Exploring Engineering Through Project-based Experiential Learning

University Of Arkansas Little Rock, Little Rock AR

Investigators

Abstract

PROPOSAL NO.: 0230601 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Patangia, Hirak INSTITUTION NAME: University of Arkansas Little Rock TITLE: Exploring Engineering Through Project-based Experiential Learning NSF RECEIVED DATE: 06/04/2002 Abstract The proposal will establish a bridge connecting engineering education in the Donaghey College of Information Science and Systems Engineering (DCISSE) to the College of Education (COE) at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. A series of three thematic engineering courses has been proposed to bring engineering education to the pre-college educators, education majors, and high school students. The courses will be implemented using Project-Based Experiential Learning (PBEL) philosophy that is currently popular in Freshmen Design Experience Programs. The novelty of the proposed approach is that the courses will be designed to be intellectually substantive, taught on a just-in-time basis in context to a real-world problem, and the courses will also satisfy curricular requirements of engineering / engineering technology degree programs to insure that these do not function as service courses. The math prerequisites will be mid-level high school algebra, and the courses will be open to any student who wants to explore engineering. The enthusiasm for such an approach has been prompted by the success of a PBEL course that was initiated last fall in DCISSE, and cognitive scientists assertion that theoretical ideas are much easier to learn when the theoretical understanding is closely coupled to real-world experience. .