Turn Curiosity into Real-World Experience
Have an idea you want to explore, something you want to create, or a project you have been waiting for an opportunity to pursue?
CSV 303: Ideas in Action gives you the opportunity to turn your interests into a meaningful, hands-on experience while earning academic credit.
Rather than completing the same project as everyone else, you develop a project around your own interests, goals, and desired learning outcomes. With mentorship and regular check-ins along the way, you’ll build practical skills, explore potential career paths, create something tangible, and reflect on what you learned through the process.
1–4 Credits | Pass/Fail | Free Elective
What Can I Work On?
Your project can take many forms. The goal is to choose an experience that is meaningful to you and gives you an opportunity to learn by doing.
Possible projects include:
- Creating a podcast, video series, documentary, or other media project
- Testing a business, startup, or social enterprise idea
- Designing and fabricating a prototype
- Developing an app, website, AI product, or technology solution
- Conducting research on a topic you want to explore
- Launching a campus or community initiative
- Developing educational resources, workshops, or programming
- Building a professional portfolio or personal brand
- Creating a sustainability or community-engagement project
- Developing another approved experiential learning project based on your interests
Your project does not need to fit neatly into one category. Interdisciplinary ideas are encouraged.
How Many Credits Should I Take?
You can enroll in CSV 303 for 1, 2, 3, or 4 credits depending on the scope of your project and the amount of time you plan to dedicate to it.
| Credits | Minimum Time Commitment | Typical Scope |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Credit | 35 hours | A focused, small-scale project |
| 2 Credits | 70 hours | A developed project demonstrating skill growth |
| 3 Credits | 105 hours | A substantial project with progress updates and stakeholder or community engagement as appropriate |
| 4 Credits | 140 hours | A comprehensive project resulting in a significant final outcome |
A one-credit project might be a podcast episode, research summary, prototype concept, personal website, or short documentary.
A four-credit project could become a startup pilot, functional app, multi-episode media series, major community initiative, research study, VR experience, or professional portfolio.
The project should grow in scope and depth as the number of credits increases.
How to Enroll
1. Start With an Idea
You do not need to have everything figured out before getting started. Begin by identifying something you are interested in exploring, creating, researching, testing, or improving. Ask yourself:
What have I wanted to learn, make, investigate, launch, or experience?
2. Choose Your Credit Level
Think about the size of your project and how much time you realistically want to devote to it during the semester.
Remember:
1 Credit = 35 hours
2 Credits = 70 hours
3 Credits = 105 hours
4 Credits = 140 hours
Your credit level should reflect the scope of the experience you are proposing.
3. Develop Your Learning Contract
At the beginning of the experience, you will develop an Ideas in Action Learning Contract outlining what you plan to accomplish.
You will identify:
- Your proposed project
- Two to four learning goals
- Major activities you expect to complete
- Your anticipated final deliverables
- Your project mentor
- The number of credits you will complete
The Learning Contract helps turn an open-ended idea into a manageable semester project.
4. Identify a Project Mentor
Mentorship is an important part of Ideas in Action. Your mentor will help you think through your project, provide feedback, participate in scheduled check-ins, and help you navigate challenges or changes that arise during the semester.
5. Complete the Enrollment Process
Stop by the labs or contact librarylabs-group@uri.edu to fill out the interest form, meet with the course instructor, receive permission to enroll, and register for CSV 303 through e-Campus.
Once your project and credit level are approved, you can begin turning your idea into action.
What Will I Do During the Semester?
Every project is different, but all students are expected to actively engage in their experience throughout the semester.
Depending on your project, your activities might include:
Research and exploration • Project planning • Mentorship meetings • Content creation • Prototype development • Community engagement • Event planning • Portfolio development
You will also:
- Meet for scheduled mentoring and project check-ins
- Track your activities and progress
- Communicate about challenges or changes to your project
- Complete the required hours for your credit level
- Submit agreed-upon project deliverables
- Complete reflections and progress updates
- Demonstrate professional and ethical engagement with your project
How Is the Course Graded?
CSV 303 is graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (Pass/Fail).
There are no traditional exams or letter grades.
To earn a Satisfactory (S) grade, you must:
- Complete the required hours for your credit level
- Participate meaningfully in your approved project
- Attend mentoring and project check-ins
- Complete your agreed-upon deliverables
- Submit required reflections and progress updates
- Demonstrate sustained effort and engagement
- Communicate professionally and meet project commitments
Success is not based on whether your original idea works exactly as planned.
Projects evolve. Experiments fail. Research questions change. Prototypes need revision. What matters is that you remain engaged in the learning process, respond thoughtfully to challenges, complete your commitments, and reflect on what you learned.
Your Idea. Your Project. Your Experience.
You do not have to wait until an internship, your senior year, or your first job to start building meaningful experience.
Use CSV 303 to explore an interest, develop a skill, create something worth sharing, and turn curiosity into experience you can carry with you beyond the classroom.
CSV 303: Ideas in Action
1–4 Credits | Pass/Fail | Free Elective