The Idea Factory
Learning to Think at MIT
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9010126 |
|---|---|
| Authors | E J Hackett (0000-0002-7935-4498, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, corresponding author), Pepper White (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) |
| Year | 1993 |
| Volume | 64 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 607-608 |
| Publication date | 1993-09-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Higher Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-1546 • E-ISSN: 1538-4640 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00221546.1993.11778454 |
| OpenAlex | W4236554448, W2037330013 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
This is a personal story of the educational process at one of the world's great technological universities. Pepper White entered MIT in 1981 and received his master's degree in mechanical engineering in 1984. His account of his experiences, written in diary form, offers insight into graduate school life in general -- including the loneliness and even desperation that can result from the intense pressure to succeed -- and the purposes of engineering education in particular. The first professor White met at MIT told him that it did not really matter what he learned there, but that MIT would teach him how to think. This, then, is the story of how one student learned how to think. There have of course been changes at MIT since 1984, but its essence is still the same. White has added a new preface and concluding chapter to this edition to bring the story of his continuing education up to date
Factory (object-oriented programming · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Programming language · Sociology · Computer Science · Engineering Education and Curriculum Development · Information Systems Education and Curriculum Development · Psychology
| Citations per year | 0.06 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1994 - 2024 (31) |
| Highly cited | No |