The Riipen platform is an on-ramp to facilitating work integrated learning experiences. Riipen helps UofT instructors set up experiential project-based learning with community organizations and businesses by finding matches and streamlining ongoing coordination and communication between the faculty, students and partners. This initiative is unique in its focus on integrating small projects into course contexts in alignment with learning outcomes. Students receive feedback from partner organizations on their projects.
What is experiential project-based learning?
Experiential project-based learning is a teaching method that involves students designing, developing, and constructing hands-on solutions to a problem with a company or non-profit partner. Using project-based learning, students can build upon their creative capacity by working through real-world problems. The students typically work on these projects in small teams.
What is Riipen?
Riipen is a project-based learning platform that enables students, educators, and organizations to connect through real-world industry experiences. Students acquire skills valuable in the workplace and get to build their employer network, organizations get to improve their talent pipelines and increase authentic engagement towards their brand, while instructors provide enhanced learning experiences for their students and tap new industry and community organization connections.
Access to Riipen gives UofT faculty the flexibility to embed experiential learning into courses and provides the tools for students to work as a team on real-world problems. The platform available to faculty, in all disciplines, working with all levels of students, in-class, online experiences, and remote internships. Riipen offers end-to-end support, including course project ideation and design, technical support and student onboarding, and matchmaking with industry partners globally.
Steps for Instructors to Get Started using Riipen:
- Join the School Portal as an educator.
- Book a call with your dedicated Account Manager to discuss if Riipen is right for you.
- Riipen will set you up with a technical onboarding so you are comfortable with the platform and ready to connect your course.
- Once published to our marketplace, Riipen will get to work on matching your course with the best industry partners in our network of over 10K employers.
- You will approve the company projects that you want to pair with students.
- The students start working on the projects on a timeline you determine.
For questions and support please contact Riipen at academicsupport@riipen.com.
For information about use of Riipen at University of Toronto please contact digital.learning@utoronto.ca.