As innovation swiftly advances society, MIT is reconsidering how it equips students to encounter the world and its most significant challenges. Generations of educators have imparted knowledge at MIT by linking lessons to real-world applications, but what does the Institute’s motto “mens et manus” (“mind and hand”), which refers to experiential learning, signify for the future?
This was the central inquiry of the annual Festival of Learning, co-organized by MIT Open Learning and the Office of the Vice Chancellor. MIT faculty, educators, learners, and staff participated in impactful conversations about pedagogy and learning as the Institute critically reassesses its undergraduate academic program.
“As the world transforms, we owe it to our students to reflect these realities in our academic endeavors,” stated Daniel E. Hastings, Cecil and Ida Green Education Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and then-interim vice chancellor. “It’s inherent in our culture to experiment with new ideas at MIT.”
Encouraging a deeper sense of purpose
MIT prioritizes experiential learning in a manner similar to many engineering institutions. Panelists such as Susan Silbey, the Leon and Anne Goldberg Professor of Humanities, Sociology, and Anthropology, expressed deep concern that students are not engaging in sufficient critical thinking through substantial reading, text analysis, or grappling with ambiguous questions.
Christopher Capozzola, senior associate dean for open learning, concurred, stating, “We have created an environment in which [students] experience immense pressure to optimize their career outcomes by the conclusion” of their undergraduate studies.
Students operate within systems of explicit rewards, he noted, such as grades and the General Institute Requirements, but also react to unspoken motivations, including extracurriculars, internships, and status. “That’s our responsibility, not theirs,” Capozzola remarked, recognizing this as an opportunity to enhance the MIT curriculum.
How can educators motivate students to engage more deeply with course material, rather than treating it solely as a means to an end? Adam Martin, professor of biology, frequently challenges his students to question the established norms by integrating exam questions that counter the textbook models.
“I want them to think critically,” Martin stated. “I want them to contest what we perceive as the cutting edge of the field.”
Recognizing context
One of the most vital themes of discussion was the significance of context in education. For instance, class 7.102 (Introduction to Molecular Biology Techniques) employs narrative-based problem-solving to illustrate for students how the curriculum aligns with real-world contexts.
The fictional scenario driving 7.102 involves a child who fell into the Charles River and contracted an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection. To assist the child, students must characterize the bacteria and identify phages capable of eradicating it.
“It really demonstrates to the students not only basic techniques, but also what it means to collaborate in a team and in a discovery scenario,” Martin shared.
This practical approach — gathering water, isolating the phages contained within, and comparing with more trustworthy sources — invigorates students’ creativity, Martin noted. In a setting intentionally structured to allow for failure, the narrative encourages students to persist through repeated experimentation.
However, Silbey, who is also a professor of behavioral and policy sciences at MIT Sloan School of Management, has observed students’ hesitance to engage with nontechnical contexts. Students, she concluded, “have a limited grasp of how the actions of any individual merge into something larger, lasting, and impactful through subtle yet powerful mechanisms of aggregation.”
Educators concurred that contextual knowledge was just as essential to a STEM curriculum as technical instruction. “Teaching and thinking at that intersection between technology and society is crucial for making technologists aware of their responsibilities regarding the creations they develop and the tools they utilize,” Capozzola elaborated.
Amitava Mitra, founding executive director of MIT New Engineering Education Transformation (NEET), illustrated a case in which students devised an efficient technical solution to reduce carbon emissions in homes in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Or so they believed.
“Once we observed the reality on the ground and became familiar with the context — the social environment, the social dynamics — we recognized we had no understanding,” the students conveyed to Mitra.
One method MIT is employing to bridge these gaps is through the Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing initiative. This curriculum intertwines ethical considerations with computing courses to assist students in envisioning the societal and moral repercussions of their actions.
In one technical machinery lecture, Silbey’s students struggled to recognize the adverse effects of autonomous vehicles. However, after she presented the history of the regulation of hazardous products, many students became more receptive to exploring potential consequences.
Establishing interdisciplinary opportunities
The panelists regarded interdisciplinary education as essential preparation for navigating the complexities of the real world.
“Whether it’s addressing climate change, constructing sustainable infrastructure, or developing pioneering technologies in life sciences or robotics, we require our engineers, social scientists, and scientists to collaborate in teams that transcend disciplinary boundaries to devise solutions today,” stated Mitra.
To broaden prospects for undergraduates to work together across academic departments and other campus units, NEET was established in 2017. NEET is a project-oriented experiential learning curriculum that necessitates both technical and social acumen. For instance, one group of students is designing, constructing, and implementing a solar-powered charging station at MIT Open Space. To integrate a project like this into MIT’s infrastructure, students must collaborate with various Institute offices — such as Campus Planning, Engineering & Energy Management, and Insurance — as well as city entities, including the Cambridge Fire Department.
“It’s a real revelation for them,” Mitra remarked.
Capozzola emphasized how “para-curricular” programs like NEET, MIT Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, MISTI, D-Lab, and others demonstrate that effective hands-on education can exist outside formal credit-bearing courses.
“Students invest substantial amounts of time and effort into pursuits that shape who they are, that resonate with their passions and this profound engagement,” Capozzola noted. “This is a unique domain where I believe MIT particularly shines.”
Progressing together
During a panel featuring both MIT educators and students, it was acknowledged that creating an effective curriculum necessitates a balance of content across subjects or core themes while organizing materials on Canvas — MIT’s learning management system — in a manner that’s intuitive for learners. Instructors collaborated directly with students and staff via MIT’s Canvas Innovation Fund to implement these enhancements.
“There are aspects that novice students observe in what I’m teaching that I overlook,” stated Sean Robinson, lecturer in physics and associate director of the Helena Foundation Junior Laboratory. “Our class aims to transform individuals who view themselves as physics students into those who see themselves as physicists. I desire junior colleagues.”
The most significant takeaway from the student panelists was the necessity of alleviating logistical challenges by structuring Canvas to lead students toward learning objectives. Cory Romanov ’24, technical instructor of physics, and McKenzie Dinesen, a senior in aerospace engineering and Russian and Eurasian studies, emphasized that clarifying learning goals and organizing course material with explicit deadlines were straightforward enhancements that greatly improved the student experience.
Stressing the value of such feedback, Capozzola remarked, “It’s crucial to provide individuals at MIT — students, staff, and others often excluded from discussions — a more democratic voice so that we can serve as a model for the university we aspire to become in 25 years.”
As MIT progresses in refining its educational approach, the insights from the Festival of Learning illuminate a vital transformation in how students interact with knowledge. From reevaluating course structures to incorporating interdisciplinary and experiential learning, the panelists highlighted the necessity for a curriculum that harmonizes technical proficiency with a profound understanding of social and ethical contexts.
“It’s essential to prepare students on the ‘mens’ side with the civic knowledge required to venture into the world,” Capozzola stated, “but also the ‘manus,’ enabling them to engage in the everyday work of building democratic institutions.”