Colorado University-Boulder is partnering with the University of Wisconsin-Madison in a $4.3 million National Science Foundation and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant to study why college students leave STEM majors. One hypothesis of the study, as a follow-up to decades-old research, is that traditional "stand-and-deliver" lectures are one reason students switch out of STEM majors at a rate of nearly 40-60%. One effort at the new CU Center for STEM Learning is a hands-on design lab where first-year engineering students are "channeling their inner DaVincis" to apply theory learned in physics and calculus classes to projects such as creating a Mario-Karts type video game powered by bicycles to combine exercise and gaming. http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_22692842/cu-boulder-study-what-causes-students-leave-stem In a similar vein, see this story about the increase of engineering master's degree students at a number of universities due to more experiential learning. http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/articles/2013/03/14/revamped-engineering-programs-emphasize-real-world-problem-solving
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