barker is a very funny teacher. He is very good at explaining material well and thoroughly. However, the class seemed to be a lot harder than the material suggested. If you have taken EF151/152, the class should not be very difficult. He is just a very strict grader, and I would often be counted off a great deal simply for labeling errors.

He's hilarious and a great professor. He teaches you everything you need to know and what to expect on each exam. He's an easy grader if you solve problems his way, even if you get the question wrong. The class is pretty easy, just pay attention in class and you'll do fine. Highly recommend taking him!

Dr. Barker is a very intelligent, funny, and personable professor. His classes contain a lot of content, but if you took and understand EF 151 and EF 152 you should have a good foundation for the class. He clearly lays out what he expects of you to include in your work. Overall, I would definitely take him again!

One of the best professors I have ever had as far as lectures and personality, but doesnt give meaningful feedback on exams which make up 100% of the grade. Will he taking him again for future classes becuase of his lecture style. Explains concepts very throughly without overbearing amounts of equations or information.

Dr Barker is a solid choice for ME331, less so for ME202. He has a very strong preference for thermo that shows in his teaching. He grades pretty harshly, but he's very clear on what he's looking for when he's grading. Follow what he says and you'll be fine. A little intimidating, but Barker's a good prof who just wants to talk about thermo

Dr. Barker is a good teacher that has gotten a bad rep. He definitely makes you work for your grade, but you do end up learning the material by the end of the class. Do your typical studying, and you should be fine. He does not tolerate excuses or laziness but he is a honest guy that cares about his students.

Only grades on Exams, but he is very straightforward on what he expects you to know and how to do it. It is critical you do things "The Barker Way" or he may count off (just do it the same way he does it in class). Textbook isn't required but the tables in it are for studying/HW (which isn't for a grade). I take Barker for every class I can.

Dr. Barker is a good choice for Heat Transfer. He's a good lecturer and easy to find outside of class. He is a tough grader and tells you what he expects to see during class. If you do the homework and exam problems the way he asks then you should do fine.

I take Barker for any class that he teaches. Not only does he know the material extremely well, he wants you to know it that well too. He is very picky on his grading, but if you go to all the classes, you'll know exactly what he is looking for. Anyone who says his grading desires isn't clear, doesn't go to class

Mr Barker's class is impossible if you don't pay attention to his lectures. But he is very clear on what he is grading and covers everything you need to know. Some students didn't like him because he's strict on his grading but he tells you exactly what he's looking for. If you know just the basic equations, you can get 60 on a test

Professor Barker was a very fun professor. At times his lectures would drag on. I really appreciated his clear grading criteria because it helped maximize how to complete homework assignments and how to study for exams.

Had to drop the class because I failed my 2nd exam, but he knew I understood the material, I just didn't follow directions. He explained material very well and stated what work he wanted to see. Just write down your formulas, follow directions, and you'll be fine. I will not give him a 5 simply because of grading, it's harsh. 90% of grade is exams.

His lectures were very good and it's important to be there if you wanna pass. He is very clear on the work he wants you to show on exams, if you follow it exactly you'll get a good grade. 90% of grade is on tests so if you study well and go to class you'll pass. Best ME202 prof in my opinion.

I've had Dr Barker for both statics and heat transfer and he is one of the best professors for engineering students. He gets a bad rap for his tough exams and grading, but he tells you what he wants and what to look out for on the tests. Your grade is made up entirely by exams, so study! He is a super nice guy and genuinely cares for his students.

Dr. Barker has a terrible reputation, and I honestly don't understand why. The tests were stupid easy because he made you VERY well aware of what he expected. I will be taking Barker again at every opportunity because I appreciate his very clear guidelines, his receptivity to questions, and his simple teaching style. He is QUITE picky, but fair.

One of the best professors I have ever had. Incredibly good lecturer, walks you through every step of the many processes in Thermodynamics. Makes the very difficult material doable and understandable.

Dr. Barker is very straight forward and clear with what he wants and what he expects to see on homework and exams. If you go to class, do the homework, and pay attention, you will do well in his class. Lots of reviews say he is a harsh grader, and he takes off lots of points but if you DO WHAT HE ASKS you will be fine!! Definitely recommend!

Dr. Barker is a great professor. He breaks down the concepts so that they are easy to understand and is accessible outside of class. Yes, he is a tough grader, but he tells you exactly what he wants to see on homework and exams. As long as you go to class and pay attention, you will be fine.

This guy is probably one of the best teachers. He explains everything pretty well, and he also tells you exactly what he wants to see on assignments. Do what he says, and you should be fine, you'll get used to it. Exams were 90% of the grade, though, and I will agree his grading is pretty rough. Some leniency would definitely be nice.

Dr. Barker is the best professor I have ever had, and I really mean that. He genuinely cares if you show any form of actually trying in his class, and if you go to office hours he will go above and beyond to try and help you. Thermo is a hard class and requires a lot of studying, but Dr. Barker makes it much more tolerable and fun.

Dr.Barker has a reputation for being a tough grader and he lives up to it. His grading style is looking for specifics in the process of solving. Pay careful attention to what he wants to see in the work for the equations. Most of the difficulty is getting the process he wants into repetition but he is chill in office hours and gives good lectures.

The material for this class is not difficult but the prof make it worse. While I don't love him, he tells you exactly what he wants you to do, and grades the homework in the same way he grades the tests. While a lot of this stuff is nit-picky, he is VERY clear about it. He is a little condescending at times but it is sometimes warranted.

Dr. Barker is EXTREMELY stingy with grading, but he tells you exactly what he is looking for multiple times in the lectures. He is a solid lecturer but I will say some of the material requires a bit of background knowledge which shouldnt be an issue since this isnt a first sem class. If you treat this class like a 3 credit class you will pass.

Dr. Barker has a straightforward teaching style. He's clear about what he expects, and if you follow his guidance, you can do well. The exams are challenging, but using resources like unstuck AI can help with study prep.

The Jarker is Goated

At utk, the 202 is as hard as the professor wants it to be. For the most part you're going to get a teacher that cant teach, a teacher that makes it stupid hard, or you'll get barker. He's a good lecturer, easy tests/homework, but an insanely picky grader. It is beyond obvious what he expects and if you go to class and take notes, an A is easy.

This was my first class with Barker. INCREDIBLE lectures. Genuinely knows his stuff. Hard, optional HW, but vital for learning. Tests ALMOST PERFECTLY reflected in-class examples and homework problems... nothing out of left field. Very picky grading when it comes to following his problem-solving method. Always write base equations, like for area.

At first I got 50 on first test i would say his grading is tough but also it was my fault he keeps saying review class notes which I didn't do for the first test, but i did for the second test and the final and i got B+ in both. what I like about him he is straight forward about what you need to do just follow his instructions and you will do good

Took his thermodynamics course online. Grade was decided by 3 tests. He's extraordinarily picky about what he wants you to write, but is clear about it. Optional homework that got me the grade I did. He is tough, but you will walk out of the class with a great understanding of the material if you just grind it out.

Professor is tough, but gives you every opportunity to succeed. Always friendly and kind to those who are trying in his class.

Dr. Barker is a great professor! I took him for both Statics and Thermo and I liked him for both. His grading is tough, but he literally tells you EXACTLY what he wants to see on HW/exams. All of his bad reviews just seem like people that didn't show up to class and didn't pay attention IMO. I would recommend Barker to anyone!