Conference Session

Race/Ethnicity Track - Technical Session II

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Bryan Hill, University of Arkansas; Eric Specking, University of Arkansas

Tagged Topics

Race/Ethnicity

the next phase of ECAP, ECAP 2.0. ECAP is a proven example that applying the best practicesoutlined in the publication can effectively increase the success of underrepresented engineeringstudents. Participants will learn and discuss successful practices, learn about the program, anddiscussion tangible outcomes to take back to their home institutions.Format: This special session will start with a presentation of the current literature followed by a casestudy and a facilitated roundtable discussion on how to develop and implement a similar program at theparticipant’s institution.Learning Goals: Participants will 1) gain insight into literature, 2) review a case study of a successfulprogram, 3) discuss how to develop, implement and evaluate a

Conference Session

Undergraduate Track - Technical Session VII

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Carlotta A. Berry, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Janice Fenn, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Undergraduate Education

the results of the study in context, the authors conducted a literature review of related workon the study of women and URM students in STEM programs. The primary focus was on thechallenges and the causes for success and failure. Allen-Ramdial & Campbell [1] state thatisolation is one of the biggest challenges faced by URM students in STEM fields. One way tosolve this challenge and promote diversity in education is to achieve a critical mass. Unfortunately,this may not be quickly remedied in most environments, thus other intermediary options must beembraced. Isolation may diminish self-efficacy and re-affirm the negative stereotype of the lackof suitability of URM students for STEM study. The presence of peers has been shown to have

Conference Session

Undergraduate Track - Technical Session VI

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Najmah Thomas, University of South Carolina, Beaufort; Ronald Erdei, University of South Carolina, Beaufort

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Undergraduate Education

and math (STEM) fields have increased inoverall importance from a variety of perspectives during the past few decades. In terms ofindividual employment opportunities and overall quality of life, STEM occupations have higherthan average job growth projections and higher than average wage rates [1] . STEM occupationsare also closely linked to high prestige and economic prosperity from a national standpoint [2] .In terms of practical application, STEM fields are responsible for identification of solutions tomyriad challenges in multiple business sectors, government, entertainment, and everyday life.It is widely acknowledged that the United States must increase its production of individualsskilled in various STEM fields in order to maintain and

Conference Session

Race/Ethnicity Track - Technical Session I

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Karis Boyd-Sinkler, Virginia Tech; Amy L. Hermundstad, Virginia Tech; Mayra S. Artiles , Virginia Tech Department of Engineering Education; Canek Moises Luna Phillips, Rice University; Benjamin David Lutz, Oregon State University; Walter C. Lee, Virginia Tech

Tagged Topics

Race/Ethnicity

interviewer, given that diversity -related topics can be sensitive todiscuss, efforts were made during protocol development to avoid language that might stigmatizeparticipants and prevent them from being authentic. In total, 19 undergraduates and 22 graduatestudents participated in the interviews (see T able 1). T he interviews lasted between 30-75 minutesand all participants were compensated for their time with a $20 Amazon gift card. Table 1: Summary of participant demographics Gender Race/Ethnicity Total Men Women Asian

Conference Session

Potpourri - Technical Session IV

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Sandra English, Cleveland State University; Hannah Rosen, Cleveland State University; Anette M. Karlsson, Cleveland State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Veterans

teaching and research. 66 Faculty members in 5 departments 1800 undergraduate students 500 graduate students 75 doctoral studentsDefining Diversity Research shows that there are many ways to define diversity Age, Gender, Ethnicity, Nationality, Education and Work status are the common areas covered when discussing diversity Diversity can be defined as groups of two or more people referring to demographic differences of one sort or another among the group members [1] At CSU, here is how we are assessing diversity.Engineering DDC Overview History Mission and Goals Success Stories ChallengesDDC Mission Statement To promote a culturally and intellectually rich environment for diversity and inclusion,support the education successand

Conference Session

Undergraduate Track - Technical Session II

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Kelly Mack, Association of American Colleges and Universities; Kate Winter, Kate Winter Evaluation, LLC

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Undergraduate Education

& Practice. She received her PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Washington. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2018CONFERENCE TITLE: CONECDPRESENTATION: TEACHING TO INCREASE DIVERSITY AND EQUITY IN STEMPRESENTERS: KELLY MACK, KATE WINTERINTRODUCTIONWhile the US economy is expected to create over 120,000 new jobs requiring at least abachelor’s degree in computer science, only approximately 48,000 computer sciencebaccalaureates are produced each year [1]. This dilemma is further complicated by the systemicmarginalization of the “new majority” of undergraduates [2] who represent rich sources ofuntapped talent and the diverse worldviews that are essential for

