UMR Opening Week 2004 PROJECT “X”

New Student Programs & Enrollment Management NIKKO and UMR working together for Powerful FUN! Freshman Class of 2004

Project X – Internal Goals Have All New Students: l Meet one another and make 15 friends before classes start. l Meet and work with UMR staff & faculty. l Learn about the campus buildings, resources and facilities. l Appreciate the need for individuals with different interests and skill-sets. l Experience the benefits of teamwork and success from interdisciplinary learning. l Better understand the technological campus culture and mission.

Learning Objectives of Project “X” l Begin the learning process l Involve collaborative learning l Common experience l Higher retention l Interact and bond with students, faculty and staff l Empower students to develop character l Introduce to campus resources l Foundation for future success l Promote teamwork l Respect cultural backgrounds and differences l Understand importance of Communication skills l Other skills developed »Critical thinking, problem solving, Brain storming and conflict resolution. l Have FUN!

A License to Learn Teams will race against time to compete in the “Missions” to seize “Miner bucks” for gadgets at “Central Intelligence” To complete PROJECT “X”!

PROJECT “X” 60 groups of new UMR students will work as a team to earn funds to buy materials for designing, building and racing a remote controlled vehicle through an obstacle course. Upper-Class Students will server as Mentors and lead the groups as advisors Current UMR Design Teams members were available for consulting (i.e. robotics club, formula car team, solar house team, steel bridge etc.) A Faculty member will be provide guidance to each group throughout week Limited time, materials and resources Same theme, instructions and objectives Reference Manual Training for mentors, organizations and faculty

Campus Pandemonium (Cross campus – Involvement) College of Arts and Sciences School of Materials, Energy and Earth Resources School of Engineering School of Management and Information Systems

Project Deliverables A Focus on HOW student teams achieve the final outcomes Writing/documentation Presenting/spokesperson Marketing/PR Budget/accounting Design aspect Final vehicle design and demonstration Every student must be involved in the physical project not only the external assignments

Performance Formula l Time (how long it takes to get to finish line) l Pushing ping-pong balls into hole (number of balls in holes) l Climbing hills l Obstacles (around 5 cones or flags)

How will it be built? Create anything to be attached to the top of the Radio Controlled Truck Chassis Focus on Judging formula: - Deliverables, Aesthetic, Creativity, Obstacle Course Time - Limited materials and time - No limitations on design, creativity and presenting projects

Pictures from Project X

Students working in mentor groups creating projects

Limited materials Working on Journals

Problem Solving Critical Thinking

Team Building Building Character

Making Friends Communicating

Budget Creativity

The Ethics of Competition Success

Running the Obstacle Course

Waiting to announce the Winners!

Grand Prize – Team 50 NIKKO Outstanding Team Award Mexican Steamrollers

First Place – Team 10 – Mystery Machine

RESULTS - Student Comments from some of the reflection evaluation: -“Our team thinks that this project will help us to be successful in the classroom in several ways. First of all, it taught us to be dependable. It taught us to show up to our meetings on time and to make good use of our time. We also learned a lot about teamwork. We learned that as a team we could do more than we could as individuals. We also learned that is you get to know your classmates/teammates then your life will be much easier. When you know who you are working with it is easier to know who would be best for what jobs and who can help you when you need help with your part.” -“Our team had a great time working on this project. It was a fun time all around.” -We feel that by working together everyone on team 7 now has a better Understanding of teamwork and a new appreciation for each other’s unique and Special abilities and talents. We all realized how important having talents in many areas is needed to be successful.

- Each team member has met new & interesting people with different backgrounds & personalities. We now have a respect for each that wasn’t there when we first met. We learned how different people can work really well together to complete the best car ever! -We enjoyed working on the project because it was interesting & has something to do with everyone in the team’s field of study. -Team 24 immensely enjoyed the project. After overcoming our initial timidity, we enjoyed interacting with each other and compiling thoughts on the project. As the vehicle progressed, we channeled our competitive energy into one Impenetrable force, determined to make the most creative, bizarre vehicle ever to emerge from the depths of University Missouri-Rolla. The common drive to succeed in our group has caused the project to be enriching. Instead of lethargically pondering simple solutions to the “problem” of modifying the chassis, our team enthusiastically proposes and executes our plan and enjoys every minute.

-Although we did not know each other, once we started the project we developed a close tight-knit team and relationships that will hopefully continue throughout the rest of the year and even the rest of our UMR career and maybe even beyond that, like Dr. Kim Colter, the convocation speaker, spoke of in his speech.