Dr. Korey Kilburn teaches mathematics and leads the Aeronautical Sciences program at PennWest University–Edinboro. He stays very busy outside of the classroom as he also teaches jiujitsu, is a pilot, serves as a Hawkes Faculty Consultant, and is a former college wrestling athlete. Recently, Hawkes had the opportunity to learn more about Dr. Kilburn’s journey as an instructor and is delighted to shine a spotlight on his passion for mathematics. Read along to learn more about Dr. Kilburn’s experience as a Hawkes instructor!
Dr. Kilburn teaches the following courses with Hawkes Learning’s materials:
While Dr. Kilburn originally attended PennWest University–Edinboro as an undergraduate wrestling athlete, he then pursued three advanced degrees, including his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Math. He attributes his pursuit of higher education in math to his mentors, Mrs. Judy Scaletta and Dr. Anne Quinn. He shared that Mrs. Scaletta, his 12th grade math teacher, helped him realize he had a knack for the subject. Dr. Anne Quinn taught him in his undergraduate math courses at PennWest University–Edinboro and helped him realize all the opportunities available to him in pursuing a graduate degree in mathematics; they are now colleagues at PennWest–Edinboro. As a first-generation college student, Dr. Kilburn said that he truly appreciated Dr. Quinn’s guidance in exploring the opportunities a future in mathematics could provide for him.
Dr. Kilburn’s experience as a former college athlete is applied in his classroom as he reminds his students to continue to show up and work hard in their pursuit of educational success. He reminds them that education is about the big picture, explaining, “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” Dr. Kilburn teaches a wide array of mathematics courses, ranging from College Algebra to Statistics and Data Analysis to Differential Equations. Dr. Kilburn explained, “Each semester, I look at my schedule, and if there is a corresponding Hawkes textbook I can use for my courses that semester, I will use Hawkes each chance I get.” He was initially introduced to Hawkes during an initiative to bridge the gap for incoming students who had weaker backgrounds in algebra. He enjoyed using Hawkes because of the friendly, timely support he and his students received, Hawkes’ mastery approach, and the HawkesTV video library provided to students.
“I think Hawkes and I just get along well; I can implement it into my classes very easily and seamlessly, and the students are happier. I’ve noticed a lot of improvements just since I started using Hawkes,” he explained. Dr. Kilburn uses the Hawkes Sync Tool to link his Hawkes courses with his learning management system, Brightspace. He also utilizes an inclusive access model to distribute his course materials to his students so that they can have access to the Hawkes student platform on the first day of class.
When asked his top reasons for returning to Hawkes each academic year, he replied, “The customer service, in general, is through-the-roof amazing. One thing I like about Hawkes is how quickly they help. Not only do they help, but they also really walk you through it. They’ll do everything to make sure you understand.” He continued, “I feel a lot of support there. I don’t feel like I’m just some number,” as he described Hawkes’ Support Team as a friend who genuinely wants to help you.
When asked what advice he’d give to an instructor considering adopting Hawkes’ materials, he replied, “First, I would highly recommend it. Secondly, I would say not to be afraid to reach out and ask questions.” He has observed that his students really appreciate the straightforward structure that the Hawkes “Learn, Practice, Certify” sequence provides to them. He also enjoys how easy Hawkes makes it to customize, grade, and manage his courses within the instructor platform.
Dr. Kilburn has noticed positive trends since switching to Hawkes in his courses. He explained that when he made the switch to Hawkes in his courses, he did not change his final exams, nor did he change his approach. He said that he noticed both grades and student morale improved, and he believes that is due to the Hawkes approach, which leads to true mathematical understanding.
Dr. Kilburn is gifted with the ability to see mathematical applications all around him, from his car tires’ coefficient of friction to an airplane’s rates of ascent and descent. He hopes to help his students see the same applications and relevance of mathematical subjects. This is especially considered when it comes to his calculus sequence courses. He teaches Calculus I through Calculus III with Hawkes’ Calculus with Early Transcendentals. Calculus can be intimidating, so Dr. Kilburn tries to remind his students that mathematics builds upon itself and that the heart of calculus is actually algebra. He appreciates that Hawkes provides students with not only thorough content within the textbook and courseware but also comprehensive free instructional videos to bring the concepts to life. Dr. Kilburn believes that helping students make the connection of mathematics at work around them can be a motivating factor, expressing, “It’s really all around us. We have to just be aware of it.”