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Project: MIT Learning Laboratory for Complex Systems

MIT Learning Laboratory for Complex Systems

Team: School: Narratives: Costs: Images

Narratives

Architect Narrative

WHAT EXEMPLARY IDEAS DO THE DESIGNS CONTAIN THAT ENHANCE LEARNING?

The client, an internationally renowned technological universitys aerospace engineering

department, has created a sweeping new educational initiative to produce the engineering leaders

of the future. To facilitate this initiative and to ensure optimum learning opportunities, the client,

others in the universitys community and the architect, formed a unique partnership to undertake a

complete redesign and reconstruction of its facilities.

TEACHING FOR THE REAL WORLD

As scientific and technical knowledge expanded rapidly during the latter part of the 20th century,

engineering education evolved into the teaching of engineering science with little regard for

engineering practice. Aware of the industry and societys needs and the tension between academic

and practical engineering demands, the client launched an extensive examination of the issue.

CDIO

The client developed and codified a comprehensive understanding of skills needed by the

contemporary engineer. Through the use of focus groups of engineering faculty, students, industry

representatives, university visiting committees, alumni, and academicians; through extensive

surveys; and through study of industry of desired skills for engineers, the client created the vision

of an education stressing the fundamentals, set in the context of CDIO/Conceiving-Designing-

Implementing-Operating complex systemsand products. A detailedcurriculum was organized

around the basic disciplines, with CDIO activities highly interwoven.

The CDIO program is rich with student projects complemented by internships in industry. It features

active, experiential, and group learning set in both the classroom and this unique learning

workshop/laboratory, networked with the outside world. Most importantly, the CDIO initiative was

developed as a universal template that can be adopted and adapted by any engineering university.

LEARNING SPACE AS PRODUCT

The clients break-through changes in engineering education demanded break-through changes in

the learning space. Learning space is a product. The client and architect formed an Integrated

Product Team to develop this product. The team understood that:

learning occurs both inside and outside of class,

direct experience decisively shapes individual understanding,

different learning styles must be supported;

change in environment is stimulating.

DIFFERENT LEARNING/DIFFERENT SPACE

A variety of learning modes were identified, and the client determined to foster them with varied,

flexible spaces. Each element of CDIO would be facilitated:

Merit Award2002

Cambridge

Massachusetts

UNITED STATES

Type:

College/University

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Students and faculty move from shop to classroom, from project areas to individual breakout

spaces, from higher tech media rooms to links with the outside such as other universities, industry

and government.

Essentially the Lab is a mini-company. Areas such as the Project Design Room specifically replicate

facilities found in industry, allowing graduating students real-world experience. The new Hangar

offers a place where large-scale projects such as human-powered aircraft and solar-powered car,

can be run on campus as part of the learning.

IMPROVING COMMUNICATION AND DESIGNING NEW WORK TOOLS

Defining the lab spaces and Project Areas, a new Steelcase system called Pathways (an office

system modified for academic lab space) provides the infrastructure to quickly hang partitions,

whiteboards, and projection surfaces, as well as overhead access to power and data. All spaces

incorporate network access to fully link the lab within the University, as well as with other university,

government and industry locations. Whiteboards, informal tables and chairs transform formerly

inefficient spaces into found spaces for informal exchange.

ENCOURAGING THINK TANK AND CORPORATE/INSTITUTIONAL INNOVATION

The new CDIO focus and integration of classrooms, computer and shop align the teaching

environment with how industry actually operates. This represents a new model for education

internationally, one that encourages Think Tank innovation.

As a result, the Learning Laboratory has taken on international significance. Under Swedens

Wallenberg Foundation, the university teamed with three Swedish universities in a multi-year

project to develop a CDIO-based model for reforming engineering education representative of

how educators, architects, and engineers from around the world are seeking out the new facility.

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