Students report that they are well prepared for the next class or stage in their career. They think creatively about data, observations, literature sources. Students read the literature to improve their hypothesis or their experimental techniques. Students understand the technique they are using well enough so they can figure out what to do if something goes wrong. Students can successfully model a problem on their own or in groups, demonstrated via a report, etc.
Students are aware that mathematical modeling is an iterative process.
Students can take a real world problem, construct a mathematical model of it, use software to solve the mathematical model, and use the solution to say something useful about the original problem. Students carry forward into the future. Students go on to do independent research or honors work.