Conference Session

Pre-K12 Track - Technical Session II

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Ardice Hartry, University of California, Berkeley; Maia Werner-Avidon, MWA Insights; Sherry Hsi, Concord Consortium; Ariel J. Ortiz, Lawrence Hall of Science; Kathryn Chong Quigley, Lawrence Hall of Science

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Pre K-12 Education

inquiry-based K12 science education and design learning using sensor technologies, computationally-enhanced paper-based craft kits, and augmented learning environments.Ariel J Ortiz, Lawrence Hall of ScienceMrs. Kathryn Chong Quigley, Lawrence Hall of Science Kathryn Quigley is the director of the Inventor’s Learning Lab at Lawrence Hall of Science, which is a space for visitors to explore design thinking and cutting edge technology while solving engineering challenges. In her work with the Inventor’s Lab she also oversees the Hall’s teen engineering program TechHive. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2018TechHive:ASTEMLearningLabforTeensArdiceHartry 1 ,MaiaWerner-Avidon 2

Conference Session

Gender Track - Technical Session I

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Nicole Nieto, Ohio State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Gender

Conference Session

Gender Track - Technical Session VI

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Lalita G. Oka, California State University, Fresno; Kimberly Stillmaker P.E., California State University, Fresno

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Gender

higher than the malestudents irrespective of the gender of the instructors. The survey questions for qualitative researchon the perception of success for female students are also included.1Assistant Professor, California State University, Fresno2Assistant Professor, California State University, Fresno 1 1. IntroductionLocated in the San Joaquin Valley of central California, Fresno State is home to about 25,000students. Being a state university, affordability is an important criterion for most students. Themajority of the students in engineering come from local high schools and maintain close ties withthe surrounding community. Recent reports

Conference Session

Gender Track - Technical Session I

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Maya Rucks, Clemson University; Marisa K. Orr, Clemson University

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Gender

CommunityBackgroundThe need for STEM graduates in the United States is growing at an alarming rate. A 2012President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) report predicted that therewill be a 1 million college student deficit in science, technology, engineering, and mathematicsover the next 10 years (Olson & Riordan, 2012). For years now, there has been a call for moreunderrepresented groups in STEM fields. According to the National Center for EducationStatistics (NCES), only 18.4% of the students earning engineering degrees in the year 2014 werefemales (Digest of Education Statistics, 2015). Given this underrepresentation of women, it isimportant to determine why so few earn engineering degrees. Studies have shown that onepossible

Conference Session

Graduate Education Track - Technical Session V

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Heather Doty, University of Delaware; L. Pamela Cook, University of Delaware

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Graduate Education

satisfaction.1 The workshop for international students was so well attended each year that OISS started offering it regularlythroughout the academic year. It is therefore no longer on WIE’s annual calendar.Networking activities provide students the opportunity to meet and learn from role models.These events tend to center on hearing people’s stories. Our signature networking activity is anannual career panel, which brings engineers from across the country to campus to talk to studentsabout their jobs and career paths. Panelists provide brief introductions, but most of the session isreserved for audience questions. The discussions are always lively and appreciated by thestudents.Another example of a networking event is our “Meet Your Faculty” lunches

Conference Session

Race/Ethnicity Track - Technical Session VII

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Stacie LeSure, American Society for Engineering Education; Sharnnia Artis, University of California, Irvine

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Race/Ethnicity

for the Center for the Enhancement of Engi- neering Diversity and has four years of industry and government experience as a human factors engineer. Dr. Artis holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2018 Too Black to be Woman and too much Woman to be a Man. Black women attempting to reconcile their multiple identities in Academic and Professional Engineering Spaces.Black women are often underrepresented in engineering despite reports that a higherpercentage of Black women (9.7%) are enrolled in college than any other group, exceeding Asianwomen (8.7%), White women (7.1%) and White men (6.1%) [1].The proposed

Conference Session

First-Generation Track - Technical Session IV

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Dina Verdín, Purdue University, West Lafayette (College of Engineering); Allison Godwin, Purdue University, West Lafayette (College of Engineering); Adam Kirn, University of Nevada, Reno; Lisa Benson, Clemson University; Geoff Potvin, Florida International University

Tagged Topics

Diversity, First Generation

support grit development in first-generationcollege students.Introduction First-generation college students face numerous unique challenges within higher educationthat offer particular opportunities for research and interventions to improve their enrollment andretention. This population has potential to add to the field of engineering as they bring with themunique lived experiences. First-generation college students have been described as invisibleinnovators [1]. Smith and Lucena [1] argue if first-generation college students’ funds of knowledgeare equally valued knowledge as that of the dominant engineering culture, these students’ can belegitimate creators of knowledge and contribute to innovative solutions in the engineeringenterprise

