Hawkes Student Ambassador Trenton Jeffers recently interviewed Dr. Dandrielle Lewis to gain insights into her experience with Hawkes Learning at Prairie View A&M University. Dr. Lewis leads the mathematics program at Prairie View as Department Chair. Read how she integrates innovative tools like Hawkes Learning to enhance student success.
How long have you been teaching?
I’ve been teaching since 2011. I spent eight years at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 4 years at High Point University in North Carolina, and then I came here to Prairie View in August 2023.
What is your favorite thing about teaching?
Oh gosh, the light bulbs going off for students! Seeing them learn something for the first time or seeing them finally understand after struggling—it’s a beautiful moment for everybody. I love when the students learn. It can happen in the classroom, in study sessions, and when they come to office hours. You can tell when somebody’s been looking at a problem for a long time, but whenever it clicks for them, you see them smile or get excited. They’re usually like, “Yeah, let’s do another one!” and have found their confidence to tackle another problem.
How long have you been using Hawkes, and which classes have you used Hawkes in?
Since Fall 2023. I’ve used Pearson before with My Math Lab and some other platforms, but I had never used Hawkes until I came to Prairie View A&M using Hawkes’ College Algebra for our Math 1314 course.
What is your favorite thing about Hawkes?
I would have to say my favorite thing about Hawkes is that the representatives are incredible! They know the software inside and out. They’re always available, and I think that’s beneficial for us as faculty and also beneficial for students. Sometimes students run into issues at different times late at night. Faculty work mostly during the day, but students are up all the time, so Hawkes’ Support is still there for them even when we can’t be.
I love the accessibility for the students in terms of the homework. It’s not difficult for them to actually go in and figure out which mathematical characters or symbols to input. I’ve heard very good things from students using Hawkes Learning, so I’m excited about that. Additionally, I think the ability for students to go in and create their own practice exams is phenomenal. Overall, Hawkes’ student-friendly setup is very nice.
Have you noticed a difference because of using Hawkes?
Yes! In courses where we’re using Hawkes, I see the students going through the assignments and paying attention to how the questions are phrased in the homework. Then, when they come into the classroom, it opens the door for the students to be prepared for discussion with their instructor, and we are able to have real-world discussions about how to apply the concepts they’ve learned, which has been a major difference.
Meet the Author
Trenton Jeffers is a junior at Prairie View A&M University. He is studying mathematics and hopes to get his teacher certification so that he can teach future students in various math classes. He loves to play video games and watch football and basketball in his free time. This is his second semester as a Hawkes Learning Ambassador.