Technology Leaders Education Program for Undergraduate Engineering Students

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Technology Leaders Education Program for
Undergraduate Engineering Students
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The Motivation
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The Motivation
International Competition
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The Motivation
International Competition
The World is Flat
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The Motivation
International Competition
The World is Flat
US Infrastructure Systems
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The Motivation
International Competition
The World is Flat
Impact Cost of Every US Product and Service
US Infrastructure Systems
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The Motivation
International Competition
The World is Flat
Impact Cost of Every US Product and Service
US Infrastructure Systems
Agile Systems for Competitive Advantage
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The Motivation
International Competition
The World is Flat
Impact Cost of Every US Product and Service
US Infrastructure Systems
Agile Systems for Competitive Advantage
First to Market Cost Reduction
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The Motivation
International Competition
The World is Flat
Impact Cost of Every US Product and Service
US Infrastructure Systems
Agile Systems for Competitive Advantage
First to Market Cost Reduction
Systems Integration for Agility
Agile Technology Components
Systems Analysis for Value Identification
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The Motivation
International Competition
The World is Flat
Impact Cost of Every US Product and Service
US Infrastructure Systems
Agile Systems for Competitive Advantage
First to Market Cost Reduction
Systems Integration for Agility
Agile Technology Components
Systems Analysis for Gaining Advantage
We Need the Leaders
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The Motivation
International Competition
The World is Flat
Impact Cost of Every US Product and Service
US Infrastructure Systems
Agile Systems for Competitive Advantage
First to Market Cost Reduction
Agile Technology Components
Systems Analysis for Assessing Value
Systems Integration for Agility
We Need the Leaders
Technology Leaders Engineering Education Program
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The Gaps That Need to be Filled

• Historically the cost of large systems
  laboratories has been prohibitive, leading to
  limited ability to teach systems technology
  integration
• In turn, systems engineering has been treated as
  a systems analysis discipline, and has not
  focused on technology exploitation in systems
• As a result, engineering schools naturally
  separate systems engineering as an analysis
  discipline from component technology related
  education and vice versa

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The Gaps That Need to be Filled

• Historically the cost of large systems
  laboratories has been prohibitive leading to
  limited ability to teach systems technology
  integration
• In turn, systems engineering has been treated as
  a systems analysis discipline, and has not
  focused on technology exploitation in systems
• As a result, engineering schools naturally
  separate systems engineering as an analysis
  discipline from component technology related
  education and vice versa

Neither ECE nor SIE undergraduate engineers are
prepared to deal with the real need All Three!!
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Modern Technology has Created a New Opportunity
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Modern Technology has Created a New Opportunity
Low Cost Wireless Technology
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Relevant Intel Products and Research Platforms

• Intel Motes (imotes)
• ARM and XScale based advanced Sensor Network
  nodes
• Intel Gateway Stargate
• XScale based gateway for Sensor Networks

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Modern Technology has Created a New Opportunity
Low Cost Wireless Technology
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Modern Technology has Created a New Opportunity
Low Cost Wireless Technology
Agile Electronic Components

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Imote features
Multicolor status LED
ARM core SRAM FLASH BT radio
2.4 GHz antenna
Stackable connectors (top and bottom)
Optional voltage regulator (bottom)
Optional external antenna connector
Other names and brands may be claimed as the
property of others
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Modern Technology has Created a New Opportunity
Low Cost Wireless Technology
Agile Electronic Components

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Modern Technology has Created a New Opportunity
Open Communications Networks
Low Cost Wireless Technology

Agile Electronic Components

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Deployed CHEETAH Network
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Image Service Physical Configuration
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Modern Technology has Created a New Opportunity
Open Communications Networks
Low Cost Wireless Technology

Agile Electronic Components

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Modern Technology has Created a New Opportunity
Open Communications Networks
Low Cost Wireless Technology

Agile Electronic Components

Agile Systems Technology Laboratory Affordable
and Supportable Flexible Basis for Teaching the
Combination of Needed Skills
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Important and Interesting System Applications to
Motivate Students

