It started with a conversation about creativity

It Started with

A Conversation about Creativity:What Happened and What’s Next?

David E. GoldbergIllinois Foundry for Innovation in Engineering EducationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUrbana, IL 61801 [email protected]

© David E. Goldberg 2009

mailto:[email protected]



iStudents Want to Know What’s Next

• Celebrating first semester of first iFoundry class.

• Many thanks necessary: iFAs, iSAs, iCOAs, college staff, departmental staff.

• Had the iLaunch, the iCheckpoint, ENG 198 (ENG 100 ++), and now iExpo.

• Is there life after the first semester of iFoundry?

• What comes next?• iFoundry a pilot. Was it a success?• What will we do next semester? Next year?

Next four years?• Helpful to step back and see big picture.


Roadmap

• A conversation about creativity.• How to change an organization designed to resist

change.• The role of philosophy, student involvement, and

the Olin effect.• From iLaunch to iCheckpoint to iExpo.• AAAs and the Olin effect at Illinois.• iEFX next fall.• Next semester, next year, and in four years.


A Conversation about Creativity

• Working on an NSF ERC proposal and discussing educational component involving creativity and innovation.

• “Why don’t we teach this stuff to all our students?”

• But how? Engineering education surprisingly resistant to top-down reform. Andreas Cangellaris


Not a Committee, A Pilot Program

• Illinois Foundry for Innovation in Engineering Education (iFoundry):

– Curriculum change incubator. Permit change.– Collaboration. Large, key ugrad programs work

together. Easier approval if shared. – Connections. Hook to depts, NAE, ABET (?), industry. – Volunteers. Enthusiasm for change among

participants. – Existing authority. Use signatory authority for

modification of curricula for immediate pilot. – Respect faculty governance. Get pilot permission

from the dept. and go back to faculty for vote after pilot change

– Assessment. Built-in assessment to overcome objections back home.

– Scalability. Past attempts at change like Olin fail to scale at UIUC and other big schools.

• Utopian curriculum change doomed. • Organizationally sensitive change has a chance.

iFoundry Circles of Influence


The Role of Philosophy

• iFoundry belief: Many problems of engineering education are philosophical or conceptual.

• iFoundry led efforts to create Workshop on Philosophy and Engineering.

• First one held at TUDelft in the Netherlands.

• Series of papers undergird iFoundry efforts intellectually.

• Missing basics reflection as key to new engineer’s education.

• www.philengtech.org • fPET-2010, 9-10 May 2010, Golden

CO.

Socrates & the Missing Basics


http://www.philengtech.org/


Student Involvement & the Olin Effect

• Students involved in iFoundry planning from beginning.

• Sp08, ENG498 - Designing the Engineering Curriculum of the Future.

• Went to Franklin W. Olin College first time February 2008.

• A moving experience: Talked to freshmen during heat-sink measurements.– Pride in design-build prowess:

Engineering identity.– Confidence.– Assertion of personal aspirations

related to engineering education.• Envisioned distant day when we saw

“Olin effect” at Illinois.

Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

iFoundry as a College Activity & the OIP

• Dean Adesida made iFoundry a college activity in Fa08.

• Immediately signed the Olin-Illinois Partnership (OIP) on 12 September 2008.

• Importance of community conversation: Rick Miller, President of Olin.

Ilesanmi Adesida

Richard K. Miller


Fa09 & iLaunch: The Students are Coming

• 22 August 2009 was iLaunch.• 93 students admitted, 88 came

to campus, 73 still in program.• iLaunch signaled different kind

of program.– 3 Joys: Joy of engineering,

community & learning.– Unified by the missing

basics.– Within student-run

community of learners: iCommunity.

• But it wasn’t all smooth.

iStudents on Allerton low ropes course


Bumps, Confusion, then Demos & iCheckpoint

• Students: What do you want us to do?

• iFoundry staff: Don’t know. What do you want to do?

