Ivan Flores - THE BATTALION

Two A&M professors bring new perspective into classroom

Key to learning is critical thinking, creativity

By: Cherie Lim

Posted: 12/4/06

Professor Rodney Hill noticed his students were coming from high schools where they were never taught critical thinking skills. In his Design Process class, Hill started experimenting with methods to teach his students how to think creatively and enter into a state of "flow."

"Education is not about the teachers, but about the students," Hill said. "A good professor helps to open the doors to discovery and questioning."

Many professors' innovative teaching styles and visions help to make learning more than just sitting in a lecture hall. These professors, who put their students' interests first, were the type that inspired Hill to teach, he said.

Hill is just one of Texas A&M's faculty and staff dedicated to bringing innovation to the classroom. From teaching styles to class participation, some of A&M's professors are in a class of their own.

Hill said he decided on coming to A&M because the College of Architecture is very forward-thinking, and the other schools he applied to were very structured and told him what to teach. At A&M, he was told he could do anything he wanted and experiment however he wanted, and now, Hill's ENDS 101 course has evolved to just that.

The course, Hill said, is designed to show why a person should become creative for the 21st century and to spark his students to be knowledge creators and adapt to a state of change.

"The act of creation and the generation of ideas are rarely discussed in most university classes and it is the essential key that unlocks the path to new discoveries, whether it is in art or science," Hill said. "If a student is lucky, he/she accidentally becomes aware of what triggers 'flow' in his/her mind, usually at more of an intuitive level."

Throughout his years of teaching, Hill has tried to help students discover the entrepreneur within, he said. He also eliminated tests in his course because he said with tests, you regurgitate the information given in class, but with projects, you apply the knowledge.

"Creativity is the currency of the new millennium. While all the University curriculums are providing our students with knowledge they need to operate in their chosen domain, not all of them are preparing students for a world that is in accelerating change," Hill said. "The students' ability to create and generate new knowledge is essential to survive in the 21st Century."

Hill said that in his class, he tries to bring his students to excel at optimal behavior - he doesn't try to flunk everyone.

"What you're trying to do is just trigger the mind and spark the ignition," he said.

Doug Bell, a graduate student in visualization, has been a teaching assistant for Hill for the past two semesters.

"Dr. Hill is very unique in that he teaches creatively-whatever ways you would think a professor teaches, he basically does the opposite," Bell said. "You can bring any project you want to him and he'll help you do it."

Bell said ENDS 101 is a special course, because it's a class where a student can be as open as possible with their projects and be graded based on their learning styles and personalities.

"What's important about ENDS 101 is that it's very open to interpretation and the ideas and content you get out of the class can really help you along with your future careers," Bell said. "So the course is different in the sense that in order to do well in the class you have to do the opposite of study - you have to have fun, know yourself, and be able to relax and get into the mind set where you can search for new ideas not only for this class, but the problems around you."

Bell said that Hill makes it a point to keep up with modern times and the news because he teaches about the future and creativity. He also pays attention to everybody's personalities and tries to make his students laugh.

"Whatever ideas you have, he keeps it in mind for projects and acknowledges what you're capable of doing," Bell said. "The thing that most people say about Rodney is that he can always respond to everybody's different personalities, and he's just a generally good guy."

Camille Hailey is another professor who goes above and beyond while in the classroom. A management professor, Hailey promotes enhancing students' writing skills in her business law classes as well as showing her students the law in action through a mock trial.

Lindsey Dykes, a junior accounting major, said at the beginning of the year, honors students participate in a mock trial pertaining to a case on employment at will. The class draws for positions as defense attorneys, prosecuting attorneys and witnesses. The attorneys take turns presenting their cases, and at the next class period, the witnesses agree on a verdict.

"You see how a trial works by really participating in it," Dykes said.

Hailey said she obtained her undergraduate degree in education, taught in an elementary school for four years and then proceeded to law school. Becoming a management professor and teaching classes in business law was a way to put her degrees together and keep a fresh perspective in life through her students, she said.

In her honors business law class, Hailey said she accomplishes in depth analysis through reading the law and then applying them to other cases. Students also practice their writing skills through various essays assigned throughout the semester.

"Because the honors class is smaller, I'm able to do that," Hailey said. "I think writing skills are important for every student. For every job you'll have, you have to write memos … you'll have to write."

Hailey said she would do writing assignments for all her classes, if her class sizes weren't so huge. Still, in those classes, students have the opportunity to analyze cases and write case briefs for extra credit.

"I think the written expression is just as important as the verbal," Hailey said.