skip to main content


This content will become publicly available on June 1, 2025

Title: Experiential Learning for the Mechatronics Workforce in Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Michigan Tech, West Shore Community College (WSCC), and Gogebic Community College (GCC) collaborate on the NSF ExLENT project aims to provide experiential learning opportunities in Mechatronics for a diverse STEM workforce. The program and its impacts are aligned with the regional economic needs of the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan areas. The emerging technology field of Mechatronics focuses on developing and implementing advanced automation for industrial applications. Thus, Mechatronics encompasses advanced fields, including robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and cybersecurity. Though the demand for mechatronics expertise is growing, experiential workforce development opportunities in mechatronics are limited. This project will provide ExLENT participants with experiential opportunities through an online Mechatronics Education Portal (MEP), experiential Mechatronics Practice initiatives at Michigan Tech, and a Mechatronics Industry Pathways Rotation organized at WSCC and GCC. The MEP and MP modules will be focused on the five Mechatronics pillars of Robotics, Mechanics, Electronics/Controls, Cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence. This project will leverage partnerships among three universities, three nonprofit organizations, and nine regional industry collaborators. Comprehensive program evaluation will ensure that the project meets its objectives in improving interdisciplinary Mechatronics training through experiential learning opportunities, developing a flexible and comprehensive program to promote a diverse and inclusive STEM workforce, and facilitating sustainable collaboration amongst project partners centered around Mechatronic workforce preparation and placement.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2322532
PAR ID:
10541196
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
ASEE Conferences
Date Published:
Format(s):
Medium: X
Location:
Portland, Oregon
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. The emerging convergence research emphasizes integrating knowledge, methods, and expertise from different disciplines and forming novel frameworks to catalyze scientific discovery and innovation, not only multidisciplinary, but interdisciplinary and further transdisciplinary. Mechatronics matches this new trend of convergence engineering research for deep integration across disciplines such as mechanics, electronics, control theory, robotics, and production manufacturing, and is also inspired by its active means of addressing a specific challenge or opportunity for societal needs. The most current applications of mechatronics in automotive are e-mobility (electric vehicles, EV) and connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV); in manufacturing are robotics and smart-factory; and in aerospace are drones, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and advanced avionics. The growing mechatronics industries demand high quality workforces with multidiscipline knowledge and training. These workforces can come from the graduates of colleges and universities with updated curricula, or from labors returning to schools or taking new training programs. Graduate schools can prepare higher level workforces that can carry out fundamental research and explore new technologies in mechatronics. K-12 schools will also play an important role in fostering the next-decade workforces for all the STEM area. On the other hand, the development of mechatronics technologies improves the tools for teaching mechatronics as well. These new teaching tools include affordable microcontrollers and the peripherals such as Arduinos, and Raspberry Pi, desktop 3D printers, and virtual reality (VR). In this paper we present the working processes and activities of a current one-year ECR project funded by NSF organizing two workshops held by two institutes for improving workforce development environments specified in mechatronics. Each workshop is planned to be two days, where the first day will be dedicated to the topics of the current workforce situation in industry, the current pathways for workforces, conventional college and university workforce training, and K-12 STEM education preparation in mechatronics. The topics in the second day will be slightly different based on the expertise and locations of the two institutes. One will focus on the mechatronics technologies in production engineering for alternative energy and ground mobility, and the other will concentrate on aerospace, alternative energy, and the corresponding applications. Both workshops will also address the current technical development of teaching methods and tools for mechatronics. VR will be specially emphasized and demonstrated in the workshops if the facilities allow. Social impacts of mechatronics technology, expansion of diversity and participation of underrepresented groups will be discussed in the workshops. We expect to have the results of the workshops to present in the annual ASEE conference in June. 
