ROXIE: real outreach experiences in engineering first-year engineering students designing for community partners

• Autores: Richard M. Goff, Christopher Williams, Janis P. Terpenny, Karen Gilbert, Tamara Knott, Jenny Lo
• Localización: The International journal of engineering education, ISSN-e 0949-149X, Vol. 26, no. Extra 2, 2010, págs. 349-358
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This paper reports on the major undertaking of providing real problems with actual community partners as the basis of design projectsfor approximately 900 first-year engineering students. The initiative was dubbed the ROXIE project, ‘RealOutreach eXperiencesInEngineering’. The goal was to have engineering students work on real projects with actual clients rather than contrived less meaningfulprojects. Sustainability is a key element in three primary aspects of the ROXIE project. First, numerous projects for the communitywere directed at finding sustainable solutions to problems around their operation or economic viability. The second sustainability aspectfor the ROXIE project involves identifying hands-on activities and associated materials for the once per week workshop sessionsassociated with the large lecture course. The third aspect of sustainability for the ROXIE project addresses issues of how to sustain andmaintain the partnerships and instructional infrastructure of such a large undertaking for the long-term. This paper provides themotivation and greater detail of the background of ROXIE and then expands upon the three aspects of sustaining sustainable designhighlighted above. Early results of integrating an area of social significance into design education have been very positive. Reflectionsfrom students, community partners and the instructional team are shared. Summary and future plans are also included.