Digitally Coupled Learning and Innovation Processes

As engineering education is being forced to evolve, we have been experimenting with four focus areas designed to connect markets and universities, with students transporting the information between them. (1) Shared digital platforms use the same principles of reach and scalability that characterize such businesses as Airbnb and Amazon. (2) Enhanced processes of career discovery draw on a simple 1-page self-diagnostic as well as on a data-centric view of the skills market. (3) Getting market data to inform more classroom (and classroom-related) aspects of pedagogy, including problem-based learning and particular skills, has proven to bring positive outcomes. Finally, (4) focusing and enhancing students' and interns' experiences provides a further method of connecting classrooms and laboratories to market behavior and developing new research to market programs. These four focus areas constitute key aspects of a connected and integrated model in which learning and innovation are seen as complementary efforts.