Clark, Robert D.  

Clark was an awesome teacher. He comes off a little aggressively the first day which I think threw a few students off, but he warms up to you pretty quick. He explained the material very quickly and even added some fun activities on occasion. He grades tough on the skills test (70% of grade) but he allows you the opportunity to fix your mistakes. I highly recommend him!

This guy is a real jerk. I needed these 2 credits summer desperately for a few highly important reasons, but he booted me from the class immediately because I am not a kinesiology major, even though his class has over 10 spots open. Furthermore, he was very rude to me when I politely asked for some reasoning as to why he refused to allow me to enroll. I am a big fan of swimming and was hoping to learn something from this guy. O well, he's a teacher who feels the need to callously discriminate.

Even though this class was at 8 am on Fridays, I wanted to go because Dr. Clark makes it so enjoyable. He is excited and informed about what the subject matter, and creates a positive learning environment. Each week you are required to fill out a worksheet on the excercises you learned, naming the different muscle groups that are worked, etc. This are easy to do and are good study aides for the final. You create a training program which is worth a large chunk of your grade. The final is 100 questions, and I highly recommend not waiting until the last minute to study for it. Dr. Clark is a very personable professor and relates well with his students. He is really good at answering any of your questions and helping you with the training program. Be sure to look at the examples he has in his office...it will make your life a lot easier. All in all, a great class with a great professor.

It is a lot of work for a one unit class...but very interesting. Go to all the classes. He usually gives the answers to questions in the course packet while he talks. Then as a group you fill out the answers and then he reviews them. Then all you have to do is memorize the info. Go to the lab for 1-2 hours and memorize the images of the muscles. He is a nice man and a fair grader.

It can take a little while to figure out Dr. Clark's style... But after the first couple of weeks (and quizzes) the class is pretty easy to get through. Just memorize... Memorize... Memorize! I would actually recommend taking it along with ZOO 331 if you need that class also... At the end of the quarter, you will be able to ace your KINE 301 and ZOO 331 LAB finals.

This guy will talk down to you the whole lab. He is one of those people who seems to look down on everyone else. Maybe that\'s not true, but that was definitely the impression I got from him during class. He doesn\'t present the material in any way that will help you learn. The class should be interesting, but it becomes just a bland memorization class. It will also be the most frustrating and time consuming one unit class you will ever take. Each week you will have a quiz in lab which is usually pretty difficult. You have to write HIS answers or you get them wrong, even if there is more than one right answer. So don\'t study from sources outside this class. He had us do two book reports also which weren\'t that hard, but kind of overkill for a one unit class. And the book doesn\'t have anything to do with functional muscle anatomy although it was interesting. I would avoid taking this professor for any class if possible.

Dr. Clark is so hard. I had to work my butt off in his class. I always stayed up studying for his test. He is soo sarcastic, which really annoyed me. Dont take it personal if he makes you feel dumb, I always walked out of his lectures feeling completely lost, he is not a very approachable guy,but if you really make the effort to go to his office hours, he WILL help you and give you answers and hints of the exact questions that will be on his quizzes. Although he makes you feel stupid when you go to his office hours, it will help and you will do good on the quizzes. Definitely memorize everything he has you write in the course pack, even better know concepts! Good luck, he is hard!

I had Dr. Clark for 301 last quarter and also have him again for 302 this quarter. When I first met Dr. Clark for 301, I was in the process of switching into Kinesiology. I thought it was so intimidating. However, he knows his material extremely well. I realized in 302 that he really isn't intimidating, he just likes to get his facts straight. He's a great professor. I would highly recommend taking him for 301 and 302. QUIZZES/EXAMS - His quizzes in 301 are so straightforward and can be purely memorized. All I did to study for the 301 final was review my quizzes (with correct answers). He pulled questions straight from them and put them on the final. 302 was a little more difficult just because the material is applied more. If you take the time to study, the material isn't that complicated. If you have questions, you can e-mail him or go to his office hours - he is VERY flexible with his office hours. WORK LOAD: For 301, I really can't remember there being any significant work outside of class. Everything was manageable. For 302 there are statics problems (easy) that you do. Some take time, but you mainly do trig, so it's not bad. For 301, I reviewed the muscle groups the night before and did fine on the quizzes. It wasn't too demanding. For 302 READ the text. He discusses it a lot in lecture, so it's really helpful to understand what he's talking about once you have read the text. GRADING: 301 and 302 - gives partial credit for some (he will let you know).

