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College of Science and Mathematics

lab ideas

Catalyzing Creativity for STEM Success

Join us in an innovative and immersive experience to question old assumptions and generate fresh approaches to tackle the complex challenge of improving success, engagement, and interdisciplinarity in gateway STEM courses for the diverse students of the San Joaquin Valley.  Our NSF funded Virtual Ideas Lab will include faculty of multiple disciplines from CSU Fresno, CSU Bakersfield, and CSU Stanislaus, as well as expert facilitators, skilled mentors, and thought-provoking provocateurs. 

What is an Ideas Lab?

An Ideas Labs is an effective approach to rapidly create novel, interdisciplinary solutions to complex problems. The process brings together stakeholders with different expertise to form teams using deliberate Creative Problem Solving (CPS) methodology resulting in real time peer review in developing transformative ideas

Our innovative approach in partnership with Knowinnovation involves a combination of larger and smaller working group brainstorming and reporting out in the virtual and collaborative environment of an “unpackaged” Ideas Lab experience spanning ~3 weeks of part time participation. 

Total participation time is approximately 25 hours.

Major Outcomes and Goals of the Ideas Lab

Development of several modules/”experiments” for testing in the curriculum

Generation of draft workshop materials for instructional and assessment training 

Enhancement of networking between campuses for integrated curriculum

Facilitation of more interdisciplinary connections across STEM and beyond

$2,000 stipend for accepted participants to Ideas Lab