McKell, Kenneth  

He teaches our class using a backwards curriculum, which works very well for people who learn better through application of concepts

He's okay. Not the best lecturer because he sometimes would seem like he didn't know the material himself. It was difficult to understand what he was trying to convey, and the midterm felt like it was out of the blue. He had homework assigned every class, but it was only due two class periods after it was assigned which was confusing. That being said he is very personable and a fun guy. Overall I'd say he's a fun dude, but a so-so lecturer. Try to find someone better.

First of all, know this: McKell loves to crack jokes. Sometimes, he may even make fun of you, but only for the sake of the joke. Keep that in mind. Moving on, McKell is a new professor, but he seems like he's got it down. He metaphorically represents circuitry with plumbing, and it makes a lot of sense. He sometimes seems caught off guard by a question or (rarely) is too quiet. His exams are tough, though, especially for a two-unit class. Many students got an F on the midterm and he does NOT believe in extra credit. He curves the final, however, so just study more than you'd think. Generally, he's a good, new professor who will probably grow into a great one.

I'll start with this... If you get this guy and you are once again one of his guinea pigs for "reverse classroom" instruction, then get out as fast as possible. The students taught each other, and there were a few who got it right away while the majority of the class struggled. Even if he ditches this concept, avoid him. There are NO practice exams, and if you could do every single problem in the book you'd still be lucky to get a B on any exam. His exams are insane for a 2 unit class, he seemed more concerned with tricking students than making sure we understood the concepts that were taught in the book. One of problems on the final exam didn't even involve numbers or any use of the techniques learned in the class.

To describe Clay Mckell's teaching style I first have to describe the nature of the EE 112 and a theory of teaching that is present within the EE department. EE 112 is a unique course in that there will be people who have already learned everything this class has to offer. I'm talking about the kids who took AP Physics C Electricity and Magnetism as well as Digital Electronics by PLTW. These are the students who know exactly what EE is about and already have a good amount of introductory knowledge. At open house of 2014, one of the EE professors said, "The students here are so great, they challenge us to challenge them. Then they continue to challenge us to teach them more. It's a wonderful cycle" or something like that. Clay McKell is the embodiment of that concept. At office hours, Clay has said that he wants to challenge all the students. That means creating ridiculous questions that challenge those advanced students. That also means that everyone else has to play catch up. So, you know where you stand on that spectrum. His lectures are pretty good. He got a BS in mechanical engineering and it can show when he relates circuits to plumbing. For some people, that helps. If you want to get an A, you'll have to go to all the lectures and bring all questions to his office hours. If you only want to pass, you can watch videos of the same course being instructed by Gary Perks (Another professor here). It creates a wonderful flexibility with his class. His grading is different. It's kinda curved. He doesn't curve midterms. For final grades, he will give the top X number of students an A, the middle-or-so chuck a B, and so forth. He did tell me this during office hours and the course isn't over yet so don't take this grading portion to heart. Just know this is approximately how he likes to do final grades. Additionally, you don't really need to buy the book from the bookstore. Clay will even tell you that you can just buy Fundamentals of Electric Circuits by Alexander and Sadiku. He's really helpful during office hours. He might be a bit intimidating but he's a nice guy. He does have a weird sense of humor. He'll BURST into laughter at the most random things.

I had McKell back in fall quarter for EE 112. I didn't have the flipped classroom section like somebody else mentioned, so I can't give my opinion on that. I did, however, have McKell for a standard lecture format. I thought McKell was a great professor. He was above average in his lectures, but sometimes managed to brush over things and go rather quickly. He made up for it in his office hours, though. I basically spent the day of the final occupying the EE department office and his office. He was always answering questions and presented the material that was easy to understand. I ended up bombing the only midterm, but I must have done well on the final/I think he liked me because I ended up with a B- in the class. Overall, I recommend him and I will take him again when I get the chance.

if the average of the midterms are %64 and %58 it is either the class that's really hard, or the teacher sucks major fat cock in teaching... assuming EE112 is the first EE class ever, Either this fucker sucks or EE is so hard that we are all fucked. RIP to my fellow EE's who got fucked by those midterms... On the bright side, i heard he throws a fat curve at us, so im looking forwards to that. But to be fair, whatever he taught I compleletly understood and was able to do the HW with no problem. Only if the tests were actually what he went over in class and only if they were like the HW.... oh well, one can only hope.

he didn't prepare us that well for his exams in term of homework

The first half of the quarter will probably seem easy. Do not be fooled, the first midterm will be the end of your grades, your hopes, and your dreams. You absolutely should over prepare for exams, know everything. For most people, this is not the kind of class where you can do well from just going to lectures, doing the homework, and watching the lecture videos. You will need to do all of these things and much more if you have any hope of doing well.

