Enhancing the Undergraduate

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Enhancing the Undergraduate Educational
Experience
Fred J. Looft WPI ECE Department

• Off Campus Projects

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• Background InformationRequired Projects at WPI
• Project that links technology to society
• 3rd year
• Project that is representative of professional
  technical work experience
• 4th year
• 3 Course Equivalent
• Team Based, Faculty Advisor

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• For the 3rd Year Project WPI Has . . . ,
• Established Off Campus Project Centers (30
  years) (Copenhagen, Venice, Bangkok, Boston,
  DC, San Juan, London, . . . )
• Complete requirement in 1-term of intensive
  work.
• More than 50 of WPI students !
• Different from Study Abroad programs.
• not based at a college
• no classes - project focus
• Life changing experience.

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• What About Off-Campus 4th Year Projects?
• Traditionally More Ad Hoc
• Venice, Italy (4 students, contract work) - ECE
• Paris (CMe), Zurich (ECE, ME), others
• Limerick, Ireland (3-6 students/year) - ECE
• Copenhagen, Denmark (3-6 students) - ECE
• Why Not?
• need technical support (personal time
  commitment)
• need corporate commitment (, mentors,
  equipment)
• time to set up, run, advise (program management,
  travel)
• other (academic management, coordination)

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• So We Created an Off-Campus, 4th YearProject
  Enrichment Experience . . . . ,
• Multi-disciplinary, Inter-disciplinary
• Not geographically dispersed.
• Not at another college.
• 1-Term on-site work to satisfy 4th year project
  requirement

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• WPI / GSFC Projects Program
• 10 weeks of on-site project work
• ME, CM, ECE, CS, PH, MA and now HU opportunities
• Schedule
• Nov-Dec solicit projects, students apply
• Dec-Jan select projects, select students
• Jan-Feb assign students to teams, housing
• March-Apr Preparation Course, one day trip
• Aug-Oct on-site
• About 1300 transportation / living expenses /
  student

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1997 8 weeks Washington DC 12
Students 1998 10 weeks Washington DC 11
Students 1999 10 weeks College Park 29
Students 2000 10 weeks College Park 23
Students 2001 10 weeks College Park 27
Students 2002 9 weeks College Park 25
Students
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Develop a newMAMA SensorInterface SystemUsing
LABVIEW
ECE
10
Diffraction Grating Evaluation FacilityCollar
Design Team
ME
11
Teamwork
Communications Skills
Harpers Ferry, VA
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• Issues . . . . ,
• Extremely intensive, very hard / long hours
  (247 is more like 206.5)
• 9-10 Weeks is too short (always want / need to
  do more) not a coop!
• Hard to replicate in industry (GSFC campus
  like research/dev. center)
• Need a Segway to get around
• Lack of on-site student services Risk
  Management / Training
• Expensive, US citizens, car required, only
  good students should apply
• Takes time to organize and manage, Faculty
  Intensive (time and )

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• Pros (generic). . . . ,
• Confidence Building, Career/Life Changing
• Exceeds All Expectations (program, mentors,
  advisors)
• Interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, breadth of
  topics
• Facilities and equipment, extraordinary
  environment
• Program viability, access (advisors and
  students)

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• Key Note Comments (Thank you Dr. Birck!) - Skills
  
• Making a case for off campus, focused, short term
  project program.
• Ability to collect, analyze and use Information
  (ill defined problems, unknown solutions
  where is the technical library?)
• Project Team Work Experience (immediate team,
  group, others?)
• Ability to work Independently (learn
  responsibility)
• Know what matters, Judgment (serious time
  constraint, work smart!)

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• Key Note Comments cont
• Strong grounding in Fundamentals (breath of
  knowledge is valued!)
• Be Adaptable, not a zealot (think outside the
  box, creativity is valued!)
• Learn-ability, ability to absorb new concepts,
  fast learners valued! (solutions are usually
  not known, even the problem is often not known)
• Time Management (every day counts must be goal
  oriented)

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• Key Note Comments cont
• Communications oral and written (daily/weekly
  progress meetings, detailed reports/summaries,
  final oral presentation)
• Self Discipline, character counts (lots of
  characters! have to quickly break down
  student attitude and barriers)
• High Standards - good enough is never good
  enough! (real projects, real results, real
  need, part of a team)

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• So Whats in it for Goddard?
• 10 Week Interview
• Technical Innovation The Dumb Question
  Syndrome
• Short Term Commitment (not a coop or internship)
• Higher Level of Expectations and Performance
• Preparation Course
• Teamwork by Design
• Focused Project Assignment Fast Solution
  Well Bounded

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• So Whats in it for WPI?
• 1-Term Professional Project Program
• Total Immersion in a Professional Environment
• High Level of Expectations and Performance
• Emphasis on Teamwork by Design
• Well Bounded Real World Problem (ill defined,
  unknown solution)
• Skill Value Emphasis by Experience
• and . . . . . . . . . ,

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http//www.ece.wpi.edu/fjlooft/gsfc Thanks John
Orr, WPI