VIP | VIPP 201

In this course, undergraduate sophomore or junior students engage in applied research with faculty and graduate students on multi-disciplinary, team-based research projects. Students work with faculty and industry mentors on real world large-scale projects with students from different majors. Participants develop research experience and team skills, while intergrating knowledge from previous courses and refining their professional skills (teamwork, project planning, and communications).

Required or elective

Elective

Credits

VIPP201 – 1 credit

About VIP

A Vertically-Integrated Projects (VIP) Program operates in a research and development context. Undergraduate students that join VIP teams earn academic credit for their participation in design/discovery efforts that assist faculty and graduate students with research and development issues in their areas of expertise.
The teams are:

Multidisciplinary - drawing students from all disciplines on campus;
Vertically-integrated - maintaining a mix of undergraduate and graduate students each semester;
Long-term – while the project is long term and large scale, students get to work on sub-themes.

The continuity, technical depth, and disciplinary breadth of these teams are intended to:

Provide the time and context necessary for students to learn and practice many different professional skills, make substantial contributions to the project, and experience many different roles on a large, multidisciplinary VIP team.
Support long-term interaction between the graduate and undergraduate students on the team. The graduate students mentor the undergraduates as they work on VIP projects embedded in the graduate students' research.
Enable the completion of large-scale projects that are of significant benefit to faculty members' research programs.

Learning outcomes

Learn and practice professional skills
Make substantial contributions to a team project
Experience different roles on a large, multidisciplinary team
Investigate scientific questions as part of a well-organized research project
Present and defend research findings among peers
Be better prepared for undertaking graduate work

Project coordination

A VIPP 201 project will be coordinated by one lead faculty member (referred to as Project main Investigator (PI)), along with Co-project Investigators (Co-PIs). Beyond project technical issues, the PI will be responsible for coordinating the logistics of each project and ensure smooth integration of the project components.

System overview

week	Activity/Event
Week 1	Introductions, overview of team’s work, discussion of semester goals
Week 2	Sub-team selections finalized, and sub-team meeting times finalized
Week 7	Turn in VIP notebooks at team meeting for mid-term grading
Week 8	Midterm presentations
Week 12	Web-based peer-evaluations released for students to complete. Late submissions will not be accepted
Week 14	Final presentations. Turn in TLV notebooks at team meeting for final

Student evaluation

The premise of VIP is teams working on projects. Much like a real-world team, individual members work on different aspects of the project. The grade is based on three areas. Students must demonstrate achievements in all three areas below.

Documentation and records (33%)

VIP Notebook
VIP Wiki/blog documentation
Code (via GT GitHub) if team is developing software

Personal accomplishments and contributions to the team’s goals (33%)

Quizzes, learning modules, essays, reports required by the advisor(s);
Engagement in project;
Pursuit of knowledge necessary for project;
Contributions to the technical progress of the team;

Teamwork and interaction (33%)

Peer Evaluations;
On-time attendance in meetings;
Actively contributes to overall team goals;
Coordinates activities with other team members;
Assists other team members;
Team presentation(s).

Explore

Courses

VIPP 201

VIPP 202

VIPP 301

Enroll today

Required or elective

Credits

About VIP

Learning outcomes

Project coordination

System overview

Student evaluation

Other Courses

VIPP 202

VIPP 301

VIPP 401

VIPP 501, VIPP 502

VIPP 601

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