iNoVATE Expansion Project (iNoVATE-X)

Florida State College At Jacksonville, Jacksonville FL

Investigators

Abstract

Data centers are crucial in the modern, Internet-based economy, and information technology companies need employees who have the skills to run a highly efficient and modern data center -- expertise in identity management, systems management, virtualization, storage, and networking. At the same time, there is a pressing need in the state of Florida to expand access in rural areas to high-demand occupational training, educational best practices, and state-of-the-art educational infrastructure. This project will increase the accessibility of technical education for rural and underserved Florida residents, with a focus on the skills needed to operate a modern data center. One product will be the curriculum for a new Network Enterprise Administration technical certificate. After students have completed this program of study, they will be eligible for a number of high-skill, high-wage, high-growth jobs, including Computer Network Architect, Computer Network Support Specialist, Computer Programmer, Computer Systems Analyst, Computer User Support Specialist, and Network and Computer Systems Administrator. Partners in this project include Florida State College at Jacksonville, Daytona State College, Eastern Florida State College, Seminole State College, Tallahassee Community College, and the National Convergence Technology Center (an Advanced Technological Education [ATE] national center). Fourteen business and industry partners will work with the educational institutions to develop the curriculum, train faculty, and provide opportunities for students. This project builds on a prior NSF ATE grant (Award DUE-1104234, "iNoVATE: A Network Virtualization Project"), which resulted in the creation of a Network Virtualization technical certificate, over 100 community college faculty completing professional development in network virtualization, and over 100 students enrolled in newly developed network virtualization courses. The new project will create online curricula for five courses that align with the Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) server infrastructure certification, along with two additional courses, "Virtual Internship" and "Virtual Capstone." Major project activities include (1) designing, implementing, and disseminating the curriculum for the new Network Enterprise Administration technical certificate; (2) expanding Network Enterprise Administration labs, where students can remotely access equipment to practice server administration skills; (3) developing and offering workshops and other teaching resources for faculty; and (4) disseminating information about the Network Enterprise Administration program to rural and underserved areas. As online education becomes more common, it is imperative that distance learning students gain remote access to authentic, hands-on learning opportunities. Therefore, the project will build on prior research to explore the impact of remote access to virtual lab activities and other authentic, work-based learning, including student internships and capstone course requirements. The project team will measure and track student knowledge construction and the development of discipline-specific problem-solving skills for statistical comparison and longitudinal analysis, improving project strategies and building a strong foundation for future research.