NRT-IGE: Promoting Creativity in Engineering and Technology Graduate Education through Integration of Arts, Design and Experiential Learning in the Curriculum

美国的工科研究生教育被认为是世界上最好的教育之一；然而，研究表明，与新兴经济体和其他发达国家相比，美国的教育一直在失去竞争力。美国国会议员对美国高校的健康状况和竞争力表示担忧。此外，雇主经常表示，应届大学毕业生缺乏创造力和解决问题的技能，即使他们拥有专业领域的高级学位。由于创造力和创新是经济增长的驱动力，在工程和技术研究生课程中注入创新思维和实践经验至关重要。在印第安纳大学-普渡大学印第安纳波利斯分校(IUPUI)的研究生教育创新(IGE)轨道上，国家科学基金会研究培训(NRT)奖将试验一种新的跨学科教育模式来实现这些目标。该项目将通过将艺术和体验式学习的组成部分，如密集的工作室培训，纳入工程和技术研究生课程，促进创造力和创新。工程和技术专业的教员将与美术专业的同行合作，将工程、技术和艺术(ETA)整合在一起，并在IUPUI现有的机械工程硕士课程中开发一条实验设计轨道。建议的ETA设计课程的学生将通过工业和国家实验室的短期项目获得解决现实世界问题的技能。该项目涉及开发三门跨学科课程：(I)不规则、自由形式和折纸启发的结构，(Ii)机电系统的优化设计：玩具、机器人和交互结构，以及(Iii)环境污染和排放控制。这些课程将由室内设计、视频艺术和互动装置、机械工程和电气工程技术等专业的教师团队开发和教授。这三门课程将构成拟议的ETA设计轨道，并支持新的设计研究生证书。教学方法将包括基于问题的、基于工作室的和体验式学习。该项目将测试ETA课程整合的能力，以及行业或政府实验室的体验式学习能力，以提高参与的研究生的创造力和创新能力。定量数据将使用Reisman诊断创造力评估收集，并使用学生和教师面试结果进行情景分析。此外，还将跟踪项目结果。ETA Design Track的预期项目成果包括：增加综合学习、创新思维、专利、高质量出版物，以及ETA毕业生的创业。NSF研究培训(NRT)计划旨在鼓励开发和实施大胆的、新的、潜在的变革性STEM研究生教育培训模式。研究生教育创新轨道专门致力于试验、测试和评估研究生教育的新颖、创新和潜在的变革性方法。

Engineering graduate education in the U.S. is considered to be among the best in the world; however, studies demonstrate that American education has been losing competitiveness when compared with that of emerging economies and other developed nations. Members of the U.S. Congress have expressed concern about the health and competitiveness of the nation's colleges and universities. Furthermore, employers often indicate that new university graduates lack creativity and problem solving skills, even when they have advanced degrees in specialized fields. Because creativity and innovation are the driving forces for economic growth, it is critical to infuse innovative thinking and hands-on experience into the engineering and technology graduate curricula. This National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) award in the Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) Track to Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) will pilot a new cross-disciplinary education model to achieve these ends. This project will promote creativity and innovation by integrating arts and experiential learning components, such as intense studio training, into engineering and technology graduate curricula. Faculty members in engineering and technology will work with their counterparts in the fine arts to integrate Engineering, Technology, and Arts (ETA) and develop an experimental Design Track in the existing Mechanical Engineering master's program at IUPUI. Students in the proposed ETA Design Track will acquire real-world problem solving skills through short-term programs with industry and national laboratories. This project involves the development of three interdisciplinary courses: (i) Irregular, free-form, and origami inspired structures, (ii) Optimal design of mechatronic systems: toys, robots and interactive structures, and (iii) Environmental pollution and emission control. The courses will be team-developed and taught by faculty from programs in interior design, video art and interactive installations, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering technology. These three courses will constitute the proposed ETA Design Track and support a new Graduate Certificate in Design. Pedagogical approaches will include problem-based, studio-based, and experiential learning. The project will test the ability of ETA curriculum integration, as well as experiential learning in industry or government laboratories, to enhance creativity and innovation among participating graduate students. Quantitative data will be collected using the Reisman Diagnostic Creativity Assessment and contextualized using student and faculty interview results. In addition, program outcomes will be tracked. Expected program outcomes for the ETA Design Track include: increased integrative learning, innovative thinking, patents, high-quality publications, and start-ups by ETA graduates. The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new, potentially transformative models for STEM graduate education training. The Innovations in Graduate Education Track is dedicated solely to piloting, testing, and evaluating novel, innovative, and potentially transformative approaches to graduate education.