In 2010, the Lumina Foundation for Education awarded us a grant to fund a project to give undergraduates the opportunity to use real-world research and design methodologies to transform how students understand, evaluate and articulate the skills, competencies and capabilities they learn in college.

We partnered with Utah State University – an institution known for advancing innovative programs and experiences - ranked the #1 public university in the West (and top five in the nation) on Forbes' list of America's Best College Buys in 2010.

Co-taught by USU Associate Professor Jennifer Peeples, Student Experience Lab Director Christine Flanagan and BIF Design Director Christine Costello, students traveled through a 16-week “research-design-ideate” cycle of discovery.

Students were required to: conduct secondary research to help inform their design problem; formulate a primary research plan; conduct field research into the experience of fellow students; interview experts both inside and outside the university; analyze their findings to reveal patterns, trends, and key insights; visually interpret these findings into an “experience map”; and finally enerate ideas for new solutions informed by all their hard work.

From the onset of the course, students were told that their voice mattered. At the conclusion of the semester, students presented their research and solution ideas to a group of University officials that included faculty members, advising and career services department heads, the University provost, deans and assistant deans, and other USU administrators.