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Long-Term Impacts of Integrative Project Work

Long-Term Impacts of Integrative Project Work. Rick Vaz Dean, Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Motivations and Overview of the Study. Increasingly , colleges and universities are implementing integrative project work into the curriculum

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Long-Term Impacts of Integrative Project Work

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  1. Long-Term Impacts of Integrative Project Work • Rick Vaz • Dean, Interdisciplinary and Global Studies • Worcester Polytechnic Institute

  2. Motivations and Overview of the Study • Increasingly, colleges and universities are implementing integrative project work into the curriculum • Evidence of impacts can drive reform, justify investment, persuade skeptics, and guide implementation • Research questions: • What are the long-term impacts of integrative project work? • Do integrative projects prepare alumni for careers and life? • How do different groups experience integrative project work? • Study group: 20,000 graduates of WPI’s project-based curriculum from 1974 through 2011

  3. WPI’s Integrative Project Requirements 3 Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) Major Qualifying Project (MQP) Degree requirements, 9 CH each Not courses; small teams (2-4) work independently under faculty direction Most done with external partners Many completed full-time off campus

  4. Curricular Fit and Examples 4 IQP – gen ed capstone; interdisciplinary research project at interface between society and technology; all faculty involved • Erosion and flood control in informal settlements,Namibia Housing Action Group • Improving community nutrition, AIDS Project Worcester MQP – major capstone; integrative application of disciplinary skills and knowledge to professional-level challenge • Design and prototyping of a sorting mechanism, Gillette • Biochemical characterization of protein-protein interactions, Prof. K. Wobbe

  5. Study Overview • Survey ideation • On-line exercise with random sample of alumni • Alumni survey • Professional and personal impacts of integrative projects • 39 areas of long-term impact • Stratified random sample (1974 – 2011) • 25% response rate (n=2532) • Alumni interviews • 25 in-depth interviews to explore “how and why” behind long-term impacts • Employer interviews (ongoing) • Do project experiences produce different graduates and employees? How and why?

  6. Survey Instrument • 39 Likert-scale items on IQP/MQP impacts • Professional skills and abilities • World views • Personal impacts Indicate the extent to which your formal project experience at WPI (either through your IQP, your MQP, or both) later enhanced your ability to: Not At All A Little Bit Moderately Much Very Much Develop ideas O OOX O • Demographics • Major, year of graduation • Gender, place of residence • Projects done on or off campus

  7. Preliminary Findings • Formal project work conveys many positive impacts • A wide range of professional abilities and skills • Broader world views and personal growth • Some alumni groups report especially positive impacts from project work • those who completed off-campus projects • women • engineering majors • Interviews reveal compelling stories of growth and transformation

  8. Professional Impacts % Positive Responses Responsibility for own learning 89 Develop ideas 89 Solve problems 88 Effective professional interactions 87 Function effectively on a team 86 Effectively manage a project 86 Write clearly and effectively 83 Succeed in business or industry 78 Be an effective leader 78 Speak clearly and effectively 76

  9. Alumni Voices: Preparation for Work “For me, when I started to work … every project I got involved with … was like an IQP or an MQP … I just felt … ‘I’ve done this before.’” “[Project work] is really a problem-solving and project management education, and that’s something I use constantly at work.” “It’s close … to what I do now. … I can’t think of another school that would have been suitable for me to be doing what I do now … life is projects.”

  10. Alumni Voices: Professional Skills “You gain so many skills working with other people and you learn to value other people and what they bring.” “I think the [projects] just really mimic, at a very early age—a formative age … in your learning process— … how to work, how to be successful.” “You’ve got to get used to speaking… and answering questions and being confident, and that was invaluable.” “[Project work] teaches you a great deal about how to present yourself … and present your ideas effectively.”

