What preparatory work do the students do for their project prior to traveling to Boston?
Seth Tuler: First is a course about research methods, project management, and project design, in order for them to think about how other kinds of work, research, and experiences can be brought to bear on helping them understand what their project will be about. Second is project work where the faculty advisor meets with each team separately over the course of the term to discuss the content of their project—applying the ideas, techniques, and tools they’re learning in the course for their particular project. Much of the course is structured around helping them figure out what they don't know and what they need to know—and to start thinking about how to conceptualize in a more abstract way what the project is about.