Introduction of mechatronics in pre-college programs and freshmandesign course in an active and cooperative learning framework

摘要

The burgeoning field of "Mechatronics" has been evolving over thelast few decades as a new field of pedagogy within the engineeringcurricula. "Mechatronics" synergistically combines engineeringmechanics, electronics, and computer technology. The development may beattributed to the growing number of applications and product developmentat the interfaces of traditional disciplinary boundaries within thebroad area of engineering education. Accreditation Board of Engineeringand Technology (ABET) is facilitating such efforts by encouragingengineering programs to promote design activity in multidisciplinaryteams among engineering students. In this paper student activitiesrelated to Summer Engineering Bridge Program (SEBP) and "Introduction toEngineering Design", a required course for all freshman engineeringmajors at University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) are discussed.SEBP is a NASA sponsored pre-college program for high school students intransition to college. The program is designed for prospectiveengineering majors and is designed to bridge the gap between high schooleducation and expected standards for freshman engineering majors. Boththe SEBP and the Introduction to Engineering Design course requiresstudents to participate in a "mechatronic" design project whilecooperating with one another in teams of four or five members