As part of several INTD 100 seminars, students studying in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities disciplines presented the culmination of their semesterlong work at the Project-Based Learning Expo Wednesday, Dec. 4. The event featured posters, podcasts, films, digital stories, and PowerPoint presentations as the first floor of Hoover Hall bustled with students, faculty, staff, and a rapt audience.
Each seminar introduces students to the expectations of college writing and uses experiential learning to have them think critically, creatively, and collaboratively about a real-world problem. This year's seminars addressed utopian/dystopian world-building, music design in TV commercials, diversity consultants in business, nonviolent ways to create political change, first-generation student stories, air pollution analysis, and self-presentation in social media.
In Assistant Professor of Chemistry Peter Peterson’s class, business major Warren Canciller was part of a group that studied the air quality in New York City. They analyzed data and considered possible solutions, such as urban greening and stricter emissions policies, to make the city a healthier place to live.
“This project has been an excellent learning experience since it combined the classroom work with practical application and connected us with the wider community,” Canciller said.
English Professor Tony Barnstone’s class tasked students with designing a utopia and dystopia in a group. For Niah Vazquez, her favorite part was sharing the finished project with her peers.
“Not only did I learn a lot about creative writing and world-building, but it was also really enjoyable to present something from my group,” said Vazquez, a Whittier Scholars Program student working on a degree in arts education.
Business major Mia Palmer shared a three-minute video about adjusting to life at Whittier in Professor of Psychological Sciences Christina Scott’s class. The assignment focused on the transition from high school to college, and Palmer — who moved away from Sandy, Utah, to be a Poet athlete — answered the prompt by showing how she found a home with the volleyball team.
“Two of my teammates were actually there with me, and both of them started crying at the video,” Palmer said. “It was emotional to look back and see how far we've all come, and it was my way of showing my teammates how much they mean to me, because they really do mean the world.”
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