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1. Innovation Practices: Co-creation in Tech Sectors in North American Cities

   Katlyn M. Turner, Kristi Acuff (October 2023, Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress)

   The process of technology design and innovation directly shapes society and who benefits or is burdened by said technology. This project is a descriptive and explanatory research undertaking aiming to understand innovation practices in specific tech sectors–space sector, robotics, and urban energy–in two North American metropolitan areas: Greater Boston and the Detroit Metro. This study analyzes co-creation facilities and living labs in these technical and geographic domains and aims to understand what innovation practices these organizations are using, why they are using these practices, what their standards of success are, and why. The role of cultural embeddedness, geographical embeddedness, and technological embeddedness is examined in this project as well as that of inclusive innovation as a concept and practice. In order to address these research aims, a mixed methods approach is used for data collection–including stakeholder interviews, site visits, and technical analysis. Data is analyzed using a systems architecture and enterprise architecture framework. This paper focuses on the space sector in Greater Boston, both in comparison to other previously analyzed sectors in the region—robotics, urban energy, and biotechnology, and in reference to other important space innovation hubs in the United States. In particular, we focus on a comparison of innovation objectives and stakeholders, and how this informs the types of innovation practices used in these regions. 

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2. 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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3. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations for seasonal synoptic sampling of 100 urban streams in Boston, Massachusetts (USA) from 2021-2022

   https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/715dd34e65f50366c8616859287f7d95  

   Ortiz_Munoz, Liz D; Rizzie, Christopher B; Quick, Annika M; Roy, Allison H; Kominoski, John S; Wang, Andrew (January 2025, Environmental Data Initiative)

   This dataset contains dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations from surface water samples collected at 100 urban stream locations in the greater Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan area. Samples were collected four times (September 2021, November 2021, April 2022, and July 2022) to capture spatial and seasonal variation in DOC concentrations. Filtered stream samples were analyzed for dissolved organic carbon concentration. These data were collected as part of the Carbon in Urban Rivers Biogeochemistry (CURB) Project. Detailed field data and site data are published separately and can be linked using the “curbid” and “synoptic_event” columns in each dataset. 

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4. Field data for seasonal synoptic sampling of 100 urban streams in Boston, Massachusetts (USA) from 2021-2022

   https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/837f189bb5f6e3666f6c175a5bff082e  

   Quick, Annika M; Roy, Allison H; Wang, Andrew (January 2025, Environmental Data Initiative)

   This dataset contains field measurements taken during water sampling from 100 urban stream locations in the greater Boston, Massachusetts (USA) metropolitan area. Field collection took place during four synoptic sampling events (September 2021, November 2021, April 2022, and July 2022) to capture spatial and seasonal variation in stream conditions (specific conductivity, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH). Filtered stream samples were analyzed for dissolved organic carbon concentration and characteristics, available in a separate dataset. These data were collected as part of the Carbon in Urban Rivers Biogeochemistry (CURB) Project. Detailed field data and site data are published separately and can be linked using the “curbid” and “synoptic_event” columns in each dataset. 

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5. What Have We "Learned" from Maker Education Research? A Learning Sciences-base Review of ASEE Literature on the Maker Movement

   Weiner, S.; Lande, M.; Jordan, S.S. (January 2018, Review & directory - American Society for Engineering Education)

   Within the last ten years, the Maker Movement has had a significant effect on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. Growing in tandem with the interest in makerspaces, digital fabrication technology, and innovation-oriented curricula has been researchers’ desire to understand the pedagogical value of these efforts. Strategies have included measuring technological literacies, uncovering the links between Maker practices and professional engineering standards, and developing standards to capture the non-technical skills, such as self-efficacy and persistence, that Makers develop. The diffusion of Maker Education research has worked in favor of constructing diverse kinds of knowledge, but at the expense of developing coherent theory, pedagogy, and practice. Even within Engineering Education, the aims, theoretical approaches, and methods used to study Maker Education vary widely. Given that a significant body of literature has been amassed, we believe it is an opportune time to take stock of what has been learned through Maker Education research. As an initial step towards a larger multidisciplinary study, this paper will focus on assessing the state of Engineering Education literature on Maker Education and synthesizing it with theoretical frameworks established within Learning Sciences research. 

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