Over the past five years, faculty in the Lyles School have implemented the IMPACT-style classroom methodology into undergraduate classes. The classroom setup emphasizes greater student-teacher interaction, smaller class sizes and in-class collaborative work. (IMPACT stands for Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation.)

“I’ve been teaching one of my hydraulics classes in an IMPACT setting for three semesters now, and I definitely would not go back to the traditional teaching setting,” says Cary Troy, associate professor of civil engineering.

The overarching goal of IMPACT is to create a greater student-centered learning environment by incorporating active and collaborative learning as well as other student-centered teaching and learning practices and technologies into foundational courses with large enrollment. The creation of a student-centered learning environment is designed to foster student engagement and student competence, as well as increased attainment of course-specific learning outcomes.

Civil engineering student Drake Krohn says he noticed a positive difference from his other classes almost immediately.

“With engineering, most of the classes are pretty difficult and there are times when you’ll eventually stumble, but that really didn’t happen in my IMPACT class,” he says. “Whenever I felt like I wasn’t understanding something, my professor or another student was able to help me out. When you’re in a lecture hall, you don’t usually get much interaction; you just end up having to move on to the professor’s next point so you don’t fall
even further behind.”

Troy says the “catch up” aspect of the IMPACT classrooms is one of the greatest benefits he has experienced.

“Often times, a student who is struggling has failed to understand a critical piece of information, and it just snowballs from there,” Troy says. “In the IMPACT setting, the student and teacher collaboration allows for students to gain that understanding and keep up with the top performers.”

Early statistics support Troy’s observation. Purdue reports that the average GPA in STEM classes has risen from 2.6 to 2.85. Non-STEM classes have shown a similar improvement — showing an average GPA increase from 2.7 to 2.95.

Another facet of IMPACT classrooms is a focus on personal responsibility. Students are expected to prepare before class to facilitate discussion. In an effort to hold his students accountable, Troy says, he issues online quizzes along with their study-material assignments.

Currently at Purdue, some 108 faculty and instructors representing nine colleges and 45 departments and schools are participating in the IMPACT program. For more information about the IMPACT program, visit purdue.edu/impact.