Dr. Clark comes off as a little bit uppity. He is not warm and fuzzy. You will occasionally leave class feeling talked down to. Don't let that bother you! He's a great professor--extremely straightforward and helpful through emails and office hours. Pro Tip: don't ask him questions in class. He has a lot of information to go through in a short amount of time and can get annoyed when you ask questions in class. But he doesn't mind answering at all in email and office hours. THERE ARE NO MIDTERMS. Your grade is based on weekly quizzes (about 45%), 2 parts of a book report (5%), and the final (50%). This class is straight-up memorization. Study hard before quizzes and the final and you will do fine. Go to the last 4 classes of the quarter! He calls them optional, but you get extra credit points for showing up. I don't yet know my grade, but I went into the final with over 100% in my quiz category due to the extra credit from the "optional" classes, and feel good about the final, so I anticipate an A.

His ratings are higher than they should be. He is a knowledgable professor, but the way he teaches this class is choppy and hard to follow. he talks insanely fast and doesn't slow down to write anything on the board ever. he only teaches to one learning style and if you don't fit that style you will be lost, until you end up just teaching yourself the material.

F*ck this guy. An ineffective lecturer and a pompous prick. Not the worst professor I've had, but he really shouldn't be an educator; he's disrespectful towards students and is just a shitty person. Maybe he's got some other stuff going on in his personal life that is stressing him out but, regardless, it's no excuse for his callous demeanor and lack of empathy and people skills.

Doctor Clark, I heard so much about this professor before I even stepped foot in this class. A lot of people didn't have good things to say about him, but I thought he was awesome. Such a funny dude in the way he teaches. I can see how some people dislike him because if you ask a dumb question, he'll definitely call you out on it, and definitely felt like going to see him in office hours would be pointless. With that being said, his lectures are actually really interesting. The course pack and atlas you get also helps you out a lot for his quizzes and test. He wants you to learn the material he teaches and is also very passionate about it. You have to read a book as well but it is ridiculously easy to get a good grade on the assignments for it. His quizzes and tests aren't that bad, just study and memorize for them and find somebody else in the class that can help and you should be good. Also sends you a lot of emails that he tells you what he wants you to know for the quizzes and test with a lot of smiley faces I might add. He's a great professor and I think he gets a bad rep just because the material he teaches isn't the easiest to teach to students.

Dr. Clark is slightly condescending, but it is clear he knows the material. I agree with previous posts, he has a very choppy teaching style that can be frustrating. With that said, he constantly sends out helpful emails with what to study for quizzes. In this class, your grade is made up of: 7 quizzes (70pts), 2 short book reports (10pts), lab worksheets (48pts), and a final exam (150pts). The quizzes, book reports and worksheets are very manageable as long as you take good notes in class and lab! This class requires a lot of memorization (I recommend flashcards), but it isn't terribly hard! I just studied the night before every quiz and got either an A or B on all of them. I highly recommend going to the last two weeks of class because they are extra credit. Information from these extra credit days is on the final!!!! The final exam is slightly more challenging than the quizzes. For the final there are more applied questions so make sure to review the extra credit packet you complete in class and review notes from lab! Overall, I was able to get an A- in the class without too much stress.

Clark is a good guy, but he's a very confusing teacher. He teaches in questions.... he asks you questions and answers your questions with questions. AKA he doesn't give you the answer. Oftentimes his questions are confusingly worded and if you don't understand it makes you feel stupid. His lectures were very choppy and fast paced. He has a few signature catch phrases, so be forewarned that you'll hear them a lot. Quizzes and tests were fair but be sure to study for them. He also doesn't believe in using PolyLearn because "it's scientifically proven that staring at a screen before going to bed disturbs your sleep behaviors..." BUT he sends an endless amount of emails (which literally defeats the purpose because you're still staring at a screen and probably for longer because of how unorganized they are). He has you create an email folder and it looks like I saved 82 emails from his class this past quarter.... his emails are very choppy with very few complete sentences and A LOT of "..."'s and questions. The class is definitely manageable and interesting and gets you thinking... Lab is pretty much a waste of time but it's important for your grade and has a lot of due dates, so you have to go. I don't recommend skipping class either.

