Teaching & Learning

We welcome you to learn more about what we teach and how we teach it

Students and faculty at Olin College of Engineering teach and learn from and with each other. Together, we build and sustain a culture of innovation, experimentation, curiosity and joyful exploration.

Design Patterns for Teaching & Learning at Olin

Sprint Reviews

A sprint review caps two weeks of work, and is a chance for students to share a working model of their project and get feedback.
Sprint Retrospectives

During retrospectives, students reflect on their progress and process during the two previous weeks of a design sprint, and then share their reflections with their team.
Student & Faculty Collaboration

Graphic design students and faculty collaborate with Air quality Impact Research group students and faculty to bring grounded information to a broader population of people.
Bridging Math, Physics and Engineering

Quantitative Engineering Analysis is an interdisciplinary class in which students learn the basics of mathematics, physics, and engineering in an actual engineering context.
Dry Erase Board Action

Using whiteboards helps make it easier for students to share their ideas, encourages students to present their ideas systematically, and illustrate their views graphically.
Sticky Notes Everywhere!

Creating visual artifacts not only allows for increased communication and sharing of ideas, but also nurtures a team’s ownership of their workspace.
Ownership over the Project and Process

Students decide on their own strategy and process for completing projects.
Concept Map Extravaganza

Students process analytical readings together by creating a map on a whiteboard that represents their thinking.
Ownership of the Learning Process

Students receive open-ended prompts and choose which concepts they wish to explore as well as how to communicate those thoughts.

Perspectives on Student-Centered Teaching and Learning

Pedagogy

What do students get out of project-based learning that they may not get out of conventional classes? Is there proof that project-based learning is better for students? How do you approach grading in project-based classes? Learn how Olin approaches project-based learning and other pedagogies.

Faculty Development

How do you recruit faculty? How do you hire faculty? What is Olin's tenure and promotion process? What is Olin's faculty retention rate? Learn how Olin applies student-recruitment approaches to recruiting faculty.