Promoting Creativity: The Terrascope Program - Rafael Bras
1. Promoting Creativity: The
Terrascope Program
Rafael L. Bras (UCI), Ari W.
Epstein(MIT)
UCIrvinE
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
2. What is Terrascope?
• Year-long program focus on
environmental and earth sciences
issues
• Open to all freshmen; non disciplinary
• Project-based; problem driven program
• Focus on solving complex, real,
problems
• Began in 2002
UCIrvinE
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
3. Elements of Terrascope Program
• Required course: Solving Complex Problems
• Required course: Communicating Complex
Environmental Issues: Designing and Building
Interactive Museum Exhibits
• Elective: Terrascope Radio
• Elective: Field Trip
• Common annual theme/problem: real, global,
complex, multidisciplinary, technical and non-
technical, no single solution
• Common facilities
• Continuous engagement throughout career
UCIrvinE
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
4. Annual Themes
• Develop strategies to ensure preservation and
responsible use of the Amazon forest
• Design environmentally friendly way to extract
hydrocarbons from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
• Develop a new preservation strategy for the Galapagos
Islands and marine reserve
• Develop tsunami prediction and preparedness plan for
the Pacific Basin
• Develop a plan for the future of New Orleans
• Develop a plan for making global fishing practices
sustainable
UCIrvinE
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
5. Goals of Terrascope
• Develop problem solving skills
• Promote creativity, self confidence
• Team building, organization and management
• Communication skills
• Research skills
• Design skills
• Hands-on experiences/skills
• Create community
UCIrvinE
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
6. Elements of Terrascope
Classes
• Empowerment: self-definition of
approaches and self organization
• Work in cross-disciplinary teams
• Ample staff support and resources
• Final products: high profile public
presentations of findings, judged by
experts
UCIrvinE
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
7. Key Components
Field Trip
Project-Based Classes
Community
UCIrvinE
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
8. Spring Term: Building Interactive
Exhibits
• Builds on subject knowledge developed in Fall
• Exercises students’ new team-building skills
• Engages students in design/engineering process
• Final product used by hundreds of visitors over
several weeks without students’ assistance
• Exhibits evaluated by high-school students and
panel of museum specialists
UCIrvinE
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
9. Design Process
Brainstorming Initial Design Proposal
Prototype Final Design Proposal
UCIrvinE
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
12. Achievement of Terrascope Goals
Goals of Terrascope % agree/strongly agree
Improved Problem Solving Skills 80
Encouraged Creativity 77
Developed Team Working Skills 84
Improved Research Skills (fall) 35 to 73
Gained Appreciation of Design 96
Process
Learned from Hands-on Exp. 92
Improved Communications Oral: 43,59,49
Written: 16,51,30
UCIrvinE
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
13. Team-Based Learning Gains
(4-point scale)
% Available
First Month Last Month
Gain
Efficiency of
2.37 3.20 51%
Meetings
Ability to Reach
2.44 3.13 44%
Consensus
Overall Team
2.71 3.28 44%
Performance
Equal Sharing of
2.66 2.44 -15%
Workload
UCIrvinE
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
14. Overall Assessment
• 90% satisfied or very satisfied
• 92% would definitely recommend the class
• “ Terrascope has been one of the best things
this year….I would recommend anyone
motivated for more original work and (interested)
in the environment to join.”
• “It is fun. It is a nice break … you’ll learn a lot”
• “It is literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”
• But ….“It was an amazing experience, but it
took a lot of time away from my other classes
that I have more intellectual interest in.”
UCIrvinE
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
15. Why it Works
Students control and drive Major, highly public
the learning process presentation at end
Students push selves and teams to produce
far beyond their own expectations
UCIrvinE
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
16. Acknowledgments
• Prof. Kip Hodges, Prof. Sam Bowring
• Stephen Rudolph
• Debra Aczel and Ruth Weinrib
• Financial Support:
Henry Luce Foundation (field trip)
Alex and Brit D’Arbeloff Fund for Excellence
in Education
Offices of the MIT Chancellor and Provost
Massiah Foundation
UCIrvinE
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