Conference Session

LGBTQ+ Track - Technical Session III

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Robyn Sandekian, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Topics

Diversity, LGBTQ+

Initiative Letter to support efforts to increase theparticipation of women and underrepresented minorities (URMs) in engineering education. Inthat letter, the signatories pledged to provide “educational experiences that are inclusive andprevent marginalization of any groups of people because of visible or invisible differences” [1,Para. 3, emphasis mine]. Beyond race/ethnicity and externally perceived gender, visible andinvisible differences encompass dissimilarities of physical and mental abilities, religious andpolitical beliefs, as well as sexual and gender identity. However, those topics have beenfrequently overlooked in the context of engineering. The lack of data regarding engineers whoidentify across these spectrums has limited the full

Conference Session

Faculty Track - Technical Session III

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Shawna Vican, University of Delaware

Tagged Topics

Faculty

about faculty satisfaction reveal faculty of color perceivedepartmental climates as less positive than peers across multiple dimensions. Through interviewswith departing faculty, as well as faculty negotiating retention packages, we clarify additionalfactors affecting faculty of color retention. In this paper, we (1) discuss main findings about theclimate for faculty of color on our campus, (2) describe how social science research, institutionaldata, and evaluation inform our programmatic work, and (3) highlight how the strategic use ofdata allows us to better engage campus stakeholders in institutional change efforts in support offaculty diversity.IntroductionThe underrepresentation of faculty women of color in academia remains a national

Conference Session

Undergraduate Track - Technical Session II

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Karen E. Rambo-Hernandez, West Virginia University; Abhik Roy, West Virginia University; Melissa Lynn Morris, West Virginia University; Robin A. M. Hensel, West Virginia University; Jeremy Clinton Schwartz, West Virginia University; Rebecca A. Atadero, Colorado State University; Christina Paguyo, University of Denver

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Undergraduate Education

student actors and faculty/staff on the script. The upfrontcost of the training was expensive but would make the long-term cost of incorporating theatresketches into the curriculum much more sustainable after the grant funding has expired.The goal of this study was to determine whether the students and faculty/staff who were trainedby the theatre troupe were effective in influencing engineering students understanding of whydiversity is important to engineering and how effective engineering teams work. Answers tothree specific questions were sought to answer the larger question: 1) How do students enrolled in classes receiving the intervention describe their experiences when compared to peers in comparison courses? 2) How do

Conference Session

Disability Track - Technical Session VI

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Meenakshi Manas Das, Mississippi State University; Sarah B. Lee, Mississippi State University; Litany H. Lineberry, Mississippi State University; Chase Addison Barr

Tagged Topics

Disability

had completed at least astudents and early college graduates who have benefited from bachelor’s degree [2].” “By comparison, 34.6 percent ofintervention programs. Recommendations for universities and people with no disability had completed at least a bachelor’scompanies on how they may engage and enable persons with degree. About 1 in 5 people with a disability had less than adisabilities to persist on STEM pathways will be presented. high school diploma, compared with 1 in 10 people with no Keywords—equity, computer science, disabilities, STEM disability [2]”. The 2016 Disability Statistics Annual Report

Conference Session

Undergraduate Track - Technical Session VII

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Kasi Kiehlbaugh, University of Arizona; Paul Blowers, University of Arizona

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Undergraduate Education

engineering courses are still transitioning from supportive high school environments in whichthey were personally known by their teachers and peers into the sink-or-swim world of highereducation. To address this, our approach has been to reverse-engineer classroom interventions thathave led to a dramatic increase in student retention in our own chemical engineering program.Nationally, retention in engineering through graduation is approximately 30-55% [1], [2]; the averageUniversity of Arizona College of Engineering retention rate through graduation over the past 5 years is46%. Through the deployment of a variety of classroom-based interventions throughout oursophomore-year courses over the past 2.5 years, we have increased the retention through

Conference Session

Gender Track - Technical Session III

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Tim John Weston, University of Colorado, Boulder; Wendy DuBow, National Center for Women & IT; Alexis Kaminsky, Kaminsky Consulting, LLC

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Gender

making. 1 The SCCT model posits thatperson-centered variables of domain-specific self-efficacy coupled with interests and realisticoutcome expectations about the field propel individuals to pursue particular careers. Careerchoice is further influenced by a combination of supportive and inhibiting contextual factors.Supportive factors associated with pursuing computing include: early exposure, access to highquality learning experiences, supportive parents, and peer groups.2, 3 Inhibiting factors includelimited access, subtle and not-so-subtle racism and sexism, geographic location, and lower socio-economic status.3, 4 Importantly, SCCT incorporates gender and race/ethnicity explicitly in its model, whichrenders it appropriate for work with

