EXPANDING THE PIPELINE AND ENHANCING EDUCATION OF STUDENTS PURSUING CAREERS IN SPACE.
Abstract
The overall goal of this project is to increase the number of students and enhance the education of students pursuing careers in space. The objective is to create an integrated set of educational resources, implement them strategically in undergraduate classrooms, K-12 classrooms, outreach events, and workshops, and assess their efficacy in achieving our goal. The public benefit of the project is expanded opportunities, materials, and resources for enhancing K-12, undergraduate, teacher/professor, and general public knowledge and understanding of DoD science and engineering, specifically as it relates to space, and broader publicity, dissemination, and awareness of DoD internships, fellowships, and STEM careers. These benefits are assured to be distributed and implemented broadly because we leverage our existing network of relationships with institutions in our State, Region, and across the Country. We create three main types of educational resources: (1) a web-based self-study platform of massive open online courses (MOOCs) by space experts; (2) hands-on activities and kits incorporating environmental testing, AI, and rocket propulsion; and (3) an undergraduate student design challenge focused on vertically landing a model rocket. We then implement these materials, activities, and tools strategically across the country by leveraging our state-wide, regional, and national partners (academic, non-profit, government) who are already engaged in undergraduate and K-12 STEM education, teacher training, and K-12 and general public outreach. Perhaps most importantly, we incorporate assessment throughout the project. We work closely with the University of Illinois I-STEM Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (I-STEM/CITL) to incorporate education best practices and integrate assessment tools and metrics. We thereby assess and quantify the efficacy of our program and achievement of our goal. The technical rationale for this approach is rooted in research related to enhancing student learning and attracting students to STEM careers. The types of educational resources we plan to develop have been shown to greatly enhance student foundational knowledge, hands-on capabilities, and overall engineering design aptitude. Our project idea is to create an integrated set of educational resources focused on space, specifically: (1) MOOCs containing videos and handbooks created by space experts; (2) hands-on kits with space-relevant sensors, avionics, and robotics; and (3) an undergraduate student design challenge to vertically landing a model rocket. We then implement these space education resources strategically in undergraduate classrooms, K-12 classrooms, outreach events, teacher training events, and workshops. The organization and integration of educational resources we develop is organic and inherent to our project. Resource type 1 is a set of four MOOCs focused on foundational information domains relevant to space. These are linked with resource type 2 that is four packages of hands-on kits focused on core technologies relevant to space. Resource type 3 is a student design challenge focused on designing, building, demonstrating, and competing against rival teams to vertically land a model rocket. The student design challenge has three tier levels of competition (basic, intermediate, advanced) and leverages the foundational information students acquire using resource type 1, as well as the hands-on skills and capabilities students develop using resource type 2.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 09, 2021
- Source ID
- HQ00342010040
Entities
People
- Joshua L. Rovey
Organizations
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign
- Washington Headquarters Services