Enabling effective learning, curriculum delivery reform at the University of Denver

Abstract

The Engineering Departm,ent at the University of Denver has received a Sturm Program Development Award for reform of its curricula. Specifically we shall (I) change the learning environment from predominately teacher centered to student centered, (2) implement a quality based grading method that allows students to know what is expected of them and to actually take part in the procedure, (3) create more studio type classrooms with current technology to facilitate learning and demonstrate state of the art engineering methods and procedures, and (4) blend engineering topics with English topics in an integrated freshman sequence.Index Terms S t u d e n t centered learning, studio style classrooms, quality based assessment process.

Integrating Undergraduate Research into Engineering: A Communications Approach to Holistic Education

“…Group leaders model and teach group procedures for providing positive feedback and suggesting how the communication could be improved. The RCS model differs from engineering studio design courses, described elsewhere [8][9][10][11][12][13][14], which are typically structured as courses and often held in computer-equipped studio classrooms. Instead, the RCS sessions take place at a round table in a small room; weekly meeting times are based on the group members' schedules, and the discussions focus on the undergraduates' independent studies and research.…”