The professor is great, or rather excellent, at lecturing and explaining concepts, especially when compared to plumbing. However, this professor is terrible at forming exams and preparing the students for them. It almost seems Mr. McKell tries to trick his students on the exams. Study for the exams, put in more time than necessary, and maybe you'll get a C. He can get full stars if it wasn't for his exams, which can be an easy fix. Make the exams similar to the homework assigned!

First let me start out by saying that even if you attend all lectures, watch all the videos, and do all the homework, you will still be screwed by this class. Homework and lectures were decently hard and challenging, but definitely doable. However, when it comes to tests, McKell does his best to put anything but what you learned in this class on the tests. The first midterm was okay, but the average was a 64%, which is awful for an INTRO EE class. Because of that, everyone studied extra hard for the second midterm, only to be screwed even harder (the average was a 58%). Also, like some of these other reviews say, he ran a backwards classroom in which he instructed on Wednesdays, and allowed us to just do homework in class on Mondays, which could have been more effective and in fact was one of the good aspects of the class as you did not have to go to office hours to ask him questions if you did not have the time to go there. All in all he's a fine guy who needs to understand that this is some students first experience with EE (besides the bs 111 and 151 class which doesn't teach you much), and that most students are completely new to the concepts.

i pray for you and your soul if you take this class. average on final was about 35%

Coming into this class I was extremely excited to learn about circuits and analysis. However after taking this class I have become proven wrong. This class seems doable at first however the exams and final are beyond unfair. They are brutal. No matter how well you understand the material you WILL NOT get an A. The averages on the midterms were around 60% and the final was even worse. I spent countless hours studying the material and going to office hours. I really felt like I understood the concepts however the exams destroyed any confidence I had of the material. Prepare to have never seen a question like the ones on his exams. Prepare to study very hard. I have also found that the problems on the exam are very similar to last 10 or so problems in the book. However good luck understanding how to do those!

Imagine learning derivatives by getting a single example of how to apply the chain rule, and you'll understand why this man isn't that good of a professor. He just shows you examples and expects perfect understanding of the material. Super confusing class, 4/10 would not recommend

McKell's class begins at a slow pace, but ramps up pretty quick by the end of the quarter. It will help tremendously if you take Physics 3 before this class. The grade distribution was extremely varied, with most everyone who had taken Physics 3 getting a 'B' or higher, and those who hadn't getting 'C's or 'D's. This class is certainly doable if you haven't taken physics yet, but will take a lot of effort. McKell is an extremely friendly guy, and is more than willing to help you on any issues you have, especially during office hours. He explains things clearly, and without being demeaning. Plus, he had an amazing sense of humour that made every class session enjoyable. I'd definitely recommend him for EE112, but make sure to find some copies of his previous midterms and practice finals. They are brutal and will test your knowledge of the course extremely thoroughly.

McKell was extremely funny and great at explaining concepts. Would recommend to anyone.

Prof McKell is awesome. Super genuine and helpful during office hours too. The first five weeks of the course were super easy (basically physics III), but I was super lost during the last five weeks. I wish Prof McKell spent a lot less time on the first five weeks, and more time on the last five weeks. His midterm (imo) was super easy/doable, but the final was ridiculous. I just felt like the problems/homework didn't help prepare you for the the final. 8.5/10 for his first time teaching the class though!! I'd def take him over the other Prof.

