TY - JOUR
T1 - Workshop on Unified Curriculum and Course Design for Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering
AU - Lewin, Gregory C.
AU - Li, Rui
AU - Berry, Carlotta A.
AU - Mynderse, James A.
AU - Kapila, Vikram
AU - Gennert, Michael A.
N1 - Funding Information:
Vikram Kapila is a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He directs a Mechatronics, Controls, and Robotics Laboratory and has held visiting positions with the Air Force Research Laboratories in Dayton, OH. His current research is focused at the convergence of frontier technologies (e.g., robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented/virtual reality, and blockchain) with applications to natural and intuitive human-robot interaction, digital health, and STEM education. Under the Research Experience for Teachers Site, GK-12 Fellows, DR K-12, and ITEST projects, all funded by NSF, and the Central Brooklyn STEM Initiative, funded by six philanthropic foundations, he has conducted significant K-12 education, training, mentoring, and outreach activities to integrate engineering concepts in science classrooms and labs of dozens of New York City public schools. His STEM education research, conducted as a collaborative partnership involving engineering and education faculty, postgraduate and graduate researchers, and K-12 educators, has: (1) created, implemented, and examined over 100 standards-aligned robotics-based science and math lessons and (2) developed, practiced, and examined research-guided pedagogical approaches for science and math learning using robotics. He received NYU Tandon’s 2002, 2008, 2011, and 2014 Jacobs Excellence in Education Award, 2002 Jacobs Innovation Grant, 2003 Distinguished Teacher Award, and 2012 Inaugural Distinguished Award for Excellence in the category Inspiration through Leadership. Moreover, he is a recipient of 2014-2015 University Distinguished Teaching Award at NYU. His scholarly activities have included 3 edited books, 11 chapters in edited books, 1 book review, 68 journal articles, and 175 conference papers. He has mentored 6 research associates; 1 B.S., 48 M.S., and 11 Ph.D. students; 66 undergraduate research students and 11 undergraduate senior design project teams; over 500 K-12 teachers and 130 high school student researchers; and 18 undergraduate GK-12 Fellows and 59 graduate GK-12 Fellows.
Funding Information:
The support of the National Science Foundation through award #1842642 is gratefully acknowledged. The authors extend their appreciation to the FoMRE Advisory Board for their generous commitment of time, excellent advice, and continued engagement.
Publisher Copyright:
© American Society for Engineering Education, 2023.
PY - 2023/6/25
Y1 - 2023/6/25
N2 - With the increasing demand for cross-disciplinary technical and professional skill sets in the engineering workforce, Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering (MRE) is quickly emerging as its own engineering discipline. However, developing and implementing MRE courses and curricula is challenging for many potential MRE educators because there are no standardized course structures, curricula, hardware and software platforms, or course materials. To address these challenges, a multi-institutional, multidisciplinary team conducted several workshops starting in 2018 to provide support for curriculum development in MRE and to create a vibrant community of college instructors interested in MRE. Ranging from a half-day to two days, the workshops provided guidance and perspectives from leaders in MRE education. Based on participant feedback from these workshops and our goal for greater impact, we planned and delivered a more intensive three-day, virtual, yet hands-on workshop in the Spring of 2022. The objectives of the workshop were to: 1) prepare current and future MRE educators to create and teach courses, 2) familiarize MRE educators with advances in undergraduate MRE education, 3) help unify and standardize MRE curricula and courses, 4) pave the way toward accreditation for MRE degree programs, 5) generate enthusiasm and a sense of community among MRE educators, and 6) promote diversity and inclusion within the MRE community. Notably, this workshop differed from previous ones by embedding a significant hands-on experiential learning component, which provided sample laboratory assignments and projects that could form the foundations of introductory and advanced courses in MRE. Remote assistance was provided by workshop leaders and student assistants. Participants actively engaged in many activities, including doing “homework” every evening. A post-workshop survey revealed that participants overwhelmingly felt that the workshop met their expectations and that they were better prepared to teach mechatronics. Participants also noted that they felt better connected to the MRE community. Finally, participants suggested areas for future training and skill development, which could be incorporated into the development of future workshops.
AB - With the increasing demand for cross-disciplinary technical and professional skill sets in the engineering workforce, Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering (MRE) is quickly emerging as its own engineering discipline. However, developing and implementing MRE courses and curricula is challenging for many potential MRE educators because there are no standardized course structures, curricula, hardware and software platforms, or course materials. To address these challenges, a multi-institutional, multidisciplinary team conducted several workshops starting in 2018 to provide support for curriculum development in MRE and to create a vibrant community of college instructors interested in MRE. Ranging from a half-day to two days, the workshops provided guidance and perspectives from leaders in MRE education. Based on participant feedback from these workshops and our goal for greater impact, we planned and delivered a more intensive three-day, virtual, yet hands-on workshop in the Spring of 2022. The objectives of the workshop were to: 1) prepare current and future MRE educators to create and teach courses, 2) familiarize MRE educators with advances in undergraduate MRE education, 3) help unify and standardize MRE curricula and courses, 4) pave the way toward accreditation for MRE degree programs, 5) generate enthusiasm and a sense of community among MRE educators, and 6) promote diversity and inclusion within the MRE community. Notably, this workshop differed from previous ones by embedding a significant hands-on experiential learning component, which provided sample laboratory assignments and projects that could form the foundations of introductory and advanced courses in MRE. Remote assistance was provided by workshop leaders and student assistants. Participants actively engaged in many activities, including doing “homework” every evening. A post-workshop survey revealed that participants overwhelmingly felt that the workshop met their expectations and that they were better prepared to teach mechatronics. Participants also noted that they felt better connected to the MRE community. Finally, participants suggested areas for future training and skill development, which could be incorporated into the development of future workshops.
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M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:85172097683
SN - 2153-5965
JO - ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings
JF - ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings
T2 - 2023 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition - The Harbor of Engineering: Education for 130 Years, ASEE 2023
Y2 - 25 June 2023 through 28 June 2023
ER -