This is the second class that I have taken with Profe. Tobin and I cannot recommend taking his classes enough. You will learn new perspectives on topics that you never would have though of and will explore genres that you may have otherwise overlooked. There are a few weeks when this class was a lot of work to the point that it was difficult to keep up with, but there were others where I found myself doing very little for the class. You must like participating in and outside of class as there is lots of group work, but our whole class was very involved so I had no issues with this. All in all this class is very interesting and I would absolutely recommend it especially if you are taking lifescience/environmental course work in other departments.

This class was called Topics in Contemporary Studies: Latin American Climate-Change Fiction and it was very informative. Kip is great, you can tell he put a lot of thought into the materials we used in class and he incorporated different works, like readings, podcasts, even a film. The class is definitely discussion based rather than just listening to lecture slides, so it's important that you do the readings beforehand so you can participate. There is sometimes a good amount of reading to do before class but in my opinion the works were interesting and very different from one another, so it felt engaging. There are 2 response papers and a final project, and the final project has room for a lot of creativity– overall, the graded assignments were very manageable. If you are interested in climate change, I would definitely recommend this class because you learn about a lot of different ways that authors depict the issue in fictional works. I will also say that Kip is super understanding and a kind professor. He was very accommodating of us during the TA strikes and he also asked for our feedback halfway through the quarter, then implemented a lot of the feedback that was given. This was one of my favorite classes at UCLA so far, and definitely a manageable workload with some other intense classes going on.

Since the class was online/zoom, it's hard to say how things might be different for other students who will take this class in-person; however, as a whole the class was fine. It was really flexible in the sense that we generally only had to attend once a week/post once a week/ and we could participate on the forum if we were uncomfortable speaking in person - BUT sometimes it felt slightly overwhelming workload-wise. One important thing is that he is VERY strict on participation and having students speak in Spanish so if you have issues in either of those areas then this might not be the class for you. (Also the content/quality of your participation plays a big role as to whether you receive credit for your participation. In other words, so you won't just get credit for saying "I agree with so and so").

The class consists of:
-Attendance 1-2 times a week (he does not require your camera to be on but would prefer it)
-Participation (can be through posts or in-class and on movie weeks through group work/activities)
-Homework (weekly readings which are about a total of 20-30 pages for each class, movies on certain weeks, and 1 post a week which answers a question regarding the texts)
-2 reading reports based on outside readings provided by the professor
-an oral presentation on a short movie (group work)
-an outline for the final project
-the final project that can be creative or traditional (essay)

Final things:
- He's very passionate about the subject and you can feel it through his lectures which are very well prepared
-The class is about Spanish/Latin American Science-Fiction, and he focuses on that and how it's DIFFERENT from the American understanding/portrayal of robots/cyborgs/clones. He does NOT want you to spend much time bringing up, thinking, or considering the latter because that is not the focus of the class
-He responds fast (uses slack)
-He is flexible (willing to grant extensions) but generally gives you enough time to do the work
-The class was not recorded
-The oral and final project make up 60% of your total grade
-Some readings are in English but the majority are in Spanish
- Some texts are complicated (ex: Cyborg Manifesto)
-You will have to work in groups/talk to other students in class and do in-class activities together
-Some professors are fine with students submitting their work in the language they are most proficient in but this professor is not - EVERYTHING is in Spanish and he will correct you, sometimes not kindly, if you deviate from the Spanish language in any way

I took this class in the Winter of 2018 and later completed a Span 199 Directed Research project with Professor Tobin in Spring 2018.

Beginning with Span 150, I truly enjoyed every aspect of the class and was incredibly interested in all of the material. We covered a wide variety of science fiction short stories from across Latin America, centering primarily around robots, cyborgs and clones. Kip came to every class extremely prepared and ready to answer any questions any students had. He really placed an emphasis on the thought process of the students and keeping an open dialogue available amongst everyone in the class.

I approached Professor Tobin for my guided research (Span 199) after taking 150 with him and he was extremely helpful throughout the entire process.

I came to him with a vague idea of the project I hoped to create and he immediately took my ideas and offered various options for how I could get started with the project. It was especially appreciated because Professor Tobin took time out of his week to take on this project with me after already having a full class load to teach. He was always available and continuously offered external articles/stories/documentaries that would help me better understand certain topics. Once again, I was extremely impressed with how he made an extra effort to always answer any questions I may have had or provide guidance. After these 2 classes, I can say I highly recommend taking a class with Kip if you have the chance.

Professor Tobin is one of the best professors at UCLA. I have taken two Science Fiction classes with him and they have been one of the most innovative classes I have taken. His readings are clear and above all very informative. All the information that he provides to his class is very relevant and up-to-date. It is noted that Professor Tobin prepares himself very well before his lectures, but above all, he cares that his students understand very confusing concepts about robots, cyborgs, and clones.

Professor Tobin is amazing. He truly cares about the material he teaches. His grading is fair and if you have any questions office hours are great to go to. He is one of the best professors I have taken here at UCLA. Lectures are easy to follow and he posts the slides. He is a very forgiving professor. He will tell you that you are wrong on something which is good. The class is in spanish but if you need to switch over to english he is fine with that as long as your idea or comment is clear. There are group essays that are done in class. They are not extremely difficult but you do have to analyze the reading/movie. The readings are fun and not too difficult. I had more trouble with the readings in english than spanish. They were the theoretical texts like Haraway but everyone had a little difficulty. He also broke the readings down. You have to do the readings in order to do well. Like I said, the readings are not hard . He even asks at the end of the quarter on his weaknesses or ideas for his next class. He is the only professor who does that to my knowledge. TAKE HIS CLASSES. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??

He loves the phrase " O Sea" which I find funny. Everyone has their own words they like to use. Seriously though. Take his class and you will not regret it.

This was a very fun class overall. I came in thinking it would be an easy class with little interest, but after a few weeks, I got hooked into the subject. Such a fun an interesting subject. All the readings and discussions were great! They were interesting and fun and it made you view different view about robots, cyborgs, and clones. Made you think about the world that we live in and were technological are taking us and what our future might look like. Would highly recommend the class to anyone who wants to have a fun and interesting class. Professor Tobin has been the best Spanish professor I've taken so far due to his passion about the subject and just how carrying he is about student learning and understanding of the subject. Would love to take another class with him if possible. Amazing class and professor overall.

Professor Tobin is by far the best professor I have had at UCLA. I have taken his classes a couple of times, and he never fails to make the class exciting and engaging. His in class quizzes are fair, he'll let you know everything that will be on the quiz, and his take home papers are not too difficult if you have been going to class and paying attention. After his class, I ended up loving the topics of science fiction, and I definitely recommend anyone who has an opportunity to take this class, even if you think science fiction is lame or you've never read it.