“We’re working with chemicals and fire today, people,” shouts Seri Robinson, an assistant professor in Wood Science and Engineering at Oregon State, before a meeting of her Renewable Materials in the Modern World class.
“I felled an ash tree in my yard this morning for you.”
While the statement may not be completely out-of-place for the Wood Science majors in the room, it is a little different for the engineers, designers and other students also part of the course.
Which is all part of Robinson’s plan with the class, dual-listed in Wood Science and the School of Design and Human Environment within the College of Business. Her aim is to bring students from different backgrounds and experiences together and teach them the collaboration skills necessary to succeed after graduation.
“The goal is that they get an appreciation for renewable materials, but more importantly, that they learn how to talk to each other,” Robinson said.
The class is designed to be accessible to any student. There are no prerequisites and no tests, with most assignments photo-based. Students are introduced to a topic around renewable materials and then sent out to find examples of it around them.
The class culminates with a group project creating a product out of renewable materials incorporating the skills of each member.
Robinson originally designed the course while working at the University of Toronto when industry leaders approached her with a problem.
“The big issues they had were designers who worked with wood but didn’t know the materials, and scientists who didn’t know how to talk to designers,” she said. “They wanted a class the two could take together.”
Over the years teams created baskets from used chopsticks, blueprints for homes and functional objects like chairs and dishware. The only requirements were that the project use renewable materials and all the talents of the group.
“You work with this group member or everyone fails, just like in the real world,” Robinson said. “Everyone’s background is showcased.”
This is the first year she’s run the course since coming to Oregon State in January. On this day Robinson is demonstrating how to steam bend wood, with students creating twisting and curving creations from some pre-cut pieces and the remains of her ash tree.
Camille Moyers, a dual major in Interior Design and Renewable Materials, said it’s been interesting watching her two worlds come together in the classroom.
While she said the learning curve has been steep for some of her SDHE peers, the interaction has been worthwhile.
“We have some different personalities, but it’s the same as in life,” Moyers said. “It’s important to learn how to collaborate. It’s something we’re going to do the rest of our careers, especially in design.”
Devin Stuart, a junior in Renewable Materials, said working with other disciplines has changed the way she sees her own major.
“It’s cool to do that,” Stuart said of the collaboration. “It makes you think about other aspects of the renewable materials field, like textiles.”
Robinson has big plans for the course. She hopes to run it two terms next academic year and start to include more students from other colleges at Oregon State.
Eventually she wants to open some spots for online students — something she did in earlier versions of the class — creating another challenge for collaboration within groups.
Anything she can do to make her classroom more like the unpredictable world students will navigate as professionals, the better.
“The class is not easy and it’s not designed to be easy, but it prepares you for the real world in a way no other class will,” Robinson said. “But you have to be willing to step outside your comfort zone.”
