Combining projects and informational sessions to create a comprehensive introduction to the department

The Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has five major research areas: data analytics; decision and control systems; design and manufacturing; financial engineering; and operations research. During the summer of 2015, faculty and graduate students from each of the last four areas designed mini-projects and assignments to cover the research areas of the department in a required first-year course. The goal of the designed course was to provide a comprehensive overview of the department and an engaging experience for first-year students. Project-based learning and Kolb's cycle for experiential learning were used to inform the structure of the course. Pre-surveys and post-surveys were administered to gather feedback from students in the course. On the surveys, students reported an increase in understanding of each of the research areas and a positive experience in the course.