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1. FORE: A Student-Centered Framework for Accessible Robotics Education through Simulation and Interactive Learning

   Jamali, H; Debolt, A; Dalton, H; Layosa, J; Macy, I; Shill, P; Feil-Seifer, D; Harris, F; Dascalu, S; Wu, R (June 2025, 2025 ASEE Conference)

   Robotics education is often constrained by the high cost and limited accessibility of physical robots, which can hinder the learning experience for many students. To address this challenge, the Fundamentals of Robotics Education (FORE) project, part of a larger NSF-funded collaborative work, was developed to create an accessible and comprehensive online learning platform. FORE provides a student-centered approach to robotics education, featuring a robust code editor, real-time simulation, and interactive lessons. This paper presents the architecture and implementation of the FORE platform, highlighting its key components, including the backend simulation using Gazebo and ROS2, a frontend visualizer built with Three.js, and the integration of a Python-based coding environment. We discuss the development process, the contributions of the student team, and the challenges encountered during the project. The results demonstrate the platform’s effectiveness in making robotics education more easily available. These findings originate from software testing and utilization by senior computer science students, as well as feedback from participants at the University of Nevada, Reno College of Engineering’s annual Capstone Course Innovation Day. The platform allows students to gain hands-on experience without the need for physical hardware. Its adaptability enables it to serve a broad audience of undergraduate students, offering an encompassing and accessible solution for modern robotics education. 

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2. Cultivating Ethical Engineers in the Age of AI and Robotics: An Educational Cultures Perspective

   Rea, Stephen; Zhu, Qin; Nieusma, Dean; Shiekh, Kylee; Williams, Tom (January 2021, IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society)

   This paper considers the cultivation of ethical identities among future engineers and computer scientists, particularly those whose professional practice will extensively intersect with emerging technologies enabled by artificial intelligence (AI). Many current engineering and computer science students will go on to participate in the development and refinement of AI, machine learning, robotics, and related technologies, thereby helping to shape the future directions of these applications. Researchers have demonstrated the actual and potential deleterious effects that these technologies can have on individuals and communities. Together, these trends present a timely opportunity to steer AI and robotic design in directions that confront, or at least do not extend, patterns of discrimination, marginalization, and exclusion. Examining ethics interventions in AI and robotics education may yield insights into challenges and opportunities for cultivating ethical engineers. We present our ongoing research on engineering ethics education, examine how our work is situated with respect to current AI and robotics applications, and discuss a curricular module in “Robot Ethics” that was designed to achieve interdisciplinary learning objectives. Finally, we offer recommendations for more effective engineering ethics education, with a specific focus on emerging technologies. 

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3. WIP: Industry 4.0 Robotics - An Interdisciplinary Approach to Deep Learning

   https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE61694.2024.10893360  

   Williams, Chad A; Wang, Haoyu; Kurkovsky, Stan; Hou, Xiaobing; Sharp, Ryan (October 2024, IEEE)

   This innovative practice work in progress paper describes an interdisciplinary course, “Industry 4.0 Robotics,” aimed at fostering deep learning and innovation in students across Manufacturing, Robotics, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Networking, Cybersecurity, and Technology Management. The course, jointly taught by faculty from different domains, emphasizes interdisciplinary connections in Industry 4.0 (IN4.0) Robotics through a combination of lectures, real-world insights from industry guest speakers, and hands-on interdisciplinary project-based learning. The contribution of this work lies in its innovative approach that combines proven best practices in education, inspiring deep learning, and an appreciation of interdisciplinary teamwork. The course design builds upon education research on the benefits of leveraging student creativity and requirements engineering practices as learning tools that allow students to develop a deeper understanding. While the benefits of these practices, commonly cited for developing enhanced problem-solving and cognitive flexibility skills, are becoming well understood in many individual disciplines, far less has been published on best practices for achieving this in interdisciplinary thinking. This course design explores this through using hybrid experiential problem based learning and project based learning for students to develop an understanding of interdisciplinary challenges and opportunities. While the benefits of individual educational practices have been studied within specific disciplines, this work extends the understanding of these practices when applied to interdisciplinary challenges, such as those encountered in Industry 4.0 robotics. The course design aims to bridge the gap between the technical aspects of individual disciplines and the social dimensions inherent in interdisciplinary work. This work in progress seeks to share early results showcasing the benefits of interdisciplinary teamwork and problem-solving. By articulating observations of commonalities and differences with prior work within individual disciplines, the paper aims to highlight the unique advantages of this interdisciplinary learning experience, offering insights into the potential impact on student learning. The chosen approach stems from the anticipation of future challenges increasingly necessitating interdisciplinary solutions. The goal of this work is to understand how best practices from individual disciplines can be effectively incorporated into interdisciplinary courses, maximizing student learning, and uncovering unique learning outcomes resulting from this innovative approach. The course design intentionally bridges the gap between the technical aspects of individual disciplines and the social dimensions inherent in interdisciplinary work, to encourage effective communication and collaboration within mixed student teams. While this remains a work in progress, initial observations reveal a heightened interdisciplinary curiosity among students, driving deep learning as they explore the interconnectedness of their own discipline with others within their teams. This curiosity propels self-led exploration and understanding of how their expertise intersects with diverse knowledge areas, creating opportunities for innovative solutions at these disciplinary intersections. This work contributes to the broader landscape of engineering and computing education by offering insights into the practical application of interdisciplinary learning in preparing students for the complex challenges of Industry 4.0. 

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4. Evaluation of Game-Based Learning in Cybersecurity Education for High School Students

   https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v12i1.7736  

   Jin, Ge; Tu, Manghui; Kim, Tae-Hoon; Heffron, Justin; White, Jonathan (February 2018, Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn))

   Game based learning is a new game play mechanism that the players explore various aspects of game play in a learning context designed by the instructor or the game designer. Nevertheless, general acceptance of game based learning as a new learning paradigm was deferred by a lack of well-controlled, large sample efficacy studies. To address the increasing need of cybersecurity workforce, this paper introduces a game based learning method for high school cybersecurity education. Purdue University Northwest launched GenCyber high school summer camps to about 200 high school students in Chicago metropolitan area. The survey conducted after the summer camp indicated that the game based learning for cybersecurity education was very effective in cybersecurity awareness training. Further analysis of survey data revealed that there is a gender difference in raising students’ interests in cybersecurity and computer science education using game based learning method. 

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5. Interdisciplinary game design process in Anonymous Communications

   Hamlen, K; Liu, X; Zhu, Z; Wang, H (November 2019, E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2019)

   null (Ed.)

   It is important for experts in computer science to develop skills in identifying the senders and receivers of anonymous communications to be able to defend against cyber attacks and to intercept malicious communications. The current study is an NSF-funded project, the purpose of which is to develop a course in Anonymous Communications for undergraduates with a simulation video game-based experience as a major component for learning. The research team is made up of two computer science professors and two education professors. Interdisciplinary efforts are mostly considered valuable to education, but they also present significant challenges, including that discourse surrounding research involves advanced and discipline-specific terminology. Experts from different disciplines may have difficulty conversing on high levels utilizing the diverse sets of terminology. This is precisely the challenge experienced in the current research study and discussed in this presentation. The purpose of this presentation is to present and discuss the challenges of interdisciplinary research and game design and to seek feedback from conference participants based on others’ experience and knowledge. 

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