Dr. Clark is an awesome professor, who is very smart. I did enjoy this class, however, the quizzes was where I struggled the most. He gives 10 minutes at the beginning of class to complete them and it is difficult because it is hard to process detailed questions in a short amount of time. At the beginning it was hard to understand him because he talks very fast but after a while you get used to him. In order to do well in this class you must study for the quizzes as you are learning the material. The quizzes are not bad it is just hard to think on the spot. The lab portion of the class was my favorite. You just show up listen to the lab instructor, practice and leave. Two weeks before finals students have to sign up and show what they learned in lab. It is super easy if you practice ahead of time.Overall, Clark is a good teacher.

Dr. Clark is an amazing professor. The truth is, he packs a lot of material into the short lecture period, so he does not feel that he has the time to answer any questions that require a large, detailed answer on his part. He wants to make sure he gets through all the material in a timely fashion. This is where office hours come into play, and Dr. Clark is a completely different person in office hours. He is very helpful in his office, and he truly wants his students to learn. He is known for coming across as very intimidating, but he really is not that intimidating if you continually go and see him in his office and get to know him. He is by far one of my favorite professors at Cal Poly, but that does not mean his class is easy. You have to work for the answer and really try hard in his class, but I think anyone can get an A if they use all the resources available. All in all, take this class with Dr. Clark. It's worth it.

I'm absolutely astonished by the comments of people not liking Dr. Clark. He's by far the best teacher within the Kinesiology department as of right now. KINE 301 is not a hard class, it's just set up differently than others. Feel it out a little and you will be fine. His emails are a mess but literally tell you EVERYTHING that's going to be on the quizzes so just put them on a word document and organize the thoughts (it's not hard at all). He stresses main points over and over again throughout the quarter and that's what was on the final. There was NOTHING on any quiz or the final that was surprising, everything was very predictable. You might not understand his teaching style but he gives you everything you need to succeed in the class and truly wants you to succeed. I got a B+ studying like maybe one hour a week.

Dr. Clark is the best. He is such a nice guy, and he does a great job at teaching biomechanics & muscle anatomy. He is always willing to help students learn the information needed. When I couldn't go to his office he was very helpful through e-mail, practically replying immediately. This is a great class taught by a great teacher.

Dr. Clark is really awesome. He's a nice guy, not to mention he knows the material really well. Don't get nervous in his class, because in lecture he'll venture in depth about a topic and not even put it on his test. Clark is great about answering individual questions, and it actually a cool guy to talk to.

Dr. Clark is awesome! By far the best teacher i have had. If you are looking to get a book cheaper for his 302 class for spring 2012 i am willing to sell mine to you instead of having to buy it online (which is the only place you can get it). It has highlighting but is in great shape. if interested text me at 831-236-6700. Good luck!!!!

Dr. Clark for all you KINE majors is by far my favorite professor. He comes off intimidating but has a really dry sense of humor and is super approachable. He's awesome, take him for all the classes you can!

I have taken Kine 301 and am currently taking biomechanics with Dr. Clark. Dr. Clark is without a doubt the best professor in the KINE dept. If you approach his class with authentic interest and pay attention/put in the time studying, not only will you learn a lot but you will do just fine in the course. See him in office hours if you can... he is very approachable and willing to help.

I have taken two classes from Dr. Clark and have really enjoyed both of them. Dr. Clark is a great teacher. He clearly knows what he is talking about and holds a bunch of office hours for students to come in for extra help. He's pretty sarcastic and likes to tell jokes and stories, so class is always very entertaining. His quizzes and tests are pretty straight forward, though you do have to study pretty hard for them. Dr. Clark is a great teacher.

