Page 126 - Educating the Engineer of 2020: Adapting Engineering Education to the New Century

Educating the Engineer of 2020: Adapting Engineering Education to the New Century
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11338.html

DESIGNING FROM A BLANK SLATE 109

the cohorts, the sophomore design project offers a significant opportu-
nity for students to develop their own ideas, develop project implemen-
tation plans, and manage the process of bringing projects to fruition.
Planning (i.e., team formation and proposal writing) for the design
project begins in the first semester of the sophomore year.
To provide a context for their engineering studies, students will also
take courses in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In addition,
in each semester of the foundation, students will participate in projects,
practica (e.g., short, just-in-time learning experiences), and a required
course on the basics of business to ensure that they have a solid ground-
ing in business and entrepreneurship. In some cases, this course work
will be connected directly to technical course work via projects—for
example, students might combine a study of signals with a course on
music theory and a project that focuses on building musical instru-
ments. Alternatively, signals might be combined with a study of busi-
ness and a project on opportunities in low-cost image processing. All
students will graduate with some background in both business and the
humanities. In addition, students will have the flexibility to choose
which area they wan to emphasize.
Students’ command of both theory and practice is evaluated at the
end of each year during “Gates,” a week-long, institution-wide assess-
ment period that includes written examinations, oral examinations,
team exercises, and other forms of authentic assessment. Interdiscipli-
nary by design, Gates forces students to synthesize material among
classes and from one term to the next. Gates is designed to assess insti-
tutionally defined learning objectives, rather than objectives determined
by a single instructor. By defining a desired outcome, but not the means
by which it is to be achieved, Gates allows faculty members great flex-
ibility in designing courses. Criteria-based assessment provides invalu-
able feedback to inform curricular innovation and, at the same time,
ensures that students have met the learning objectives for the year.
To encourage student creativity and initiative, Olin encourages stu-
dents to undertake passionate pursuits. Olin implemented this pro-
gram to acknowledge students’ passions—whether they are technical,
artistic, or entrepreneurial—that are important to their personal and
professional education and development. Some Olin students might
use this opportunity to start a business with the support of an Olin/
Babson hatchery; others might form a string quartet. Olin gives
students the opportunity to pursue their passions independently by

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