Randall E. Cone

Why should students attend university courses in an age when information is everywhere—instantaneously accessible, often free, and increasingly curated by artificial intelligence? If facts, formulas, and explanations can be summoned in seconds, what remains the true purpose of higher education?

The answer lies in the growing recognition that employers, research institutions, and graduate programs are not merely seeking individuals who can recall information, but those who can think critically, solve non-routine problems, communicate effectively, and create innovative work in complex environments. In STEM fields especially, the distinction between simply “knowing” and being able to genuinely “do” has never been more important.

This reality was captured powerfully by Albert Einstein, who observed:

“Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.”

Einstein’s insight reminds us that the enduring value of education is not found in memorizing temporary or rapidly changing information, but in cultivating habits of mind: intellectual resilience, analytical reasoning, creativity, collaboration, and curiosity. In an era shaped by AI and unprecedented technological acceleration, these capacities become even more essential, not less.

For this reason, my teaching philosophy centers on Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL), an educational approach that emphasizes discovery, investigation, and active intellectual engagement rather than passive absorption of information. In an IBL classroom, students are not spectators to knowledge; they are participants in its construction. They are challenged to ask difficult questions, defend ideas, collaborate with others, confront uncertainty, and take meaningful responsibility for their own learning.

This approach transforms the classroom from a place of simple content delivery into an environment of exploration, rigor, and intellectual growth. These ideas from IBL are strongly supported by leading professional organizations such as the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America - both of which identify Inquiry-Based Learning as the most effective high-impact practice for developing deep understanding, critical thinking, and lasting mathematical maturity.