An Academic Perspective On Developing a Course Framework On Inspiring Students to Be “Innovative”

            The subject of innovation traditionally has been a concern of business and technology leaders in an organization and is extensively discussed and dealt with in business school curricula. A course framework has been conceptualized to inspire undergraduate engineering students who contribute significantly to the workforce driving innovation in an economy.

            The central pedagogical idea of the proposed course framework aims to inform the interested undergraduate student about the important interconnections behind an innovative process or product, formed by an amalgamation of scientific and technological breakthroughs, novel marketing strategies and societal and public policy issues.

            This talk will be about the development of a course framework on inspring students to learn about innovation by the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Utah in conjunction with the University of Utah’s Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. In the development it was revealed that there is a need to investigate incorporation of pedagogical instructional techniques like case-based learning, discussion based learning, reflective writing in addition to the conventional lecture and project based learning practiced in engineering curricula.