Collaborative Research: Inspiring Innovation and Creativity through Physical Simulations and Moving Analogies

University Of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

This award provides funding for a faculty development workshop to be held in conjunction with the Venture Well Open Conference, which promotes and supports innovation and entrepreneurship in engineering education. Participants will learn to develop and use physical simulations and moving analogies to help students learn innovation and entrepreneurship skills and concepts in the classroom. Since the Venture Well Conference attracts a wide group of faculty and students from varied institutional types, the workshop will have strong potential to affect engineering education practice broadly. The workshop offers two tracks for the 40 to 60 participants anticipated, one track for those who are new to the pedagogy and one track for those who are experienced with it. This project has the potential to broaden and improve student learning of innovation and entrepreneurship concepts as well as to engage faculty who teach these concepts so they can explore and implement effective teaching practices. The activities following the workshop aim to build a community of practice through a series of virtual sessions and to provide a mechanism to sustain and expand the network of participants engaged in the development and implementation of evidence-based educational practices in the context of engineering innovation and entrepreneurship.