Originally published in the 2016 edition of Innovation magazine
Today’s students in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute are experiencing more: more input from industry advisors and partners, more project-based learning, more opportunities for global and cultural activities, and more connections across courses required for their majors. And more transformation is on the way.
Each school, department and statewide location within the Purdue Polytechnic Institute is making organizational changes that support the overall transformation of the college as well as its own program-specific improvements.
Across the board, each academic unit is building stronger connections to industry and increasing global and cultural activities on and off campus, all of which is generating new excitement and energy.
“The faculty don’t seem to have a whole lot of trouble jumping into this. It’s their passion,” says Pat Connolly, professor and head in the Department of Computer Graphics Technology. “Once they start to see it, they do it pretty quick. The spirit of the Polytechnic is starting to infuse what we do. It’s ‘why not?’ instead of ‘why?’”
In the Department of Computer and Information Technology, faculty are integrating concepts across a plan of study.
“The integrated freshman experience has the faculty excited. It has energized them to reflect on their courses and how they intersect,” says Dawn Laux, assistant department head for recruitment and clinical associate professor.
The Polytechnic transformation also has given professors incentive to think creatively about how courses are taught, how students learn and how the college provides opportunities for students to practice what they learn. Professors are going through Purdue’s IMPACT program, whose goal is to redesign courses by using research findings to create student-centered teaching and learning environments, especially in early foundational courses. IMPACT stands for Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation.
“The goal of transformation is to make each of the Polytechnic learning elements intentional,” says Ken Burbank, professor and head in the School of Engineering Technology. Several tenets of the Polytechnic learning environment may have been part of a student’s previous educational experience, depending on the program of study. The current focus of the transformation provides a way for academic units to codify the learning elements into the curriculum and make them available to all students.
Purdue Polytechnic Statewide locations also are scrutinizing classroom experiences and amplifying project-based learning. They are strengthening ties to industry while implementing many of the same curriculum enhancements as the West Lafayette campus.
The transformed Purdue Polytechnic learning experience focuses on 10 essential elements in its mission to produce graduates with deep technical knowledge, applied skills and experiences in their chosen disciplines. They also will gain problem solving, critical thinking, innovation, communication and leadership skills sought by employers and communities.
Learning Reinvented: 10 critical elements lift student learning to new heights
Theory-based applied learning: Learning by doing has always been the foundation of the Polytechnic learning experience. It’s a powerful, proven approach that drives students to better understand and retain concepts, so the college is maximizing hands-on applications.
Team project-based learning: Companies and communities rely on teamwork to achieve success. From students’ first semester to their last, team projects will expose students to team dynamics, deadlines and problem-solving techniques. More team projects have been added in the past year — a trend that will continue.
Modernized teaching methods: The college also is emphasizing research-proven, state-of-the-art teaching methods known as active learning. They are different, fun, challenging and more effective. In the first two years of the transformation, the number of courses using these methods has nearly tripled, and increasing numbers of faculty are learning how to use the techniques.
Internships: Purdue Polytechnic is moving from encouraging internships to embedding them and other workforce-like activities in its programs. In the summer or during the academic year, students use these opportunities to expand their knowledge and skills, and prepare for future employment. A goal of the college’s transformation is to require an internship or other workforce-like experience of every student.
Senior capstone projects: Real projects with real clients benefit students, companies and communities. Purdue Polytechnic programs include senior capstone projects that allow students to apply what they have learned to solve real-world challenges selected by corporate and community partners.
Integrated learning-in-context curricula: Students learn best when
- They have a deep understanding of why they’re learning.
- Their learning occurs just in time, before it is needed.
- The learning outcomes are tied to practical experiences.
Purdue Polytechnic courses follow these pillars of purpose, timing and practicality, while groundbreaking efforts are underway to integrate and synchronize courses and content across the curriculum.
Integrated humanities studies: The integration of technology studies with humanities and social science studies improves critical thinking, creativity, logic and innovation. Polytechnic students graduate with these skills and are well-prepared for lifelong learning and success.
Global/cultural immersions: The world is shrinking while global and cultural opportunities are growing. Boasting a multicultural learning environment filled with faculty, staff and students from over 100 countries, Purdue Polytechnic offers an enriched perspective through study abroad, international internships, and other global and cultural activities.
Faculty-to-student mentorship: College students are more successful when someone takes special interest in their aspirations and progress. In the Polytechnic, students have the unique opportunity to be assigned a faculty mentor to steer them toward success by providing professional guidance and support throughout the school year. This new program begins in fall 2016.
Competency credentialing: Polytechnic students demonstrate mastery of concepts and applied skills (known as competencies) while they enjoy flexibility to focus on their interests and learn at their own pace. They also build e-portfolios to showcase their capabilities. Purdue is a front-runner in competency-based learning and the Polytechnic is expanding its competency-based offerings.