Integrating Collaborative Technologies in Chemical Engineering Projects Laboratory

This project will redesign subjects 10.26 and 10.29 to integrate web-based collaboration tools that facilitate the writing process of student teams and the assessment of writing quality by instructors. The project builds on a Spring 2010 small-scale pilot, funded by the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies, in which some new collaborative technologies are being tested in 10.26/29. Based on the findings of the pilot, the team will use grant funds to develop curriculum materials and online templates for teams, train course faculty, assess the project, and disseminate their findings. Success in this project will lead to permanent change in 10.26/29, incubate the use of collaborative tools across Chemical Engineering, and carry into communication instruction at MIT.