This guy is an absolute JERK. Yes, I'll admit he is a very knowledgable in the material, but he does not present it clearly, and it extremely unorganized. He does not use PolyLearn, but instead his class is organized by lengthy emails he sends out. The information is sent out through the emails, readings in the book, and the class lectures. It is very hard to organize it all. Additionally, though he is smart, he does not explain or teach well to students who are trying to grasp the information for the first time. He makes people feel stupid for asking questions or going into office hours. Lastly, he is very rude and sarcastic to students. Some people find it funny, and it is true that he kept me awake during the 8am lectures, but the truth is that it is often very mean. This guy has been around Cal Poly for years, and he sure knows it. If you are a KINE major, taking his class is unavoidable, but just be warned!

Dr. Clark is such an incredible teacher, he is so knowledgable and is very structured in his lectures. He may not come off as your "friend," in class, but he is just serious about his students learning. He really is a nice guy, if you are there to learn. He is very helpful during office hours. He is funny, and really helps you understand the material by relating it to real life. He may come off "harsh," if you don't understand something, but don't let that stop you from asking questions or going to him during office hours; I think during class hours, he has such limited time to teach quite a bit of material, he may lose patience with being stuck on one thing, and will say he has to move on, but don't take it personal, see him in his office. (There are plenty of college professors that have that attitude during lecture hours.) He really wants his students to learn, but he won't just give you the answer, you need to work for it, which is good, that is a very effective way of learning. Don't fall into all the bad things you hear about him, if you are a serious student, he will see that, and appreciate it. Great teacher, wish he taught more classes!!

Clark is a very knowledgeable man however he is one of the worst professors I have ever had. He is very intimidating and does not clarify anything he says. Throughout the whole 10 weeks, I think one students asked a question because he is RUDE when answering questions and makes students feel dumb. "One-minute-warm ups" in this class end up taking 10-20 minutes and are usually just a time for RDC to teach us how important he is. I was SO excited to take Biomechanics and learn and I was disappointed in his teaching style. He does not clarify anything and is very bad at explaining basic concepts. During his course evaluations he stated to us "I am untouchable". He is recognized as a strong professor in the Kinesiology Department because he is very smart and talented, however, he should not be a professor. All in all, good luck in this class. It isn't that hard he just makes it confusing. Talk with other students about the lectures, record the lectures, and you will be fine.

The class I took with Dr. Clark was neuroanatomy, and it was a waste of my time. I am actually a Biology major, so that may have added to my anger towards this class, but I am not sure. I think as a Biology major we are much better equipped for a class like this. However, neuroanatomy sounds like it should be reasonably hard, and Dr. Clark makes the class sound like it will be super hard on the first day. But don\'t listen, it is not hard. It is a joke. He doesn\'t teach you anything. The only way to learn is by reading the tiny textbook that offers an insufficient amount of detail. Basically his lectures include him very very slowly reading you a study guide (list of topics that you should know). Does he explain them? NO. He is a poor teacher, he makes bad jokes that aren\'t funny, makes weird facial expressions to try to get you to laugh, and he wastes 4 hours of your life every week. I am not mad because the class was hard, and Im not mad that I got a bad grade, because I didn\'t, I just wish he would actually teach something because the amount of information you could learn in this class with 4 hours of lectures is huge, but you will only learn a tiny pinch.

Dr. Clark is an OK guy but I just felt that throughout the quarter he was one of those people you see on 60 minutes that has lived a life as a doctor or lawyer and come to find out 15 years later they had lied about their degree and qualifications. As someone had said earlier he basically just reads you a study guide throughout the lectures. He is also anal about your midterms that he says are his work so we cant take them to use them for studying. Its tough to know if you have misconceptions about topics if you cant see what you have gotten wrong. And if you go into office hours to see what you got wrong, you cant take notes. Not to mention the final which Dr. Clark claimed would tie everything together did nothing of the sort. I studied with two other students for two days taking all the information together to get a complete picture of reflexes and how it affects all the different tracts and locations in the brain and in the end were tested on vocabulary and other much more simplistic concepts. Dont try to put too much into this class because Dr. Clark wont. Just read the book, learn the tracts, learn the functions of areas in the brain, browse reflexes, and try your best with lesions but its hard to prepare for some of these. Good luck.

Not a good professor

BOYCOTT!!!