Overall, I do enjoy Clay's teaching style. He is pretty good at explaining things and he is very smart. He is kind of cocky and can make you feel dumb if you ask him for help sometimes. BEWARE: THE HOMEWORK IS RIDICULOUSLY HARD. Be ready to commit at least 8 hours a week doing the homework to get at least a B. You can't really find the solutions online anywhere, so good luck. To get an A I believe that you HAVE to go to office hours. He also requires you to solve some math problems using programming, predominantly matlab. I didn't know matlab coming into this class, and he does not teach it to you, but you learn it slowly throughout the quarter and will be more prepared for 3rd year EE classes because of it. The midterm was pretty fair, just redo the homework. Overall, he is a good teacher, just a lot of work. You will be well prepared for EE 328.

Clay is a great professor who really challenges you! I struggled the entire time throughout the quarter, but I learned so much! I would highly recommend him for EE 228!

He loves throwing curveballs on his tests. In fact, his tests only have curveballs on them. Be prepared to be tested on shit youve never seen before. He also claims you dont need to know matlab, but for some of the homeworks, there is no way to get full credit unless you know how to use matlab.

McKell is certainly the most challenging professor I've had at poly. With that said, you will pass if you put in the work and learn a lot. He definitely prepares you for 328. The homework is 4-7 problems a week and takes anywhere between 2-6 hours (for me at least). Many of them are very hard. Some problems are done on the computer, and while he is insistent that you don't need to know matlab for this class, you need to some matlab for this class. You'll often need to write a script that can't exactly be found anywhere online. I felt his tests were considerably easier than the hw. Overall, a very good professor.

This was the most stressful course I've taken so far as an EE. There's been many times in previous courses where I thought a concept was hard to grasp, but looking back on them they always ended up being pretty easy. That was not the case for this course. In lecture things will make sense (although I was completely lost for the first 2 weeks or so). The homework is long and difficult, so studying with a group is beneficial. McKell doesn't care where you get your answers from as long as you cite your source. The midterms were worth 35% of the grade with a 60/40 subweight on your better of the 2. The averages on these exams were a 67% and 63% respectively. The final exam was worth 45% of the course grade (highest I've seen so far) . The final exam consists of a multiple choice section and a free response section (the midterms are only free response). The multiple choice really wasn't that bad, but the free response murdered me. I had a C going into the final, got killed, and left the class with a B+ so I guess I just got killed a bit less than my peers. Overall I feel that McKell did prepare me well for EE 328, it's just a shame that the exams stressed me out for the entire quarter. McKell is not the easy path, but you will learn.

Holy crap, this class is tough. People are saying this is the ee version of CPE 357, and it's true, especially teaching by Clay. Clay is such intelligent that sometimes you ask him a question his sharp eyesight on you would definitely make u question yourself whether u are asking a dumb question or not. You HAVE TO go to every single lecture otherwise it feels like u have missed a thousand-year stuff. The first midterm were okay, but the second one was freaking and notoriously hard. The average was 52% and im not lying. Homeworks were long and difficult and he graded for correctness. Final was okay, for me it's easier than the 2nd midterm.

He challenges through the entire quarter, but in a way in which everyone is basically failing. The averages on exams are really low. He conveys the material well, but makes exams unrecognizable and hard. I wish I waited a quarter to take someone fair, it is not worth the anxiety or the way it affects your mental health. Take care of yourself!

Clay way pretty cool. As a fourth year I've seen my share of bad professors. The EE dept finally hired someone who can clearly and effectively communicate concepts to students. Also, he's a younger guy who has fresh ideas and can likely relate to the students. I am glad he tried to emphasize Matlab use for lecture and lab, as it is an essential tool that EE students will need to know. Clay recognizes the outdated nature of our EE curriculum and equipment and will likely be a good addition to the EE faculty if he stays (I think he is a part-time lecturer).

Clay is just okay when you compare him to the 302 god Taufik. Clay's class, IMO, was unrealistically difficult. He moved the class to line up with the lab which caused him to become 2 weeks ahead of everyone else. You will not be able to catch up when he rushes though. He ended up just dragging the class through the quarter. He will write his own homework problems occasionally that require you to go to his office hours for help. Idk, he really just made the class much harder than it needed to be. That said, he is much more approachable in office hours and is willing to help you if you see him. However, I still don't agree with having to go to office hours for every homework assignment. As everyone else said, his tests are near impossible. Don't feel too bad if you fail. I failed the first exam, and no idea on the final, but I passed.

