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CUE 2004

EDUCATION NEWS
College Expands Experiential Learning Opportunities for Students

Architectural engineering major Eric Frydendall contributes to research in the Center for LifeLong Learning and Design, where he is helping to develop a computer interface that allows citizen groups to use and interact with geographical information systems data.

Experiential learning, as defined by author David Kolb, is "the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience." In the College of Engineering and Applied Science, experiential learning abounds, not only within the core curriculum, but also through a host of extracurricular opportunities provided to students.

In 2003-04, the college expanded its offerings in discovery, service, and professional learning, giving students even more opportunities to explore the areas that correspond with their personal or professional goals.

Discovery Learning
In discovery learning, undergraduate students conduct research with faculty, graduate students, and industry or government partners. This spring, the college launched a new Discovery Learning Apprenticeship Program, initially supporting 12 undergraduate students doing research in the Discovery Learning Center. The program, which pays students an hourly wage, culminated in the first Discovery Learning Symposium, held on April 23.

Architectural engineering major Eric Frydendall says the program allowed him to explore the world of research, which he observes "is much more open than working in industry." Instead of being on deadline to get a job done, "you have time to come up with your own idea and see how it works."

The National Science Foundation also supports "Research Experiences for Undergraduates" in a number of departments and programs, providing students with stipends and, in some cases, assistance with housing and travel, as they work on research projects. Students also can obtain funding through campus initiatives like the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, or they can earn course credit for research through an independent study.

Service Learning
Service learning takes place when undergraduate students participate in activities that serve the college, the community, or the world. The college piloted an Earn Learn Program this spring, which has funded 15 students in service learning projects within college departments and programs. The program allows students to earn book, tuition, or spending money, while learning valuable skills and helping the college at the same time.

Service learning may take the form of helping a faculty member to develop a new curriculum or tutoring other students, or it might involve undergraduate students in K-12 outreach, with the goal of sparking young people's interest in pursuing a degree in engineering or applied science. Over the last eight years, engineering students also have helped develop projects to enhance the lives of disabled clients and to teach scientific concepts to elementary school students through the First-Year Engineering Projects class.

Students may become involved in national and even international service learning as well through such initiatives as Engineering for Developing Communities and Engineers Without Borders, where students use their engineering knowledge to improve the quality of life for people who are less fortunate.

Undergraduate Candace Vaughn (right) alternates semesters taking clases with semesters working at Roche Colorado, a pharmaceutical company in Bouder.

Professional Learning
Professional learning allows undergraduate students to try out the "real world" through internships and co-op programs with industry and government partners. While many students arrange their own internships during the summer months, students who enroll in a co-op program get a more intensive and valuable experience from the multiple work sessions that build upon academic learning and previous work experiences.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering launched a new co-op program this year, joining Chemical and Biological Engineering as the second department in the college to offer students this option. Students interested in aerospace engineering also can intern for several semesters at Johnson Space Center, enriching their understanding of classroom lessons.

While such programs may add up to a full year to students' time in college, students graduate with a host of marketable skills and professional contacts.

"I don't really see the extra time required as a downside because I'm gaining much more experience, which will make me a lot more competitive in the workplace," says Candace Vaughn, a chemical engineering major who has a co-op internship at Roche Colorado.

Whether a student chooses to participate in discovery, service, or professional learning, we are confident they will emerge with a broader view of the world, including the many different opportunities and challenges ahead of them.

For more information on experiential learning opportunities, contact Terry Mayes, Director of Academic Programs and Assessment, at 303-735-6446.