Collaborative Project-Based Training and Learning Through Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research

This Innovate Practice Work In Progress paper presents an integrated approach into a course-based STEM undergraduate research experience. The objective of the course is to provide students with proven hands-on experience that teaches integration of discipline-specific knowledge with engineering practice on challenging multidisciplinary projects. The course design, instruction delivery, project preparation, team formation, system, and sub-system construction, as well as student and course assessment will be discussed and faced challenges emphasized. Initial feedback from students and faculty shows that the benefits include increasing interaction with the faculty and increasing intellectual maturity, knowledge, and confidence for the students. As for the faculty, this includes furthering of research projects and achieving some of program objectives as required by accreditation boards.