Twenty-eighth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

Extensive research has identified main features of a learning experience likely to enhance student learning, including collaboration, open-ended exploration, and problem-based learning in real-life scenarios. We propose a model of how instructors might combine these elements into a single project that can be adopted across disciplines and institutions. This paper reports its implementation and focuses on its effectiveness in fostering student engagement. It describes a project that instructors at four colleges and universities in Flint, Michigan (USA) piloted during the height of the Flint water crisis. Students applied class content to the real-world problem unfolding around them. The project offered students an opportunity to collaborate with peers across disciplines and institutions. We collected qualitative and quantitative data on students’ reactions to the project. Our analysis concluded that project succeeded in engaging students. We offer practical recommendations for how instructors can create and implement similar projects in their own classrooms.