Katherine Cleveland, the English Project Coordinator at Hawkes, cannot wait for the start of fall semester, which is when students and instructors will use the beta version of Foundations of English for the first time. Katherine works directly with English instructors to provide them with the content and tools they want for their classrooms. Katherine speaks more about her role at Hawkes and Foundations of English below.

Q: What’s a typical day like for you at Hawkes?

A: The English team is working on expanding the content and features of Foundations of English. Right now, this involves editing and testing questions for our growing question bank. I’ve also been working with contributors for our English video project. These instructional videos will supplement our Foundations of English lessons, and our contributors have done an awesome job so far!

Q: Why is Foundations of English different from other courseware that’s out there right now?

A: Part of the reason I love working at Hawkes is our shared passion for making learning comprehensive and user-friendly. For the English team, this partially means collaborating with English instructors to ensure that our courseware will play a meaningful, useful role within their classrooms. We’ve gathered feedback and contributions from instructors teaching at institutions across the country. We value and prioritize that input, and we are always interested in hearing more, especially as instructors begin using Foundations of English. One of my favorite ways that this courseware makes learning attainable is individualized instruction through features like interactive practice, Learning Style Tips, and practical applications.

Q: What’s your favorite part about working here?

A: I love how passionate and enthusiastic each team is about its contributions to our courseware. We all enjoy what we do, and it shows.

Q: When it comes to your work, what is your biggest commitment?

A: I am committed to student-centered innovation. With a background in English education, I think that learning is only possible when the instruction is responsive to student needs and preferences. We try to make sure that every aspect of our courseware—from the content we choose to the language we use to present it—promotes student engagement and meaningful learning.

Q: What are you most passionate about at Hawkes?

A: I really enjoy thinking about how our English courseware will be implemented in different classrooms. I’m looking forward to learning about student and instructor experiences with Foundations of English during our fall beta release.