RET Site: Authentic Research Experiences for Teachers (ARETe): Connecting Community College Faculty and Students to University Engineering and Computer Science Labs

University Of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

This RET Site: Authentic Research Experiences for Teachers (ARETe): Connecting Community College Faculty and Students to University Engineering and Computer Science Labs enhances coordination between the University of Colorado Boulder (CU) and five, 2-year degree granting community colleges (2YCs) in the Denver-Boulder metropolitan area: Arapahoe Community College, Community College of Aurora, Community College of Denver, Front Range Community College, and Red Rocks Community College. The project creates and cultivates a network of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) 2YC faculty with specific expertise on cutting edge topics from first-hand research experience, along with a set of collaboratively-developed educational modules that integrate content with 2YC learning and curricula development goals. In each year of the project, ten 2YC faculty will collaborate with CU faculty to carry out laboratory research in engineering and computer science disciplines. Example research topics include: organic and hybrid photovoltaics for renewable electric energy generation; remote sensing for precision agriculture; soft robotic manipulators for tactile sensing and robotic perception; ultrafast laser pulse experiments for infrared sensing and chemical characterization; metal nanoparticle catalysis for reduced automotive emissions and renewable material synthesis from biomass; dynamic solar windows for energy-efficient building; coherent laser sources for biomedical imaging; and organic electrochemical transistors for bioelectronic sensing and drug delivery. The 2YC faculty will come away from the immersive experience with in-depth understanding of topics of national need and at the forefront of research on areas as diverse as renewable energy, materials science, biomedical research, robotics, and other areas. In addition to advancing research in a broad array of topics while developing 2YC faculty research knowledge and skills, the project will help 2YCs to integrate their research into STEM curriculum modules specifically targeting 2YC learning goals, but focusing on ARETe research topics. Collaborative module development will be primarily driven by participating 2YC faculty, based on their research experiences at CU. The project aims to establish and cultivate learning communities to facilitate transfer of knowledge to 2YC students, rapid progression of 2YC STEM curricula, and stronger connections between CU and Colorado 2YCs. CU faculty and graduate students will provide in-person and remote support of the implementation and assessment of new curricula, including co-instruction on 2YC campuses. Research teams will follow a structured backward design approach to curriculum module development, utilizing blended and active learning to convey important modern content. As a broad-ranging goal, the cultivation of these Colorado learning communities is expected to help lower the barrier for student transfer from Colorado 2YCs to CU Engineering, through both academic preparation and social/emotional benefits from mentoring by CU faculty and graduate students. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.