• Health Care Body networks for monitoring health
  and for drug delivery
• Transportation Automated highway
• Environmental Monitoring - Using wireless sensor
  networks
• National Security Distribution of military
  information to mobile users

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Taking Advantage of the Opportunity

• Develop Technology Leaders Program for interested
  students First at UVa, later at other
  engineering schools
• Start by integrating the program across two
  Departments
• Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Systems and Information Engineering
• Develop needed new curriculum and laboratory
  courses that combine component technology,
  technology integration, and systems analysis
• Create the team of faculty who can and wants to
  make this happen

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Our Team

• Barry Horowitz (Professor of Systems Engineering)
  - Project Leader
• John Lach (Associate Professor of Electrical
  Engineering) Associate Project Leader
• Joanne Dugan (Professor of Electrical and
  Computer Engineering) - Curriculum Design
• Reid Bailey (Asst Professor of Systems
  Engineering) Curriculum Design, Teaching
  Methodology, Evaluation
• Marie Shoffner (Associate Professor of Education
  - Curry School) STEM Participation/Learning/
  Program Evaluation
• Gerry Learmonth( Associate Research Professor
  Laboratory Development/Modernization/
  Configuration Control)

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Our Programmatic Ideas
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Our Programatic Ideas (1)

• Partner with Community College to design and
  develop lab structure that works Build on
  broader UVa Initiative
• Develop a relationship that allows the Community
  College to have selected students participate in
  the program students who are prepared to
  transition from 2 year to 4 year program at UVa
  after their graduation
• Use WICAT I/U CRC to provide students with
  special opportunities
• Summer jobs with WICAT industry partners
• Summer and academic year research collaboration
• with WICAT graduate students
• Accelerated MS program to start research as
  fourth year undergraduate with WICAT thesis
  advisors
• Participate in fourth year Capstone Projects
  advised by WICAT faculty and using WICAT
  laboratory infrastructure

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Our Programatic Ideas(2)

• Use NSF REU grants to support students interested
  in summer research activities
• Transition program to other engineering schools
  WICAT partners are an obvious opportunity
• Auburn, Columbia, Polytechnic Institute, Virginia
  Tech (proposal to join in progress)
• Develop a summer initiation program for faculty
  from engineering schools with students from
  underrepresented engineering populations
• Sweet Briar
• Hampton
• Virginia State
• Norfolk State
• Etc

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Our Ideas About Learning Objectives and Curriculum
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Learning Objectives

• Graduates from this program will be able to
• design and build systems and components that can
  adapt to change
• apply their design skills from both a systems,
  top-level perspective and a detailed,
  component-level perspective
• apply fundamental concepts from both electrical
  and computer engineering and systems engineering
• lead teams in the designing such systems

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Technology LeadersCurriculum Overview
Core Objectives Applied in Real World Large
Project, Real Client
Students are Motivated, Engaged Simple
Applications
Students can Explain Apply Fundamentals
Core Objectives Applied in Lab Short Real World
Cases
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Getting Students Excited About the Curriculum

• Before arriving at UVA
• At orientation stimulate interest in ENGR 162TL
  and STS 101TL, the Technology Leaders cohort
  sections of the first-year design course
• Bridge program existing program to assist
  minority students with transition (summer before
  matriculation)
• During first year at UVA
• ENGR 162TL Technology Leader section of
  Introduction to Engineering
• STS 101 Engineering, Technology, and Society
  link with ENGR 162TL to explore context
• ECE 200 Science of Information
• University Seminar

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Curriculum Years 1 and 2
Students are Motivated, Engaged Simple
Applications
Students can Explain Apply Fundamentals

• SYS 201 Systems Engineering Concepts
• ECE 203 Circuit Analysis

First Year
Second Year
ENGR 162TL (1 section) STS 101TL
SYS 201 ECE 203
Fall
Spring
ECE 200 University Seminar
SYS 202TL ECE 230

• SYS 202TL Data and Information Engineering
• ECE 230 Digital Logic Design

Courses not required for program
2 added courses beyond major requirements for
students
3 faculty (ENGR 162TL) (STS 101TL) (University
Seminar)
1 faculty (SYS 202TL)
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Curriculum Years 3 and 4

