In her first year at MIT, Susan Wilson gained a deeper understanding of the scientific process, and of the fundamental laws of physics formulated by Isaac Newton and Robert Boyle, from a literature course.

Wilson and her classmates created historically accurate contextual material by examining multiple aspects of 17th-century London — “politics, religion, society, art, science, medicine, literature, everything,” she says. Their work would become the basis for a professional play performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

“In most of our classes, there’s no correlation between the lives of scientists and the work they produce,” says Wilson, who aspires to apply computer science to a career in the arts. “So, taking these people as people, giving them lives and houses and cities that they interact in, gave us a new perspective on our own scientific pursuits.”

MIT would not be among the world’s leading universities if it did not innovate in education. Throughout its history, the Institute has pioneered teaching tools and methods, from foundational texts and courses in physics, chemistry, and electrical engineering, to the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), to freshman learning communities like Terrascope and the Experimental Study Group (ESG), to new courses like Learning from the Past: Drama, Science, Performance — the literature and theater class Wilson took in her first year.

Wilson also values the class for its blending of science and art. “A lot of people at MIT have this huge drive to do creative things — they don’t come here just to learn how to code. There’s a certain element of creativity and vision inherent in everyone’s scientific pursuits that carries well into more artistic ones,” she says.

In Learning from the Past, first-year students experience the best aspects of an MIT education: learning by doing, a creative approach to teaching, and a project that requires cross-disciplinary thinking.

Other recent first-year subjects that involve innovative teaching and learning methods include:

• The Physics of Energy — In the process of constructing a robot, students learn about energy conversion and other energy-related processes, as well as about the global impact of the use of limited energy resources.
• Solving Real Problems Using Systems Thinking and Design — In this class that combines instruction in systems thinking and design with service-oriented, hands-on projects, students gain appreciation for the broader roles of engineering in society. The class is offered jointly by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Engineering Systems Division, and the MIT Public Service Center.
• How to Stage a Revolution — Through intense study of historical texts, students explore moments of major social and political transformation throughout the world and over time.

Educating the next generation of MIT graduates

In today’s increasingly fast-moving, complex, and competitive world, the need for flexibility and creativity in teaching and learning is crucial. For the next generation of MIT graduates to lead effectively in their professions and in society, they must — starting in their first year at the Institute — learn to think across disciplines.

The most comprehensive review of MIT undergraduate education in the past 50 years recently called for allowing students increased flexibility in the core requirements, while maintaining MIT’s characteristic intellectual rigor. Project-based classes in students’ first year, a new core area of computation and engineering, and expanded opportunities for international education are among the recommendations.

The Office of the Dean for Undergraduate Education (DUE) will support experiments in implementing these changes — a major effort that requires sustained funds for new, “high risk” initiatives that encourage creative curriculum development, improve teaching skills and techniques, and enrich the learning experience. Here are the key areas of undergraduate education designated for innovation:

• curriculum development (changes to the core curriculum will give students the flexibility to enter new areas of science and technology while giving them an even stronger grounding in the humanities, arts, and social sciences);
• teaching enhancement (applies the latest teaching methods to such important areas as the first year, core curriculum, departmental programs, and experiential learning);
• flexible teaching and learning spaces; and
• global activities (expands current international education programs that have proven successful, and creates new opportunities that are especially relevant to an environment that emphasizes science and technology).