Conference Session

Undergraduate Track - Session V

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Ni Li, California State University, Los Angeles; Gustavo B. Menezes, California State University, Los Angeles; Emily L. Allen, California State University, Los Angeles; Paul S. Nerenberg, California State University, Los Angeles

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Undergraduate Education

studentachievement.BackgroundThe California State University is the largest four-year public university system in the U.S. and graduatesabout half of the bachelor’s degrees in California. The Los Angeles Campus (Cal State LA) service areaextends to a large part of LA county, including some areas of South LA, Pasadena, much of the San GabrielValley and the neighborhoods around East Los Angeles. The service area has the census tracts with (i) thelargest percentage of population under 18 living under poverty, ranging from 40-100% (Figure 1); (ii) thelowest level of education attainment for population 18 years and older (<9% with college degrees,compared to 18% and 20% in California and the US respectively) (Figure 2); and (iii) the highestconcentration of Hispanics (>

Conference Session

Corporate Engagement Track - Technical Session V

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Olga Maria Stavridis, Ohio State University; Aimee T. Ulstad, Ohio State University; Lisa A. Barclay, The Ohio State University

Tagged Topics

Corporate Engagement, Diversity

insurmountable during their2nd year when classes become more abstract and the impact of their grades on admission to majorlooms large. The researchers for this paper sought to understand if assisting women students indetermining how they could use engineering later in their career by understanding the paths thatother engineers took and what they do now on a regular basis would increase their self-efficacyand persistence toward their degree. According to Albert Bandura, self-efficacy is developedthrough four factors: master experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and impactmodels.1 The researchers wanted to understand if providing unique vicarious experiences tofamiliarize students with engineering careers after graduation could impact

Conference Session

Undergraduate Track - Technical Session II

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Elisabeth (Lisa) Stoddard, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Geoff Pfeifer, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Undergraduate Education

to perform (Meadows et al, 2015).Women and students of color can be stereotyped as less intelligent, less competent, or asunderperformers (Meadows et al, 2015; Wolfe et al, 2016). It is often assumed that these studentshave not been accepted to a STEM program based on merit, but based on policies that favorhistorically underrepresented students (Meadows et al, 2015). In a published writing piece, astudent at Worcester Polytechnic Institute explains: When the other girl gets accepted to RPI and WPI and Cal Tech and MIT, and the acceptance letters pile up….I watch the boys whisper in her ear: ‘They’re just meeting 1 their

Collection

2018 ASEE Zone IV Conference

Authors

Tyler Jay Ashby, Utah State University; Wade H Goodridge, Utah State University; Sarah E Lopez, Utah State University; Natalie L Shaheen, National Federation of the Blind; Benjamin James Call, Utah State University - Engineering Education

Tagged Topics

Diversity

has demonstrated that spatial ability canbe developed through targeted activities4. Her work centered on basic technical drawingcurriculum delivered to students including instruction on developing multi-view drawings,pictorial drawings, and patterns.The Mental Cutting Test (MCT) was initially developed in 1939 as a portion of a collegeentrance exam5. More recently, the MCT has been used as an instrument for spatial abilityresearch. The MCT consists of 25 problems to be answered in 20 minutes. As shown in Figure 1,each problem has a dimetric view of an object with a plane of interest (POI) intersecting theobject. There are five possible solutions showing cross-sections of the object, or a similar object,and the test taker must select the cross

Collection

2018 ASEE Zone IV Conference

Authors

Kyle Frederick Larsen P.E., Eastern Washington University; Austin Arron VanWormer, Eastern Washington University; John Shine, Eastern Washington University; Andrew William Phillips, Eastern Washington University ; Terry Kriss, Eastern Washington University; Colton Widell, Eastern Washington University

temperature is dictated by the mean annual ground temperature, which isdependent on its geographic location. Figure 1 shows the mean annual ground temperatures forthe United States. Figure 1 Mean Annual Ground Temperatures in the United States (Virginia Tech 2010)Consequently, during the winter months, the ground temperature is generally warmer than theoutside temperature; therefore the ground is used as a heat source. In the summer, the groundtemperature is generally colder than the outside temperature, so the ground is use as a heat sink.While installation costs for geothermal heat pumps are much higher compared to conventionalsystems, the payback period is short because it is met quickly by energy savings due to increasedefficiency.This