• Lab Courses
• Hands-on
• Short projects taken directly from real world
  (e.g., WiCAT companies, prior capstone projects,
  etc.)
• Open-ended projects
• Course A Multi-scale systems
• Course B Adaptability to change
• Capstone
• Tie into Systems capstone structure

Core Objectives Applied in Lab Short Real World
Cases
Third Year
New lab course A
Fall
Spring
New lab course B
2 added courses beyond major requirements for
students
Nothing added capstone choice is focused on
select projects
2 faculty
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Curriculum Interfaces
2 yr college students enter
Core Objectives Applied in Real World Large
Project, Real Client
Students are Motivated, Engaged Simple
Applications
Students can Explain Apply Fundamentals
Core Objectives Applied in Lab Short Real World
Cases
First Year
Second Year
Third Year
Fourth Year
ENGR 162TL (1 section) STS 101TL
SYS 201 ECE 203
New lab course A
Capstone
ECE 200 University Seminar
SYS 202 ECE 230
New lab course B
After graduation
Before Arrival
Summers
Job in engineering field, graduate degree in
engineering
Orientation Bridges program
REU, Internship with WiCAT company
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Curriculum Use of Lab
Core Objectives Applied in Real World Large
Project, Real Client
Students are Motivated, Engaged Simple
Applications
Students can Explain Apply Fundamentals
Core Objectives Applied in Lab Short Real World
Cases
First Year
Second Year
Third Year
Fourth Year
ENGR 162TL (1 section) STS 101TL
SYS 201 ECE 203
New lab course A
Capstone
ECE 200 University Seminar
SYS 202 ECE 230
New lab course B
Use of WiCAT Learning Lab
Use lab to complete projects
small, simplified projects
Integrate lab use into existing classes
Core lab experience
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Curricular Nuggets

• Design throughout the curriculum
• Vertical team integration
• Technology Leaders Community of practice
• 3rd year students can be hired by 4th year
  capstone teams for specific aspects of their
  capstone project
• 3rd year students design mini-projects for ENGR
  162TL section
• 4th year students at least one capstone teams
  project is to redesign the lab
• Multidisciplinary capstone ECE and SYS students
  on same team

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Direct Faculty Requirements (to develop/teach
the courses)

• Summer month to prep (3 total months)
• First Year Courses
• ENGR 162 TL
• STS 101TL
• Second Year Courses
• SYS 202TL
• Faculty to prepare and teach (2 faculty)
• Third Year Courses
• Lab Course A
• Lab Course B

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Technology Leader Assistants

• Three graduate students
• Assist with initial set up of lab
• Maintain lab
• Develop lab activities for courses
• Activities for the third year core lab courses
• Activities for integration into existing courses

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Curriculum Summary

• Program Requirements
• Courses required for student to complete program
  8
• Additional courses beyond existing major
  requirements for students 4
• These numbers do not include Technology Leaders
  Community of Practice as a course
• Courses
• Completely new courses created 2
• Two lab courses
• New sections of existing courses 4
• ENGR 162TL, STS 101TL, University Seminar, SYS
  202TL
• Current courses modified to incorporate concepts
  4
• ECE 200, ECE 203, ECE 230, Capstone

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Our Ideas About Program Evaluation
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Program Evaluation

• Mixed Method Design
• Three Stage Process
• Formative and Summative
• Multiple Levels
• Multiple Participants

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Summative Evaluation

• Extent of project goal completion
• Project effectiveness after completion
• Most and least effect aspects of project
• Effectiveness with diverse students
• Effectiveness across diverse contexts
• Generalizability (Transportability) to other
  settings

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Formative Evaluation

• Project implementation
• Ongoing processes
• From recruitment to post-graduation

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Possible Questions
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Brief Example of Evaluation Based on Learning
Objective
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Strategy for Funds for Proceeding
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Three Outlooks

• What do we want to do?
• Local UVa initiative
• State initiative
• National initiative
• All three outlooks start in a similar manner, but
  quickly diverge
• Our team wants to start the Technology Leaders
  Program now, targeting a 2008 roll-out
• We want to address all three outlooks
• Natural desire to do more
• Starting steps are similar
• A broader objective allows us to seek external
  funding support, and we are confident about
  funding likelihoods
• If we fail to gain funding we can sequentially
  reduce the scope of our ambitions
• But, doing more costs more to get started

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Why Does Doing More Cost More?

