Motivating students and reinforcing foundational concepts through effective course design and curriculum integration

Effective course design that is focused on system-level applications can effectively enhance student motivation and inquiry-based learning. Deliberate curriculum integration of topical linkages and recurring thematic examples demonstrate course-to-course disciplinary linkages and reinforce foundational concepts. The goal of effective course design is to motivate student interest and learning throughout the course and develop inquiry-based techniques. Curriculum integration includes longitudinal integration of recurring thematic examples that provide opportunities for students to revisit familiar examples with new tools and look at these examples from a different perspective. Integrating these techniques motivates student interest and reinforces foundational concepts through repetition.