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A Green Technology Course in a Community College Abstract

This paper describes a Green Technology course taught for the first time in 2009 and two brief summer bridge programs offered at a community college in 2008 and 2009.

The summer bridge programs were organized around the theme of the generation of electricity from renewable sources and provided an introduction to engineering and technology for new students. Green Technology is a semester-long course which equips students to explore lifestyle changes that will enable them to reduce both their personal and community carbon footprint, resulting in a greener society.

Content outlines for the two summer bridge programs are presented along with an independent evaluation of student outcomes for the 2009 summer bridge program. Pre- and post- surveys were administered to participants in 2009; the data were then analyzed statistically and reported upon by an outside evaluator.

The development of the Green Technology course is described and details of the course as taught are presented. The topical outline and the student assignments for the Green Technology course are also included.

Introduction

A bridge program for new community college students was first held in the summer of 2008. This four day program explored some of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics behind the generation of electricity by wind, water, and solar power. Student enthusiasm proved sufficiently promising that a semester-long Green Technology course was developed in the fall of 2008 and offered for the first time in the spring of 2009. A second summer bridge program was offered in the summer of 2009.

The Green Technology course enables students to explore lifestyle changes that will empower them to reduce both their personal carbon footprint and that of the community, resulting in a greener society. The development of this course is a prime example of taking an idea and properly supporting its growth with grants, faculty and administrative support, and encouragement from society.

The genesis of this course was a 2003 partnership between an NSF grantee, several technical schools, and several community colleges. The objective of the grant was to create leaders in the community colleges and high schools who would be able to develop technology/engineering education projects in energy and power technologies. During 2004 and 2005, workshops were developed and implemented to increase engineering awareness for the participating high school teachers. Several alternative energy lesson modules on wind and solar power were designed, tested and modified.

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Chanley, P., & Pelletier, M., & Desjardins, L., & Heymans, L. (2010, June), A Green Technology Course In A Community College Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--16063