An Informal Learning Program as a Replicable Model for Student-Led, Industry-Supported Experiential Learning

Abstract

(OSU). She combines engineering (BS ECE), public teaching of gifted education (M.Ed.) and industry experience (PMP, CSM) to grow the offerings and strength of the program and build rapport with the industry partners. She uses her diverse interests and skills to bridge the gap between curricular education and skills of the working professional. In 2018, Armstrong was part of a multidisciplinary team from Ohio State to receive a 3-year NSF award for Advancing Informal STEM Learning. In her three years at Ohio State, Armstrong designed and partnered on a wide variety of educational events for students to explore through active learning experiences. She focuses on current trends and connecting students to industry representatives, emphasizing open-ended problem-based learning, encouraging students to continue exploration of topics and challenges of interest. Armstrong has grown the OHI/O Informal Learning Program from a few events to two dozen, now serving over 1,500 students annually, including several K12 outreach events.

Fostering a Tech Culture through Campus Collaborations: A Case Study of a Hackathon and Library Partnership

“…However, at Ohio State, the librarians are tenure-track faculty members and therefore need both service and scholarship as part of the promotion process. The work involved with the OHI/O program is counted as campuslevel service and both librarians have leveraged the work with the program into portions of their research agendas (Nandi & Mandernach, 2016, Dotson, 2019, Armstrong & Longmeier, 2020 with presentations at ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing, ACM Technical Symposium on Computing Science Education, Earth Educators' Rendezvous, and the Special Libraries Association Annual Conference.…”