Poster 9:

Creativity, Problem-Solving, Soft Skills, and Communication: The Polytechnic Experience (Work in Progress)

Kevin Dietsche University of Wisconsin-Stout, USA

Coursework at the University of Wisconsin-Stout within the Engineering and Technology Department routinely reinforce content covered in the classroom through lab related activities while working with business and industry partners.  In an engineering and design class the industry partners have shifted to involve Kindergarteners, 1^st graders, and 2nd graders, to leverage the natural creativity, problem-solving, and communication abilities of these age groups to foster growth in the post-secondary students along with focusing on user centered design.  These elementary students were invited into the classroom as “clients” in which the post-secondary design for industry students employed a one-hour user-centered design process…