Collection

2018 ASEE Zone IV Conference

Authors

bryan james mealy, Cal Poly State University

experimentrequired students to submit a report that included solutions to a hardware and a firmware-baseddesign problem, and ten short-answer questions. Students worked in groups of two or three (amix of quiz and non-quiz students); each group submitted one lab report for each experiment aswell as a final design project.Students choosing the quiz option had to stay with that choice for the entire quarter. On quizdays, quiz-taking students migrated to one side of the laboratory, which allowed the instructor tohelp the non-quiz taking students. Table 1 shows the weightings for the two options. Thecourse’s studio format allows instructors to give two finals (on different days), which we label asthe “lab” and “lecture” finals. The two-hour lab final exam

Collection

2018 ASEE Zone IV Conference

Authors

Brock J. LaMeres, Montana State University; Paul Gannon, Montana Engineering Education Research Center; William J. Schell IV P.E., Montana State University

research. This paper will beof interest to faculty wishing to engage in EER, faculty already engaged in EER that wish toincrease productivity at their universities, or faculty have already established a thriving EERprogram and have advice to share with the MEERC leadership.IntroductionTo meet the grand challenges facing our society, we need more engineers, more diverseengineers, and engineers that think in a global context. Work in the area of engineeringeducation research promises to create knowledge on how to better prepare our graduates bystudying five broad areas: (1) engineering epistemologies; (2) engineering learning mechanisms;(3) engineering learning systems; (4) effectively promoting student diversity and inclusion; and(5) assessment

Collection

2018 ASEE Zone IV Conference

Authors

Cassandra J Wright, University of Washington, Bothell; John William Bridge P.E., University of Washington, Bothell

due to only having a brief exposure to the software mainly inthe fundamental materials course. In order to give students a deeper knowledge to be able toindependently utilize it in subsequent classes, the first materials science course module wasrevised and a second module developed and implemented during the Autumn 2017 term in orderto provide students with a more hands-on and in-depth materials selection learning experience.The pair of modules served as a good foundation for the students’ mechanical design andcapstone sequences. The students indicated that they felt relatively comfortable with utilizingthe software. This cohort will be followed through graduation (2019) to determine if there is anincrease in usage of the software.1

Collection

2018 ASEE Zone IV Conference

Authors

Bridget Benson, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Matt Jamison Burnett, State University of New York at Canton

Tagged Topics

Diversity

encourages an open and non-hierarchical perspective toward nature. Through thiswork, he became acutely aware of the counter-productive polarities that are reinforced by mediasaturation (a prime example being the politicization of environmental sustainability). By 2016,he envisioned creating an art installation that would highlight a ‘convergence’ rather than adivision of peoples and ideas. Loosely based on the Asian traditions of floating lanterns, hisinitial sketches of this art installation (Figure 1) explored how he might combine disparateindividual lights into a combined new color as they floated down a stream – hence the projectConvergence was born. Figure 1: Initial concept sketch of Convergence. Illustration by Matt BurnettHe quickly

Collection

2018 ASEE Zone IV Conference

Authors

Mark Todd Gordon, California Baptist University; Seunghyun Chun, California Baptist University; Xueyan Sarah Zhao, California Baptist University; Michael Jean-Claude Nalbandian, California Baptist University; Mi Kyung Han, California Baptist University; Mario Oyanader, California Baptist University

(twelve students) forms a team. The team’s goal during thesemester is to design a set of units (or machines) that will take objects(Acquisition Unit,Transportation Unit), shown in Figure 1, from the center of the arena to the team’s designatedend and sort(Sorting Unit) the objects into their eight different types. During the competition atthe end of the semester another team will attempt to do this simultaneously and the teams areallowed to have a limited amount of interaction to deter the opposing team. Also during thecompetition, each team is scored on a combination of the recovery (based on the quantity of eachobject sorted correctly) and the purity (based on the sorting accuracy of each object). The teamwith the highest score is declared the

Collection

2018 ASEE Zone IV Conference

Authors

Eric Osborn, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Ali O. Shaban, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Taufik Taufik, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

alongwith their learning outcomes and assessment methods will be presented in this paper. Initialresults of testing the experiments will also be described, along with challenges and lessonslearned in the development of the laboratory coursework.IntroductionWhile multiple definitions of microgrids exist, this paper defines them as “a locally controlledgrouping of electricity sources and loads that normally operate connected to and synchronouswith the traditional centralized grid (megagrid), but can disconnect and function as anautonomous electrical island if physical and/or economic conditions dictate” 1. Microgridsaddress many problems that a centralized grid proposes, primarily by its ability to disconnectfrom the grid in the event of a