What is Open Lab?
Open Lab projects connect Behrend students with external partners to address real-world challenges through hands-on, experiential learning.
If your course, research, or scholarly activity involves undergraduate students collaborating with an external partner on a real-world challenge—such as a capstone project, consulting assignment, or research initiative—you’re likely already practicing some elements of Open Lab. However, for it to be a true Open Lab project, it must incorporate:
- Real-World Experience: Students engage with authentic tasks or problems relevant to an external partner.
- Experiential Learning: Students actively participate in meaningful activities (e.g., research, design, creation) rather than passively listening or observing.
- Deliverable: Students produce a tangible outcome (e.g., report, design, prototype) that is provided to the external partner, who ideally offers feedback.
Open Lab For Everyone Faculty Panel
Carol Putman, Charisse Nixon, Gamini Mendis, and Mike Rutter share what the Open Lab concept means to them and how it has shaped their teaching, research, and mentorship.
Examples of Open Lab Activities
Marketing Campaign for a Local Business
- Activity: Students in a marketing course work with a small business to develop a social media strategy or promotional materials.
- Deliverable: A comprehensive marketing plan and sample content provided to the business for review and feedback.
Community-Based Environmental Research
- Activity: Environmental science students collaborate with a local nonprofit to assess water quality in a nearby watershed.
- Deliverable: A detailed report with findings and actionable recommendations, shared with the nonprofit for use in their advocacy work.
Product Prototype for a Startup
- Activity: Engineering students partner with a tech startup to design and build a prototype for a new product.
- Deliverable: A functional prototype and accompanying technical documentation, presented to the startup for evaluation.
Curriculum Development for a Community Organization
- Activity: Education students team up with a local nonprofit to create lesson plans or training modules for their programs.
- Deliverable: A set of ready-to-implement curriculum materials, provided to the organization for feedback and refinement.
Historical Preservation Project
- Activity: History students collaborate with a local historical society to research and document stories from community members.
- Deliverable: A digital archive or exhibit showcasing collected oral histories, reviewed by the historical society for public display.
Getting Started with an Open Lab Project
- Identify a Partner: Look for businesses, non-profits, or organizations with challenges that align with your course content.
- Define Goals: Collaborate with the partner to understand their needs and align them with your learning objectives.
- Design the Project: Work with instructional designers to develop a project that engages students in hands-on problem-solving.
- Implement and Assess: Guide students through the project and ensure that the deliverables meet academic and partner expectations.
Seek Support! If you need help finding external partners, contact peers within your discipline or your School Director. School advisory boards, program advisory boards, alumni, and friends of the College are excellent contacts for potential projects. When shaping the project, contact the Center for Educational Innovation for assistance in designing activities and assessments and aligning the project to course objectives and goals.
Have questions about incorporating Open Lab activities into your course? Contact the Center for Educational Innovation.