  11. Personal Impacts % Positive Responses Stronger personal character 87 Feeling own ideas are important 79 Feeling able to make a difference 66 Enriched personal life 64 Feeling connected to WPI 62 Achieving work/life balance 53 Desire to stay connected to WPI 47

  12. Personal Impacts % Positive Responses Stronger personal character 87 Feeling own ideas are important 79 Feeling able to make a difference 66 Enriched personal life 64 Feeling connected to WPI 62 Achieving work/life balance 53 Desire to stay connected to WPI 47 “…taking pride in your work, operating according to a strong work ethic, persevering through adversity, being self-motivated, feeling self-confident, feeling self-aware, and operating according to a well-defined code of personal values”

  13. Alumni Voices: Personal Impacts “[The projects]… give you the opportunity to become independent, work on your own, find … solutions…it just gave me the opportunity to develop my character and drive.” “To have something that really takes you out of your comfort zone … where you can’t predict exactly what’s going to happen. … helped me to become a stronger person as I headed out of college.” “The projects gave me an enhanced confidence level, that I could achieve—and it sounds almost cocky—but I could achieve almost anything.”

  14. Benefits of Off-Campus Projects • About 40% of respondents had done at least one project in an immersion away from campus • Alumni who did off-campus projects reported more positive impact in 33/39 areas • Consistent with research indicating that “study away” experiences convey similar benefits to study abroad “I don’t think it really mattered where I went… my entire experience after the IQP was different than before… Somehow, something changed. I felt like a different person when I came back. … I saw the reason why I went to college, because I saw something taken to completion in the real world.”

  15. Off-Campus Projects: Professional Benefits

  16. Off-Campus Projects: World Views

  17. Off-Campus Projects: Personal Impacts

  18. Off-Campus Projects: Personal Impacts “… appreciating travel, enjoying new cultures, developing new personal interests (for example, theater, food, or exercise), and developing and maintaining deep and lasting friendships.”

  19. Alumni Voices: Off-Campus Projects “For me it was so eye-opening…it changed my view of the world.” “Staying on campus would have kept me in that little bubble I’m comfortable in, and instead I ended up someplace where I had to kind of grow just to survive there.” “I had never traveled … it made me a better person to have gone there and spent that time there.”

  20. Alumni Voices: Off-Campus Projects “I had a roommate who ended up doing his [project] in Washington … I wish I would have done that … I think he got a lot more out of it [than I did] in a shorter period of time.” “If it was my children going to WPI, I would require them to go off-campus.” “It should definitely be offered to all [students] … it literally can be life-changing.”

  21. Benefits to Women • Female alumni reported more positive impact in 36/39 areas • Research shows women are more motivated than men by context, application, and collaboration “For the longest time, [I] didn’t want to be an engineer because … I thought that … it was just sitting behind a desk doing calculations…These projects really allowed me to see the impacts on society that engineering can have, and it made it fun, it made it interesting and relatable, and it really stimulated my interest in staying with engineering.”

  22. Project Impact for Engineers • Engineering alumni report more positive impacts than non-engineers for 24/24 professional outcomes • Significant differences in leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills • Possible explanations: • Teamwork emphasis in engineering • Project-focused nature of engineering

  23. Some Other Findings • “Real world” aspect highly motivational • Adversity in projects viewed as an asset • Unpredictability of projects promoted learning, growth, and confidence • Projects viewed as a “safe environment” to develop professional skills

  24. A Few More Voices “I still tell people about [my project] all the time … [it’s] a cornerstone of how I work.” “Both projects definitely had a lasting impact. To this day I talk about those more than … any other academic thing I did.” “One of my fondest memories … in my whole life.”

  25. Conclusions – So Far • Integrative projects are doing what was intended – and more – for most WPI graduates • Career success and leadership • Character, confidence, efficacy • Off-campus projects have greater impacts • Interpersonal and communication skills • Broader world views, personal fulfillment • Projects are particularly impactful for women • Can aid in attracting and retaining women in STEM • Opportunities for improving the experience • More off-campus projects • More emphasis on certain outcomes • Better training and mentoring of advisors

  26. Questions for Discussion • Should colleges and universities carve out curricular space for integrative project work? • What are the barriers? • What evidence will be most persuasive? • What implications does project work have for faculty development?

