Visual Documentation and Communication of Educational Experiences of Mech. Eng. Students

Principal Investigator
Prof. Maria Yang, Mechanical Engineering; Mr. Justin Lai, Lemelson/MIT Program; Mr. Geoff Tsai, Mechanical Engineering
Fund: Alumni Class Funds
Funding Period: AY2012
Department/Lab/Center: Mechanical Engineering

The goal of this project is to teach students the skills and habits that aid in the reflection and learning from their educational experiences by the creation of a successful portfolio. The conventional, text-based resume is not sufficient to completely convey the detail of work produced by students, particularly in classes in mechanical engineering, where students' work include design projects. In many product design firms, a portfolio is required in addition to a resume. The project team defines a portfolio as something (printed, electronic) that displays work visually, whether it be a website, printed material, or electronic file. The creation of the portfolio will give students an opportunity to reflect upon and learn from their experiences, whether it is from the classroom or the workplace.