Manufacturing an Engineering Resource Center: An NSF National Center of Excellence

该项目代表了两个NSF国家卓越中心的合并：(a)国家制造教育中心（NCME）运营制造教育资源中心（MERC Online），这是一个制造和相关教育资源的在线交换中心（由俄亥俄州代顿市辛克莱社区学院管理）；(b)新泽西高级技术教育中心（NJCATE），该中心运营国家工程技术教育信息交换中心（NETEC），这是一个工程技术和相关教育资源的在线信息交换中心（由新泽西州爱迪生米德尔塞克斯县学院管理）。智力价值：该项目的目标是通过网络交换中心（www.merconline.net）、教师专业发展和相关的外展服务传播模型程序、材料和教学课程，增加工程和制造技术改革对国家的影响。主要的重点领域是：(1)积极扩大数字信息交换所中可用的教育资源；(2)积极扩大全国大学预科和高等教育教师的用户群。数字信息交换所在全国范围内传播的教学资源代表了最前沿的技术内容和基于项目的教学方法。经验丰富的外部评估人员确保对项目结果进行有效的形成性和总结性评估。更广泛的影响：合并两个中心利用了双方开发的最佳实践，同时提高了运营效率并降低了成本。资源中心是众多专业协会（制造工程师协会、制造教育与研究协会、中小企业教育基金会和ASEE制造分部）和nsf资助的中心（如阿拉巴马州汽车制造区域中心联盟（CARCAM）和洛兰县社区学院国家焊接教育与培训中心）的传播站点。在线服务正在扩大，包括专业发展、指导和技术援助。

This project represents a merger of two NSF National Centers of Excellence: (a) The National Center for Manufacturing Education (NCME) which operates the Manufacturing Education Resource Center (MERC Online), an online clearinghouse of manufacturing and related educational resources (administered by Sinclair Community College of Dayton, Ohio); and (b) The New Jersey Center for Advanced Technological Education (NJCATE) which operates the National Engineering Technology Education Clearinghouse (NETEC) an online clearinghouse of engineering technology and related educational resources (administered by Middlesex County College of Edison, New Jersey). Intellectual Merit: The goal of the project is to increase the national impact of engineering and manufacturing technology reform through the dissemination of model programs, materials, and instructional curricula via a web-based clearinghouse (www.merconline.net), faculty professional development, and related outreach services. The primary areas of emphasis are (1) proactively expanding the educational resources available in the digital clearinghouse and (2) aggressively expanding the user base of pre-college and postsecondary faculty across the country. The instructional resources disseminated nationally by the digital clearinghouse represent cutting edge technology content and project-based pedagogy. An experienced external evaluator is assuring effective formative and summative assessment of the project outcomes. Broader Impacts: Merging the two centers leverages the best practices developed by both while providing operational efficiencies and cost reductions. The resource center is the dissemination site for numerous professional societies (Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Manufacturing Education and Research, SME Education Foundation, and the ASEE Manufacturing Division) and NSF-funded centers such as the Consortium for Alabama Regional Center for Automotive Manufacturing (CARCAM) and the National Center for Welding Education and Training at Lorain County Community College. Online services are being expanded to include professional development, mentoring, and technical assistance.