Project Category: Transformative Teaching and Learning

The goal of the project was to promote inquiry-based learning by empowering students to design and carry out their own experiments, moving away from a prescriptive, step-by-step approach and toward independent problem-solving and critical thinking.

Student groups were given a research question that addressed a specific aspect of polymer processing. Each group first learned different processing and material characterization techniques available to them before designing their experiments and carrying out the research. Providing more agency to the students encouraged them to think critically, do appropriate research, and learn from experimental failures.

The impact of the CURE was assessed using pre/post surveys. Students were asked to evaluate their confidence in research skills and understanding of the module’s technical content both before and after participating in the CURE module.

The results indicated that students perceived a significant improvement in their ability to conduct independent research as a result of their participation in the CURE. Additionally, when asked if the CURE project should continue to be part of the course, an overwhelming majority (over 80%) responded affirmatively. 

The following student comments from post-survey reflections support the value of integrating authentic research experiences into undergraduate lab courses, even in the context of short, modular implementation:

1. “Learned how to be an independent researcher, gained experience in diverse techniques and — equally important — improved my presentation skills”

2. “It was very cool to see how plastics take their shapes and properties through different processing techniques”

3. “It (CURE module) was more engaging and I cared more about the material.”

4. “Out of all modules, I think I learned the most about polymers simply because of CURE. Having the responsibility and trust put on to us to come up with effective experiments”

2025 GTREET (Georgia Tech Retreat Exploring Effective Teaching)

2025 Celebrating Teaching Day

2025 USG Teaching and Learning Conference

Students will be able to: Apply storytelling and visualization to STEM communication, especially for public audiences Analyze and produce various artifacts involving written and visual communication technique Gain skills in interpersonal communication by working on teams and subteams with a variety of community partners Develop cultural sensitivity in communicating with and about people with disabilities

The Graphic Medicine VIP is designed to explore the connections between health, storytelling, and visual communication. In the semesters of support, student subteams were paired with the Shepherd Center to produce comics on one of two topics: 1) the inpatient/outpatient process at Shepherd and 2) the experience of using new assistive technology. The TTL project expanded the learning community, supporting more face-to-face interactions with both patients and professionals at Shepherd as students endeavored to incorporate “own stories” into the narratives they were writing. Next, students will develop user testing plans for those comics.

Assessments for student growth come in two forms: 1) final reflections and 2) final comics. Based on student answers to the reflection questions at the end of the course, interviews and visits to Shepherd helped them develop their cultural competence in working with people with disabilities, while constant low-stakes experimentation with visual communication helped them improve those techniques, particularly in using visual storytelling to communicate STEM research. The impact of this project is particularly apparent in the comic about assistive technology. One of their interview subjects highlighted the psychological effects of having to use new tech, how it can make him feel lazy because he is worried about the judgments of others. In the final comic, the team used the visual metaphor of a pinned butterfly under a microscope to capture this experience. This example demonstrates skill with visual communication and storytelling while also encouraging empathy for those with disabilities.

The project aimed to improve students’ computational thinking skills, self-efficacy, and attitude toward computing via tangible projects that simulate real-world scenarios.

The project included a series of 5 robotics challenges the students were expected to complete over the course of two phases. In these challenges, students wrote code to implement various robot behaviors, such as making autonomous deliveries and maze navigation.

To assess the project’s impact, we used CIOS responses, student reflections, and exam grades throughout the semester. We compared the intervention section with robotics projects to a control section where students worked on web development labs. 

CIOS Analyses: the students in the intervention section consistently (70%) mentioned the robots as their favorite part of the class. In their statements they usually mentioned appreciating the opportunity to see a real-world direct application of the coding skills they developed as part of the course.

Student reflections: the students who chose to complete the extra-credit portion of the labs created LinkedIn posts about their experiences working with the robots. They consistently mentioned feeling confident in their skills and ability to implement software that produces tangible outcomes. Many of them also mentioned that this was their favorite course, suggesting an improved attitude towards computing especially if they were non-majors in CS.

Grades analyses: to evaluate the project’s impact on students’ computational skills, the grades of midterms and final exams are compared. The literature indicates the first exam usually assesses prior familiarity with the course content. Therefore, we treat it as a predictor of prior coding experience. When comparing the overall performance of the two sections, we find no significant distinction, with the intervention and control sections, respectively, having 87% and 85% of the students scoring a B or better. The impact of the intervention is better captured at a more granular scale. To identify the progression of students over the course, the final exam improvement was calculated as 2*final exam/(exam 2 + exam 3) – 1. This metric gives us the percent by which they improved their computational skills over the semester. In the control section, the average improvement of the entire class was 6%, with the inexperienced students (those who scored below the median in Exam 1) seeing an improvement of 7%. In the meantime, the overall class improvement in the intervention group was 8% with the inexperienced students having an average improvement of 14%. This suggests that the lab had a more significant impact on students who struggled with the concepts at first. This suggests that the projects may help close a gap in student achievement originating from previous experiences with coding in high school.

USG Teaching and Learning Conference, 2024

The project’s goals were to a) build student confidence in decoding the circuit elements inside a black box by applying knowledge gained in earlier and accompanying analog circuitry courses and b) gather student responses to see how they viewed the course exercise and whether they could connect it to undergraduate research.

