Culver-Stockton College interdisciplinary faculty team attends Project-Based Learning Institute in Massachusetts

CANTON, Mo. — A team of faculty of Culver-Stockton College recently traveled to Worchester, Mass., to learn more about implementing project-based learning opportunities on campus.

Attending the annual Project-Based Learning Institute at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute this summer were:

• Robin Jarvis, lecturer in business administration;
• Shelley Oltmans, lecturer of organizational leadership and director of the IDEA Center;
• Lisa Prowant, assistant professor of biology;
• Sarah Reardon, assistant professor of biology and lab coordinator; and
• Lindsay Uhlmeyer, assistant professor of education.

WPI serves as a hub for project-based learning in higher education. The annual institute is designed to support staff and administrators globally in their efforts to implement new project-based learning programs on their campuses, as well as evaluate and improve existing programs.

The interdisciplinary team from C-SC had the opportunity to attend several workshops with a variety of topics that will enhance the college’s investment in expanding experiential learning opportunities for students.

In a press release, Oltmans said, “Our faculty team learned not only a variety of ways to conduct project-based learning in our classrooms but also came home committed to a three-year plan to lead the roll-out and adoption of project-based learning across our institution.”

C-SC project-based learning program leaders developed several goals for this academic year, including the establishment of a Community of Practice program through which C-SC faculty can learn how to better implement project-based learning into their existing curriculum. Plans also include the implementation of pilot projects with innovative pedagogical methods in select courses and the identification of project-based learning opportunities throughout the tri-state region.

Experiential learning is a distinctive element of the mission of C-SC and has become embedded in the curriculum of the college. Project-based learning complements C-SC’s experiential learning focus by engaging students in solving real-world problems as part of their course curriculum. C-SC’s experiential learning emphasizes leadership, creative expression, service learning, simulated learning, travel experiences, research and professional opportunities.