Students in Engineering Design Process and Applied Research

Kuldeep S Rawat; Chandra Bhushan Asthana

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Conference: 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual On line
Publication Date: June 22, 2020
Start Date: June 22, 2020
End Date: June 26, 2021
Conference Session: Aerospace Student Projects, Engineering Design and Research
Tagged Division: Aerospace
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 14
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--35246
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/35246
Download Count: 474

Paper Authors

biography

Kuldeep S Rawat Elizabeth City State University

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KULDEEP S. RAWAT is currently the Dean of Science, Aviation, Health and Technology and Director of Aviation Science program at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU). He has earned an M.S. in Computer Science, 2001, an M.S. in Computer Engineering, 2003; and, a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, 2005, from the Center for Advanced Computer Studies (CACS) at University of Louisiana-Lafayette. He serves as the Site Director for NASA MUREP Aerospace Academy program at ECSU. His areas of interests include embedded systems design, cloud instrumentation, remote computing applications, UAS applications research, mobile robotics, and innovative uses of educational technologies. Dr. Rawat may be reached at ksrawat@ecsu.edu.

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Chandra Bhushan Asthana P.E. Elizabeth City State University orcid.org/0000-0001-5090-230X

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Dr. Chandra Asthana completed undergraduate education in aeronautical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, the postgraduate education in aeronautical engineering and Ph. D. in control systems design at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He has worked at Air India, Defense Research and Development, Hyderabad, India, at CAE Inc. Montreal Canada and Lockheed Martin, Netherlands. He has taught at McGill and Concordia University, Canada. He is currently a visiting Associate Professor at Elizabeth City State University. His research interests are in the area of aviation, aerodynamics, control system design, modeling, simulation, aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles, teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.

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Abstract

The goal of Elizabeth City State University’s (ECSU’s) Drone Exploration Academy program is to capitalize on the increasing popularity of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as Drones, to spark student interest and provide an experiential learning opportunity (ELO) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Drones, which have become a popular recreational tool among youth, are ideal platforms with enormous scientific value for engaging students in hands-on, inquiry-based learning to develop science and math skills, thereby focusing on the importance of these skills to succeed in college. The Drone Exploration Academy program is funded through NASA and a private foundation in the state of North Carolina (NC).

The key objectives of the Drone Exploration Academy project at ECSU were as follows: (i) engage students, especially from underrepresented groups, in experiential learning opportunities and field-based scientific investigation, in a mentoring relationship with professionals working in the STEM fields; (ii) educate students utilizing a STEM curriculum that meets national and standards for science and mathematics for the state; (iii) promote awareness of engineering-related careers and opportunities among K-12 educators, students, and parents; and (iv) integrate computer technologies and simulation tools to develop 21st century skills and increase student interest in STEM disciplines.

Research in project-based learning has demonstrated that projects can increase student interest in STEM because they involve students in problem-solving, working in teams, and connect real-world applications to classroom learning. The project activities supported student development through activity components that were fully integrated to form a comprehensive learning system. The key components of the project are (i) Authentic STEM Experience (ASE), (ii) Drone Field Experience (DFE), and (iii) Engineering Design Challenge (EDC).

The Drone Exploration Academy curriculum included at its core the UAV design, programming, sensor/payload, and piloting to conduct a field-based scientific investigation. The learning activities were carefully designed to meet the Next Generation Science Standards and the NC Standard Course of Study for Science and Mathematics. Guest speakers and field trips complemented in-class learning. The project activities also featured the EDC, that engaged student teams in designing, building, and programming a quadcopter UAV, culminating in a competition that was held on ECSU campus. The EDC component required student teams to design and build a quadcopter aerial vehicle that could be used for applications such as crop monitoring, environmental assessment, or infrastructure inspection. Students used computer-aided design (CAD) software, electronic boards, programming, simulation tools, and followed the engineering design process to meet the design challenge specifications.

The Drone Exploration Academy served eighty-three (83) high school students, with 59.04% Male and 40.96% Female participants. The participants received approximately forty (40) hours of hands-on STEM learning. Approximately, 60% of student participants were African-Americans. Project evaluation data was gathered through Student Feedback Surveys, Dimensions of Success (DoS) Observation tool, and pre/post topic self-efficacy questionnaire. The integration of drone curriculum, engineering design principles, student demographics, and evaluation instruments and results will be discussed in the paper.

Citation
Format

Rawat, K. S., & Asthana, C. B. (2020, June), Students in Engineering Design Process and Applied Research Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--35246

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - The goal of Elizabeth City State University’s (ECSU’s) Drone Exploration Academy program is to capitalize on the increasing popularity of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as Drones, to spark student interest and provide an experiential learning opportunity (ELO) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Drones, which have become a popular recreational tool among youth, are ideal platforms with enormous scientific value for engaging students in hands-on, inquiry-based learning to develop science and math skills, thereby focusing on the importance of these skills to succeed in college. The Drone Exploration Academy program is funded through NASA and a private foundation in the state of North Carolina (NC).

The key objectives of the Drone Exploration Academy project at ECSU were as follows: (i) engage students, especially from underrepresented groups, in experiential learning opportunities and field-based scientific investigation, in a mentoring relationship with professionals working in the STEM fields; (ii) educate students utilizing a STEM curriculum that meets national and standards for science and mathematics for the state; (iii) promote awareness of engineering-related careers and opportunities among K-12 educators, students, and parents; and (iv) integrate computer technologies and simulation tools to develop 21st century skills and increase student interest in STEM disciplines. 

Research in project-based learning has demonstrated that projects can increase student interest in STEM because they involve students in problem-solving, working in teams, and connect real-world applications to classroom learning. The project activities supported student development through activity components that were fully integrated to form a comprehensive learning system. The key components of the project are (i) Authentic STEM Experience (ASE), (ii) Drone Field Experience (DFE), and (iii) Engineering Design Challenge (EDC). 

The Drone Exploration Academy curriculum included at its core the UAV design, programming, sensor/payload, and piloting to conduct a field-based scientific investigation. The learning activities were carefully designed to meet the Next Generation Science Standards and the NC Standard Course of Study for Science and Mathematics. Guest speakers and field trips complemented in-class learning. The project activities also featured the EDC, that engaged student teams in designing, building, and programming a quadcopter UAV, culminating in a competition that was held on ECSU campus. The EDC component required student teams to design and build a quadcopter aerial vehicle that could be used for applications such as crop monitoring, environmental assessment, or infrastructure inspection. Students used computer-aided design (CAD) software, electronic boards, programming, simulation tools, and followed the engineering design process to meet the design challenge specifications.

The Drone Exploration Academy served eighty-three (83) high school students, with 59.04% Male and 40.96% Female participants. The participants received approximately forty (40) hours of hands-on STEM learning. Approximately, 60% of student participants were African-Americans. Project evaluation data was gathered through Student Feedback Surveys, Dimensions of Success (DoS) Observation tool, and pre/post topic self-efficacy questionnaire. The integration of drone curriculum, engineering design principles, student demographics, and evaluation instruments and results will be discussed in the paper.

AU  - Kuldeep S Rawat
AU  - Chandra Bhushan Asthana P.E.
CY  - Virtual On line 
DA  - 2020/06/22
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Students in Engineering Design Process and Applied Research
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/35246
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--35246
ER  -