Spanning two lab periods (~6 hours total), students were guided on deciphering the internal circuit components in a two-terminal black box. Using fundamental electrical engineering knowledge of frequency response and transfer functions, the students developed a model for each box via simulation. In the first lab, the box is simpler in order to scaffold student learning. The box was more complex in the second lab, but the students were coached on tackling the testing and simulation phase. The instructor didn’t know which black boxes the students were given, increasing the fidelity of the discovery element of the CURE. 

The impact on student learning was measured through a Qualtrics survey. The main findings indicated the students viewed the black box exercise as a valuable addition to their standard lab exercises. Notably, despite the open-ended nature of the activities, the students reported they were supported and guided well. One notable insight is that while they could link their lab exercises to research, they viewed undergraduate research as longer-term. Moreover, their perspective on undergraduate research is hierarchical, e.g., with a lab structure guided by graduate students and postdocs, and longer term.

2025 Frontiers in Engineering Conference

2025 GTREET (Georgia Tech Retreat Exploring Effective Teaching)

The project focuses on transforming the learning experience in MGT 2255 by integrating real-world industry experiences into the curriculum.  The project aims to stimulate student interest in operations management and supply chain by immersing them in real-world business environments. Through industry exposure and guest speaker sessions, the project equips students with practical skills and insights that prepare them for careers in operations management and supply chain. The project aligns closely with the Transformative Teaching and Learning Initiative’s goals. It promotes active, experiential learning by integrating industry visits and guest speaker sessions, providing students with opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world contexts.

The project activities included a company site visit, two guest speakers, revised assignments that required student reflection and integration of the experiential components, and enhanced course content about current issues and careers in supply chain management. 

All 75 enrolled students participated in a site visit at Norfolk Southern Company corporate headquarters, three blocks south of Scheller College of Business. The visit included a tour of the railroad command center – inaccessible to typical visitors – as well as the opportunity to interact individually with human resources representatives. To complement the site visit, two guest speakers visited class and spoke about major issues in supply chain management and AI in operations management. 

Students wrote reflective essays about each of these experiential components. In addition, students received a weekly “newsletter” with curated news about issues in operations management, such as sustainability in operations, automation/AI in supply chain, and highlights about major companies in the industry that are headquartered in Atlanta (e.g. The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Airlines, Chick-Fil-a).

Based on the student responses after guest speaker visits, it is clear that the project had a positive impact on their learning. They mentioned gaining valuable insights into topics like corporate social responsibility, AI’s impact on businesses, career readiness, and supply chain industry. They also highlighted the educational and inspirational aspects of the guest speakers’ presentations. 

The survey results indicated that 86% of participants felt that the company visit was a valuable addition to the class and there was an 89% increase in students with “high” interest in working in Operations Management. 

Overall, the project had a positive impact on student learning by bridging the gap between theory and practical application, enhancing their understanding of real-world business environments, and inspiring career readiness.

USG Teaching and Learning Conference, 2024

By adding reflective practices on student experience in the course, this project enhanced course content and learning activities as well as the impact on students’ personal and professional values.

Students aligned their learning, skill development, and behavioral decisions with their professed values. They used various surveys and assignments to explore their emotions, values, and attitudes toward persistent inequality, climate change, and other critical economic policy issues. This reflective exercise helped them address conflicts between their internal values and external realities.

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USG Teaching and Learning Conference, 2024

2024 Journal of Economics Education Symposium (JET SET)

2024 St. Louis Fed Professors’ Conference. 

Conference on Teaching and Research in Economics Education, May 2024 in Atlanta

This project investigates the impact of co-constructing leadership success criteria compared to instructor-generated criteria on student’s perceived ability levels and the grade. 

The project aims to improve student leadership self-efficacy (individual’s confidence in their ability to carry out necessary leadership behaviors, such as delegating, making decisions, and motivating others) within and outside of the classroom; recognize the value of multiple dimensions of leadership success criteria and explain the value of the co-constructing process; and engage more fully in course activities and their organizations in implementing change. 

For the teaching team (instructor and TA), the project provides an opportunity to develop a shared understanding of success within rubrics; thus, preventing the mismatch of expectations and improving overall assignment and course effectiveness.

Pre-and-post questionnaires to assess students’ and teaching team’s views of rubrics and the co-construction process, a “What Makes Effective Rubrics” workshop alongside the co-construction process of a current assignment, as well as instructor interviews and student focus groups to gather explanations of processes used and how to modify the process in the future.

This project expanded students’ understanding of the purpose of rubrics, moving the students’ responses from seeing rubrics as a list of tasks they need to complete to ensure a good grade on an assignment (73%) to seeing rubrics as a helpful tool to align student-teacher expectations and to achieve learning goals (81%). 

Through the co-construction process we developed a shared understanding of what constitutes leadership success criteria aligned with shared learning goals, identified what constitutes “above and beyond” in the requirements, improved overall task and course effectiveness, learned how students utilize success criteria, and discovered additional personal benefits to students’ learning process (i.e. reflecting on their intentions with assignment, visualizing steps to succeed, fostering supportive learning environment).

USG Teaching and Learning Conference, 2024