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Session 1692

The Mechatronics Road Show: Building on Success in Mechatronics Curriculum Development

Sandra A. Yost, Daniel D. Maggio Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering/ College of Engineering and Science University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, Michigan

Abstract: This paper describes a progression of successful pre-college programs that have grown from a comprehensive mechatronics curriculum development project sponsored by the National Science Foundation’s Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) Program1. The students served by these programs are predominantly female and from underrepresented minority groups. The focused hands-on modules in these programs have introduced many students to a number of activities, including wiring electronic circuits, programming microcontrollers, and fabrication of parts using a rapid prototyping system.

The most recently implemented program allows mechatronics design activities to take place in the secondary school setting, allowing a larger number of students to participate than programs that require students to come to the university campus. In this paper, we describe how this program evolved from a number of other successful pre-college programs in mechatronics, made possible in part by the NSF grant. In particular, this program is modeled on a highly successful residential summer camp for high school girls.

Mechatronics Curriculum Development In 1999, the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) was awarded an NSF-CCLI grant for comprehensive curriculum development in mechatronics1,2. The project included the development of a new upper-division undergraduate course that incorporates team-oriented, project-based learning3. The incorporation of mechatronics in some existing courses was also a goal of the project4,5. Finally, the development of a pre-college outreach component was intended to address future engineering workforce considerations6. The project specifically targeted women and underrepresented minorities, especially in regards to the pre-college component. A follow-up CCLI grant awarded in 2003 supports the development of hands-on modules in sensors and actuators for the pre-college populations served by the previous project 7.

Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program The Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP) is a non-profit, Detroit-based organization whose mission is to increase the number of under-represented minority students prepared to enter the fields of engineering and science. One way DAPCEP accomplishes its mission is by funding Saturday classes at local institutions. The University of Detroit Mercy’s Saturday programs are offered on six consecutive weekends in the fall and spring. Approximately 2,000 students (mostly from the City of Detroit) in the 4th through 12th grades Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition Copyright © 2004, American Society for Engineering Education

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Maggio, D., & Yost, S. (2004, June), The Mechatronics Road Show: Building On Success In Mechatronics Curriculum Development Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--12871