Unlike a traditional course, an LSM provides a framework for examining junior-year content at a fine-grained level. Through the LSMs, material is presented in a cohesive manner so that students can see how anchoring concepts from each junior course are interrelated and critical to understanding the big picture.
All the faculty and students from the junior year come together in one room to participate in interactive, team-based learning exercises that illustrate how LSM concepts are highly connected and dependent on each other to make a complex system (such as the smartphone) function as intended.
Many central concepts and skills impact a student's ability to become a well-rounded engineer, and these subjects must permeate the curriculum. The department is now weaving foundations, creativity, and professionalism threads throughout the curriculum.