    more » « less
  2. Whitman, Michael E ; Mattord, Herbert J. ; Hollingsworth, Carole (Ed.)
    This article explores the results of a project aimed at supporting community college students in their academic pursuit of an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Cybersecurity through mentorship, collaboration, skill preparation, and other activities and touch points to increase students’ sense of belonging and connectedness in the cybersecurity profession. The goal of the project was focused on developing diverse, educated, and skilled cybersecurity personnel for employment within local industry and government to help curtail the current regional cybersecurity workforce gap that is emblematic of the lack of qualified cybersecurity personnel that presently exists nationwide. Emphasis throughout the project was placed on community building so that students felt a part of the cybersecurity community. A project community survey was distributed to students as both a pre-test when they began the project in Year 1 at the start of their cybersecurity coursework, and again as a post-test at the conclusion of Year 2 when they finished their cybersecurity program. Two project cohorts were employed, and the survey questionnaire measured students’ sense of connectedness and level of learning within the project environment. The results showed a marked increase in both constructs from the pre- to post-survey indicating that students felt a greater sense of community as they moved through the project and experienced increased learning through their cybersecurity program. The study concluded that increased feelings of connectedness to the project activities through authentic shared learning experiences promoted belonging and provided social and academic supports to help project students be successful in their cybersecurity academic program and going forward in the in-demand cybersecurity vocation throughout their professional careers. 
    more » « less
  3. This project supported by NSF ATE (award#2202107) aims to serve the national interest by addressing the shortage of technicians possessing the skills to maintain programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and robots in the service industries. Vaughn College program offers a PLC and Robotic Automation (PRA) Technician Certificate, consisting of 13 credits. It prepares technicians for roles in diverse service industries such as wholesale and retail, pharmaceuticals, food, and beverage, as well as airport baggage and cargo handling [1][2][3]. Additionally, all credits earned through the certificate program are transferable to the college's Mechatronic Engineering program. The college, designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, places a strong emphasis on recruiting students from low-income families and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. The certificate program alleviates the financial burden and time commitment required for students to pursue education, providing them with the means to pursue advanced degrees or offer support to family members seeking greater opportunities. The project’s objective is to establish a one-year certificate program to provide PRA technicians with the essential skills for service industries. To ensure program graduates possess the desired qualifications, the project (a) collaborates with its Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) to identify industry needs and develop a curriculum to address them; (b) supports faculty in obtaining training and industry certifications; (c) recruits both high-school graduates, incumbent workers, and college students through newly developed informational materials. Additionally, to enhance diversity within the PRA Technician workforce, the program will collaborate with the college’s existing initiatives to attract more female and racial and ethnic minorities. Advancements in the comprehension of technical education for service industries are disseminated through the college website and presented at regional and national conferences [4]. 
    more » « less
  4. IMPEL is a transformative workforce education and training program that addresses the current and projected skills gaps and requirements in data science in the US manufacturing sector. The mission of IMPEL is to facilitate lifelong learning for the production engineering STEM workforce through designing sustainable, pedagogically proven data science curricula via modular courses with interactive online learning labs and experiential project-based learning. The planned tasks for IMPEL include an online curriculum design and development targeting professionals, undergraduates and community college students interested in advancing their skills in data science in the context of Industry 4.0 and intelligent manufacturing. The project team has accomplished several main tasks towards the goals of the project in Year 1, to be detailed in this paper. 
    more » « less
  5. null (Ed.)
    Our community college will utilize funds from an NSF ATE grant to develop and integrate and innovative teaching model designed to prepare future technicians for industry by incorporating soft skills training, career exploration, and entrepreneurship. This collaborative model will formally connect our Center for Workforce Development (CWD) sector with our for-credit engineering technology program, our Business and Innovation Department and with our educational partners. This innovative project will enable our college to strengthen our technician education programs, formalize connections with CWD and our Business and Innovation Department, and prepare students for industry jobs through shadowing opportunities, employment, entrepreneurship, internships, and real-world, collaborative outreach. Our community college will collaborate with our Industry Advisory Board (IAB), CWD, and educational partners to (a) integrate an innovative teaching model for technician education that includes a formalized shadowing and internship program and connects students to opportunities in business and entrepreneurship; (b) require students to take a manufacturing laboratory course to introduce hands-on industry-related experiences; (c) include certifications that award digital badges, military training, and industry experience in our engineering technology program. It is our intention that this model for an enhanced educational experience designed to increase workforce readiness of students will become a blueprint for other programs and institutions. 
    more » « less