  27. Summer Institute on Project-Based Learning • Inaugural offering: June 25-27, 2015 • Co-sponsored by WPI and AAC&U • Workshop topics to include • PBL as a first-year and general-education strategy • Partnering with external organizations for PBL • Student project team formation, development, and mentoring • Integrating PBL into STEM courses • Feedback, evaluation, and assessment strategies for PBL • PBL in major capstones • Applications will open in October – watch for emails vaz@wpi.edu

  28. WPI in the World Thanks

  29. About WPI • Founded in 1865 • 4000 undergraduates, 2000 MS and PhD students, 350 FTE faculty • Engineering (60%), science (30%), business (10%) • All undergraduates complete three integrative projects • 3 CH Humanities and Arts project • 9 CH Junior Society/Technology project • 9 CH Senior Research/Design project

  30. The WPI Plan (1970) • A Faculty-Led Revolution • Organized around projects • No compulsory courses! • Focus on outcomes and abilities • 7-week terms, non-punitive grading • The Vision: “Technological humanists” • Developing a broad perspective • Integrating theory and practice • Addressing societal needs • Considering the impacts of technology • Understanding and working with others

  31. WPI Project Requirements for All Students 2nd year: Humanities and Arts Capstone General education requirement Seminar or practicum in chosen area Creative, original work 3rd year: Interactive Qualifying Project General education requirement 9 credit hours, interdisciplinary Connecting technology, society, and environment 4th year: Major Qualifying Project 9 credit hours, in major field Research or design experience to prepare for career or graduate study 31

  32. Our Approach to Project Work • “Real” problems, usually suggested by some sponsor • Many possible solutions • Goal and methods chosen by students • Faculty advisors help guide work • Students learn to research, combine different ideas, and create original solutions • Requires creativity, teamwork, and flexibility

  33. How Are Students Evaluated? • Quality of results • Thorough research • Clear thinking • Clear writing • Effective solutions • Quality of process • Steady effort • Cooperation and teamwork • Communication with others • Professional behavior • Participation in meetings • Presentation skills

  34. The Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) • 3rd year, 9 credits, students and faculty from all disciplines • Not a classroomexperience – small teams work independently with advice of faculty and sponsors • Projects often suggested by NGOs, not-for-profit organizations, government agencies • About 50% of students complete the IQP at an off-campus Project Center

  35. WPI Global Perspective Program • ~40 locations throughout Africa, the Americas, Asia/Pacific, and Europe • On-campus preparation (7-14 weeks) • Culture, language, context • Background research • Teamwork, writing, presentation • Goal, objectives, methods • Formal proposal to sponsor • Academic term abroad (7-8 weeks) • WPI faculty advisors on site • Full-time work with sponsor/community • Formal project report • Oral presentation

  36. Off-Campus IQP Centers • Moscow, Russia • Cape Town, South Africa • Bangkok, Thailand • London, UK • Washington, DC • Boston, MA • Nantucket, MA • Worcester, MA • Bar Harbor, ME • San Juan, PR • Tirana, Albania • Melbourne, Australia • Hong Kong, China • San Jose, Costa Rica • Copenhagen, Denmark • Mandi, India • Venice, Italy • Ifrane, Morocco • Windhoek, Namibia • Wellington, New Zealand

  37. Other Off-Campus Centers • MIT Lincoln Laboratories, MA • Microsoft, MA • MITRE, MA • Wall Street, NY/London • Humanities & Arts Programs • Ifrane, Morocco • London, UK • Buenos Aires, Argentina • Konstanz, Germany MQP Centers • Nancy, France • Wuhan/Beijing, China • Shanghai, China • Osaka, Japan • Panama City, Panama • Budapest, Hungary • Stantec, Canada/US • Silicon Valley, CA

  38. Typical WPI Student’s Junior Year 1 semester = 2 terms 1 term = 7 weeks 6 courses / semester 3 courses / term A Term B Term C Term D Term Gen. Physics Intro to Statistics Anatomy Project in Bangkok Intro Art History Diff. Equations Principles of EE Calc IV Soc.Sci. Methods Fluid Mechanics Proposal

  39. Global Program Participation, 1974 – 2013 39 years, 2500 projects, 9000 students

  40. Student Participation Trends

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