• Need to organize to liaison with other schools
• Community Colleges
• WICAT Partners
• Schools with underrepresented populations
• Even high schools
• Need to prepare a whole bunch of proposals to
  gain external funding support - already underway,
  but lots of opportunities (and work) for getting
  more
• Need to prepare course materials and laboratories
  for reuse and develop a distribution system for
  others to use and to provide feedback plus add to
  the UVa materials
• While our faculty can do a lot with no special
  direct support, we will need
• Project Manager Non-tenure track faculty member
  dedicated to this effort
• Interface to external schools
• Interface with external funding sources
• Manage Student Community of Practice/Scholarship/R
  esearch/Summer jobs/Capstone
• Manage laboratory configuration control
  activities
• Manage integrated budget
• TLA Support Technology Leader Assistants
  (GRA/TA equivalents)
• Undergraduate Scholarship support
• Some faculty time for new course and laboratory
  development

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External Funding Efforts(1 of 2)

• NSF
• REU Site Program for 12 Scholarships (400K,
  3-year proposal submitted to Engineering
  Division, late spring award date) Learmonth
• NSF Program Mgr invited Unsolicited Proposal
  focused on Learning Methods and Evaluation ( Four
  year, 600K / 150K per year proposal, December
  target ) -Shoffner
• NSF REESE Program for Evaluation of STEM and
  Learning and Underrepresented Populations
  (January 8th submission) Shoffner, Bailey
  others
• NSF Program Mgr invited Phase 2 Education
  Initiative Proposal to develop TL program, lab
  structure, learning concepts, Community College /
  Underrepresented University relationship2 (Four
  year, 600K / 150K per year proposal, January
  10th submission) Bailey

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External Funding Efforts(2 of 2)

• State of Virginia - Learmonth
• Virginia CAER (Center for Advanced Engineering
  and Research currently a 100K / year WICAT
  member) Interested in providing 400K for
  hardware support to TL program if we make
  relationship with Community College (recommended
  CVCC)
• CVCC In discussion with VP for Workforce
  Development on collaboration and possible joint
  proposal to State to introduce secondary schools
  into the mix
• State Secondary Education Research Office
  Interested in helping and in the process of
  discussing possible support with UVa/CVSS/CAER
• This can all happen before the next academic year

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External Funding Efforts(2 of 2)

• State of Virginia - Learmonth
• Virginia CAER (Center for Advanced Engineering
  and Research currently a 100K / year WICAT
  member) Interested in providing 400K for
  hardware support to TL program if we make
  relationship with Community College (recommended
  CVCC)
• CVCC In discussion with VP for Workforce
  Development on collaboration and possible joint
  proposal to State to introduce secondary schools
  into the mix
• State Secondary Education Research Office
  Interested in helping and in the process of
  discussing possible support with UVa/CVSS/CAER
• This can all happen before the next academic year

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Internal Support Needs

• Our concept for internal funding support is to
  assume a four year commitment that launches and
  supports the initial four year student cadre,
  and, in parallel, find external sources that
  reduce internal support
• Wed like the Engineering School to commit to
  provide four years of financial support for
• full time Project Manager
• a set of TA/GRA funds (3 full TLAs per semester)
  
• 5 four year Undergraduate Scholarships per year
• recruiting materials and travel for recruiting
• laboratory class room(s) with Cheetah/Internet/802
  .11 access
• 25K per year for HW/SW costs
• Wed like the Curry School to support a graduate
  student and faculty time required to getting
  started on the Learning Methods/Evaluation part
  of the program
• We will want to get VEF help to solicit support
  from donors to make this a named program (e.g.,
  Aylor Technology Leaders Program). The funds
  would support scholarships and program
  development needs.