EPICS Carla Zoltowski Education Administrator Natalie Kubat National Coordinator June 16, 2007

Introduction and Overview: Outline Motivation Context: engineering design, service learning Projects in four areas Human services Access and abilities Education and outreach The environment EPICS in the curriculum EPICS Programs Impact/Meeting needs

Calls to Action National Academy of Engineering Studies: The Engineer of 2020: Visions of Engineering in the New Century Educating the Engineer of 2020: Adapting Engineering Education to the New Century Rising Above the Gathering Storm How People Learn

Motivation Pace of technological innovations will continue to be rapid. World in which technology will be deployed will be intensely globally interconnected. Population of individuals who are involved in or affected by technology will be increasing diverse and multidisciplinary. Social, cultural, political, and economic forces will continue to shape and affect the success of technology innovation. Presence of technology in our everyday lives will be seamless, transparent, and more significant than ever.

Service-Learning! The EPICS Partnership Purdue University Greater Lafayette Community

EPICS Projects Access & Abilities Human Services Environment Education & Outreach

EPICS Projects: Social Services Design chemical sensing equipment to help and protect local law enforcement in their work to inhibit drug making laboratories. Develop database system to assist the Tippecanoe and Jasper County Probation Departments to track and supervise offenders. Develop scheduling software to assist local crisis center to schedule volunteers 24/7. Complete analysis of sustainability and energy efficiency techniques for HFH homes.

EPICS Projects: Environment Constructed Wetland: Developed an 80 x 800 ft 2 wetland to remove agricultural chemicals from stream water Designed and created new weir boxes for Purdues constructed water-treatment wetland to improve its function. Monitor and improve local water quality. Work with home owners organization to improve aesthetics and prevent erosion by planting native vegetation in retention pond.

EPICS Projects: Access & Abilities Interactive play environments for young children with disabilities: cause & effect, multi- sensory stimulation Chin-activated switch Walking swing Remote controlled bowling ramp Develop devices to increase safety and efficiency of employees with disabilities Develop assistive technology/devices for PU students

EPICS Projects: Education K-12 outreach projects Lego scanning probe microscope Pharmaceutical Partnerships with local K-12 schools Technology-assisted job training Projects with local museums: Columbian Park Zoo Hands-on exhibits for Imagination Station

Context: Learning Pedagogies Experiential education Active learning, problem-based learning, inquiry-guided learning Design education Service learning Engagement in the community Tied to academic learning outcomes Reciprocity Reflection

Why Community Projects? Real projects: start-to-finish design – problem definition, specifications, version control, sustainability, design/coding standards, rigorous testing, reliability, maintainability, safety, satisfying a customer, accountability, pride A different view of engineering and computing The university as citizen

EPICS Characteristics Long term projects: Long-term partnerships with community organizations Vertically-integrated teams: freshmen - seniors Extended design experience Large-team experience: teams of 8-18 students Broadly multidisciplinary teams: 20 disciplines at Purdue Open-ended design: define-design-build-test-deploy-support EPICS teams can tackle projects of significant size, scope, and impact

Time Scales: Traditional Courses Student Learning Academic Calendar Project Student learning and project development are tied to academic calendar Semester/Quarter

EPICS Decouples Time Scales Student Learning Semester/Quarter Project Semester/Quarter

EPICS Decouples Timescales Student Learning Semester/Quarter Project Semester/Quarter Student Learning Project Community Receives Long-Term Support They Need

Design Process Traditional Course Learning Design Design is messy Involving people The Design Process as a full cycle Phase are often skipped in traditional courses EPICS provides an opportunity for start-to-finish design Problem definition Design for x-ability Working designs for fielded projects Support for fielded projects Redesign for second generation systems

Student-led, Faculty-advised Team Leader Project Leader Advisor Team members TA

Meetings Students Needs Communication Skills Multidisciplinary teamwork Project/coursework integration Entrepreneurship Planning Leadership Professionalism Mentoring Community Involvement A genuine define-design-build- test-deploy-support experience

Integrating the Curriculum problem solving analysis engineering fundamentals science mathematics innovation design resourcefulness ethics teamwork communication C O N T E X T T I M E EPICS has the potential to realize new efficiencies in the engineering curriculum

The EPICS Consortium EPICS programs at 18 universities Purdue, Notre Dame, Wisconsin-Madison, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Butler, Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Columbia, WPI, San Jose State, California-San Diego, California-Merced, Illinois Institute of Technology, Dayton, Dartmouth, Auckland, New Zealand, Virginia, Princeton

Core Values Academic credit for Long-term, team-based design projects Solving technology-based problems in the community Multi-year partnerships with not-for-profit community organizations to fulfill mutual needs: Significant design experiences for students Providing community organizations with access to technology- based solutions Community partners who assist the student teams Understand community needs Provide a meaningful context for design Work with the teams through definition, development, and deployment With no remuneration to the EPICS program

The EPICS High School Program EPICS programs at 18 High Schools in Five State One established in Bedford, Indiana 17 starting in 2007 with funding from Learn & Serve America

EPICS Programs EPICS Curriculum Provides Service- Learning Design Education Project Management Community Partnerships Disciplinary Knowledge from Departments EPICS Programs Projects and Problems from Local Community Institutional Curriculum and Culture

Partnerships CommunitiesUniversities High Schools Corporations/Societies

15 semesters of data, 2385 responses Impact of EPICS on your Topic % of students giving A or B rating Impact: Meeting Students Needs 84%OVERALL EVALUATION 68%awareness of ethical issues 71%technical skills 73%awareness of the community 77%organizational skills 79%resourcefulness 80%understanding of design process 81%awareness of the customer 83%communication skills 88%ability to work on a team %A+BTopic

Impact: Meeting Students Needs Objectives# responses Teamwork1751 Communication Skills1008 Organizational Skills793 Technical Skills754 Leadership Skills534 What are the 3 most valuable things you have learned from being a part of the EPICS program: Responses from 9 semesters, 2044 respondents

Impact: Student Evaluations Quotes: Other engineering courses only directly benefit me. EPICS benefits everyone involved. Working on this project has helped me guide the rest of my course work and ideas for a future profession. It made me understand how every aspect of engineering (design, implementation, team work, documentation) come together. No longer is engineering just a bunch of equations, now I see it as a means to help mankind. Opened my heart.

Impact: Student Evaluations Quotes, continued: My experience in the EPICS program was one of the best that I had while I was at Purdue and was really responsible for making me interested in electrical engineering again. Now that I have some experience under my belt, I have decided to go back to school for a graduate degree: Hopefully at Purdue. If someone would have told my during my Sophomore year that I'd be applying for graduate school in electrical engineering, I'd never have believed them.

EPICS and Women Research on science education suggests that context is important to women students. Image is increasingly being cited as a deterrent to attracting women. NAE Engineering Message report: Because dreams need doing… 20% of ECE & ME EPICS students are women, compared to 11% of ECE & ME students overall 33% of CS EPICS students vs. 11.5% in CS overall

Both local and global communities need access to technical expertise that is normally prohibitively expensive: improved, enhanced, new capabilities Engineering will be central to addressing global grand challenges Universities will be engaged in their communities and in the world EPICS: Meeting Mutual Needs Students need more than theoretical knowledge to succeed: teamwork, communication, customer-awareness, project management, leadership, ethics, professionalism