• Then steam engines worked. • iCheckpoint held.• Something seemed to click.• Jaime Kelleher: “Wasn’t sure you

were serious about us doing what we wanted to do, but then realized you were, and it was very cool.”


You Told Us the Experience was Working

• November 11th survey, First two weeks versus now.– Five-point Likert scale. Percentages

of agree and strongly agree. – Understood/stand the iFoundry

vision: 12% 76%

– Understood/stand iCommunity: 29% 75.5%

– Understood/stand ENG198: 57% 88%

– Felt/feel iFoundry valuable academics & professionally: 69% 80%

– Felt/feel iFoundry valuable in student connections:

84% 88%

• Your words:– “Sure I made the right career

choice.” – “I might not like my future co-

workers, but I’ll love my job.”– “Making me more confident in my

decision to be an engineer.” – “I’m definitely more

entrepreneurial.” – “I think I feel more comfortable

being an engineer.” – “Just an overall all-rounded

engineer, not just a technician. A human, not just a problem solver.”

– “The future looks brighter thanks to iFoundry.”


Asserted Yourselves as iTeams & Individuals

• Started to assert yourselves.

• iTeams got plans matched with available time.

• Individuals started to do interesting things.

• Things freshmen at Illinois don’t usually do.


AAAs: Aspirationally Assertive Acts

• You started to assert yourselves as free men and women and as engineers:– 6 students go to NextGen

conference.– 3 students apply and get

accepted to TEC Silicon Valley trip.

– Student rearranges finals to go to Indonesia with NUS students.

– Student networks with Cory Levy to get VC interview in Colorado.

• The data and the stories told us we were getting Olin effect at Illinois!

Cory Levy setting up at NextGen


Got the Olin Effect at Illinois!

• But how?– Didn’t change the whole

curriculum.– Didn’t build new buildings.– Didn’t remake the

classrooms.– Didn’t overhaul the

teaching or teachers.– One-hour course +

iCommunity?• Did trust your judgment &

support your aspirations.

The Big I at Olin College


Why Did This Work So Well?

• We trusted and supported students in 7 ways:– Appealed to passion (3 joys).– Respected aspirations & choices (iTeam themes).– Built qualitative thinking skills (Roam + missing basics + HAPI).– Insisted on working together (iTeams & iCommunity).– Trusted student initiative (provided rules & structure, but not

instructions)– Unleashed inner builder & engineering identity (Steam engine &

μcontroller).– Began with the end in mind (world of work and iCOAs).

• Leads to the Illinois Way of engineering education transformation: Organizational design + conceptual rigor + student support & trust.


Joy

Aspiration

Choice Identity

Illinois Engineering Freshman Experience

(iEFX)


Next Semester

• World of work becomes key emphasis: Summer internships and aspirational activities.

• Mentornet launch for iFoundry: one-on-one mentoring with industry volunteers.

• Courses: Pilots of Foundations of Business & Entrepreneurship (FBE) & User-Oriented Collaborative Design (UOCD) for 2010-2011 launch.

• HAPI themes and new LibEd courses.• Kevin Wolz and Passionate Pursuits.• Other crosscutting activities.• iTeams and projects continue as

extracurricular activity.

http://www.mentornet.net/




Next Year

• Roll out of new courses (UOCD and FBE) as swappable iFoundry options.

• Projects and iTeams continue as independent RSOs if desired.

• Social membership continues in iCommunity. • Join regular engineering student life, run for

office.• Hire experienced iFoundry hands as iEFX ELAs.


In Four Years

• More student choice and respect/support for student aspirations.

• Design throughout the curriculum.• Industrially sponsored design across college.• Pervasive community and teamwork at Illinois.• Culture of change and curriculum innovation.• Graduation of the class of 2013: Engineering

leaders on national or international stage.


Bottom Line

• Started with a conversation about creativity.• Became system to actualize change.• Quickly became way

– to trust your judgment – support your aspirations– respect your choices– & develop your engineering identity.

• This was about you, it has come about because of you, and it will become what you make it.


It started with a conversation about creativity

Education

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