The homie McClay will destroy you on his midterm and final. No use if you have an old midterm, be prepared to know the small details and ins and outs of topics covered in the class. The classic McClay will also unveil another one of his favorite strategies if you have taken him for another class for 112 or 228. No-number exam questions! Hurray for conceptual questions that will destroy you, you will feel too stupid to apply for McDonalds after taking one of his exams. Even a job pressing buttons will seem difficult. But when you look in hindsight, it will be like, "oh its not that bad, maybe if I was as sharp as a CutCo knife I would get it. Time to apply as a salesman for CutCo knives then." His homework is hard, especially on his self-created problems. Good friend Google will not save you, you might have to pray to your religion and ask your God for a miracle or read the book to complete the homework. You will also pick up some MATlAB skills if you take him. Anyways, he is one of the best lecturers I have had in the EE department, only downside is that he will try to rip you a new one on his exams. He is probably the guy to take for Controls, maybe Taufik is comparable or better.

ignore these old reviews, he got way better. like waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better as a teacher and he's a nice guy

Clay is the man!! He is my favorite professor in the department. He is a great teacher and really makes you learn the material (which is great if you have an interest in control systems). His classes are pretty BS proof as he forces you to know the material instead of regurgitating solutions manuals or old midterm problems. Clay is a genius and a super chill guy, highly recommend

Easily the best professor in the entire EE department. Everything he tells you in class provides you with the tools you need to do the homework. If you can do the homework and understand what you’re doing, you will do okay on the tests. His tests are very difficult but always curved. You will spend a lot of time on homework every week, but by the end of the quarter you will really feel like you learned a lot.

He is a very good lecturer, however, he is also very good looking and that's a bit distracting in class. Unlike other EE professors who neither know the material nor know how to teach, Clay is refreshing he knew the material inside out.

Clay, what a guy. His homeworks will take you all week to do. But, he is one of the very few EE professors that assigns truly good and helpful homework (IMO Prodanov, McKell, Pilkington, and Shaban are on different levels than the rest of the faculty). It's tough, yes, but you'll understand the material and how everything you're learning relates and interconnects. You will learn in this class, a lot. The EE department needs to let this guy teach the upper division controls classes like 432 or 513, I would take anything McKell teaches. Also, fair warning...his midterm was really fair...but his finals are notoriously difficult (this was very true). Clay McKell is a young guy and it's easy to relate to him and he made going to an 8am lecture really easy and fun. Last thing, go to his office hours!! But only go if you have a legit question, not "how do I do this problem?".

McKell is a G. G as in GG to your GPA.

Clay is a really great lecturer. I would say he's one of the best in the EE department. That being said, he also expects a lot out of his students. Homeworks will take

This instructor is the man. Sure you'll be depressed after every test and feel like you didn't actually learn anything, and sure you'll get your 50% in the class boosted to a B, but you do actually learn a lot. He does care about his students and pushes you to work hard and actually learn. He explains concepts well but you need to ask concise questions or even just ask him to re-explain things. He's okay in office hours; don't go if you're looking for free handouts on the homework problems, you'll likely leave even more confused than when you arrived. Tldr: Great guy, good teacher, needs constructive criticism. Don't be discouraged, there is a curve.

He holds doors open for Minorities and non-Minorities

I wrote the previous reviews for Clay for the lecture. In the lab setting, I find that he is much better at explaining concepts. The lab itself really sucks, but Clay made it just a little bit more bearable by helping out when the equipment just doesn't want to work. The prelab are "recommended" doing before lab, but if you even want a chance to finish in the 3 hours, it needs to be done before class. The final is a stressful 10 minute lab practical, but if you struggle enough through the lab, the final actually is easy.

Looks like this is the first time Clay taught this lab and I think he did a really good job. Did a really good job trying to modernize the labs that were last updated in 2006. He changed the procedure in the manual to his own about half the time and heavily emphasized the use of MATLAB. Very helpful and explains topics well. Fair grader for lab reports. Beyond lab reports, he has a 228 review assignment at the beginning of the quarter and a practical final or lab rewrite. I highly recommend doing the lab rewrite instead of the practical because his final was pretty stressful.

This is the first C I have recieved in my entire life. I hope that says something to all of you out there watching their GPA. Do not take him--this class was a nightmare!