Learning through industry collaborations in classroom activities is critical in decreasing the gap between the real world and the academic environment. Challenges drawn from industry can increase student knowledge and future employability (Collins, Curtis, Curtis & Stevenson, 2007; Cox & King, 2006; Fleischmann, 2011). Yet, most academic programs focus largely on increasing student cognitive skills and few incorporate activities using industry collaborations (Fleischmann, 2011). Such collaborations are especially critical for industry-based majors, such as textiles and apparel. This is particularly crucial given research findings that academic curricula largely lack “an integration of both industry and the academy” (Wright, Cushman & Nicholson, 2002, p. 122).
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