Work in Progress: Accessible Engineering Education for Workforce 4.0
- Conference
- Location
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Minneapolis, MN
- Publication Date
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August 23, 2022
- Start Date
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June 26, 2022
- End Date
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June 29, 2022
- Conference Session
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First-Year Programs Division Technical Session 13: Work-in-Progress Postcard Session #2
- Page Count
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18
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--41523
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/41523
- Download Count
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358
Paper Authors
Rui Li New York University
Dr. Li earned his master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Imperial College of London, 2009 and his Ph.D in Robotics from the University of Georgia, 2020. His current research interests are student motivation, inclusive learning and educational robotics.
Vikram Kapila New York University Tandon School of Engineering
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, 10 chapters in edited books, 1 book review, 67 journal articles, and 171 conference papers. He has mentored 6 research associates; 1 B.S., 45 M.S., and 10 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.
Victoria Bill New York University Tandon School of Engineering
Victoria Bill is the Managing Director of the MakerSpace Lab & Experiential Learning Center at NYU Tandon School of Engineering. She is also an adjunct professor in the first-year engineering and VIP programs, as well as a PhD student in Engineering Education at The Ohio State University. Her research interests include asset-based professional and technical skill development of engineers through extracurricular and co-curricular activities.
Jack Bringardner New York University Tandon School of Engineering
Jack Bringardner is the Assistant Dean for Academic and Curricular Affairs at NYU Tandon School of Engineering. He is an Industry Associate Professor and Director of the General Engineering Program. He teaches the first-year engineering course Introduction to Engineering and Design. He is also the Director of the Vertically Integrated Projects Program at NYU. His Vertically Integrated Projects course is on the future of engineering education. His primary focus is developing curriculum, mentoring students, and engineering education research, particularly for project-based curriculum, first-year engineering, and student success. He is active in the American Society for Engineering Education and is the NYU ASEE Campus Representative. He serves on the First-Year Programs Division Executive Board as well as the Webmaster for the ASEE First-Year Programs Division and the First-Year Engineering Experience Conference.
Ingrid Paredes New York University Tandon School of Engineering
Dr. Ingrid J. Paredes is a Visiting Industry Assistant Professor in the First-Year Engineering Program at NYU Tandon School of Engineering. She studied chemical engineering and received her B.S. and M.S. at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and her Ph.D. at NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Her interests include diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education and sustainability education for engineers.
Abstract
This Work in Progress paper will describe an AI-enabled robotic lab that aims to advance accessible engineering education in a first-year engineering course. The recent emergence of Industry 4.0 demands a new education paradigm, namely Education 4.0, with incorporation of topics such as automation, robotics, and Internet of Things. Several recent studies have projected that up to 375 million workers worldwide will experience changes in their occupational categories by 2030. Creating and implementing effective education and training programs for preparing the future workforce for Industry 4.0 remains a challenging task. Recent research has suggested that effective integration of contemporary technology can enhance teaching and learning. An AI-enabled robotic manipulator is proposed as a technology-integrated teaching and learning platform for testing a variety of educational research paradigms such as situated cognition, collaborative and inquiry-based learning.
Situated learning, as described by Lave and Wenger, is a theory that emphasizes the importance of socially situated practice for the process of learning new knowledge. According to situated learning theory, the content knowledge can be delivered effectively to students by creating a situational context for learning that has direct relevance and resemblance to real-life applications and that has meaning for students. This paper seeks to use the theory of situated learning to additionally render an inclusive learning environment that has the potential for promoting accessible engineering education. This paper will specifically address how robotics labs and projects can be used in first-year engineering education while helping students develop team-building skills. The outcome of the study can provide answers to the research question: How to create practical and accessible engineering education for the Industry 4.0 workforce?
This study aims to develop a robotics laboratory to promote experiential learning. A new lab with two different work scenarios is planned for the Fall 2022 semester. The first scenario entails creating a robotic solution that can assist physicians by delivering or holding objects in the operating room. The second scenario is to support construction workers by lifting and stacking objects. The lab performance metrics will be accuracy, precision, alignment, and time of task completion. A student survey will be sent out at the end of the semester includes 22 Likert-scale questions and two qualitative questions. The data will then be used to further assess the learning outcome and improve the instruction and learning design. The learning outcome will be cross-referenced with students’ racial, cultural, and gender backgrounds. Additional lab scenarios can be developed to increase educational accessibility. This paper has the potential to draw interest from K-12 and university educators as the proposed robotic platform is affordable, versatile, robust, and will allow students to visualize the impact of automation in our society. The outcome of this study will reveal how to effectively deliver intensive technological content at an early stage of college learning. This study will increase STEM career awareness amongst students by showing them the relevance of these disciplines in their everyday lives.
Li, R., & Kapila, V., & Bill, V., & Bringardner, J., & Paredes, I. (2022, August), Work in Progress: Accessible Engineering Education for Workforce 4.0 Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--41523
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