Water INTENsE: INteractive TEchNology Education

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The Water INTENsE project will increase STEM-based learning and improve workforce training by developing virtual reality (VR) simulated technician curricula in the areas of water technologies and agriculture for students in two-year college associate degree programs around the country. The Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (ATEEC), working with partners in industry and education, will develop and field test VR training modules that are focused on simulating learning situations in the fields of water/wastewater and agriculture/water conservation. The simulations will allow technology students to receive hands-on, applied training in a contextual environment, providing students with practice on virtual real-world equipment when actual field equipment is often cost-prohibitive for most educational institutions. The project will leverage ATEEC's work in occupational analysis, curriculum development, and instructional material projects in water technology. Due to ATEEC's national environmental technology network with industry and education, the project is well positioned to supplement and enhance existing water and agriculture technology curricula, utilize a wide variety of content experts in the field, and determine and fulfill workforce needs. Through its online resource center, ATEEC interacts with two-year colleges across the nation and will disseminate all VR modules through its own well-established online resource center and through additional NSF and ATE channels in an effort to reach as many educators, students, and technicians as possible. Broader use of the simulated modules will result in 1) the ability to reach students that are underrepresented in the STEM fields and 2) an increased number of technicians in water/wastewater and conservation/ag jobs that meet the growing need for a skilled, diverse workforce. Project evaluation will focus on the progress of the development of the VR learning modules, measurement of student performance and their success in the workplace, and dissemination of the learning materials.