Applied Design Thinking for Product Development Technicians

该项目旨在通过扩展现有的综合设计技术证书下开发的设计思维策略来满足国家利益，以满足当地和国家工业对具有分析和创造性解决问题能力的熟练工人的需求，并在产品设计和制造方面接受专业培训。该项目还将通过为拉丁裔学生、“处境危险”的青少年以及传统上在设计相关和STEM技术领域代表性不足的农村学生提供更多机会和支持，努力扩大寻求此类职业的学生人数。通过开发相关的、行业建议的、基于项目的课程，并通过与行业顾问和外展计划的合作，为学生提供从高中到大学、从大学到劳动力的良好支持和可实现的途径，来实现影响。该项目将加强战略，以满足当地的劳动力需求，通过利用课程和资源开发的一部分，作为以前的NSF ATE赠款，并侧重于三个目标。首先是加强和扩展阿肯色州西北社区学院和其他K-12合作伙伴现有的综合设计课程，使其具有与行业一致的课程组成部分。二是在先进设计思维理念、应用产品设计、可持续发展等方面提升专业发展机会。第三，也是最后一点，是与校内团体和当地机构合作，创造途径，招收、留住和培养该地区代表性不足的群体，让他们在产品开发中扮演新兴技术人员的角色。通过实现这些目标，该项目将为学生提供一个可访问的切入点，通过设计思维，综合设计和行业建议的知识，技能和能力来追求多个学位和职业道路。该项目利用现有的综合设计技术证书（TC-ID），涵盖建筑技术，计算机辅助设计和美术课程。目前的TC-ID分为三个学位轨道：美术副学士（AFA）、建筑应用科学副学士（AAS）或计算机辅助设计副学士（AAS）。此计划将把TC-ID扩展至工程技术和平面设计，并设有相应的AAS学位课程。技术证书的扩展，以及针对同时入学的高中学生的新的综合设计能力证书的创建，将为学生提供更多的机会，在获得跨学科技能和行业证书的同时，接触多个学位课程。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by expanding design thinking strategies developed under an existing Technical Certificate in Integrated Design, to meet local and national industry needs for skilled workers with analytical and creative problem-solving abilities and with specialized training in product design and fabrication. This project will also strive to enlarge the pool of students seeking such careers by providing increased opportunities and support for Latinx students, “placed at risk” teens, and rural students traditionally underrepresented in design-related and STEM technical fields. Impacts will be achieved through the development of relevant, industry-advised, and project-based coursework, and through partnerships with industry advisors and outreach programs to provide well-supported, achievable pathways for students from high school to college and from college to the workforce. This project will enhance strategies to meet local workforce needs by leveraging curriculum and resources developed as part of a previous NSF ATE grant and focuses on three goals. First is to enhance and expand existing integrated design curricula to additional disciplines at Northwest Arkansas Community College and other K-12 partners with industry-aligned course components. Second is to enhance professional development opportunities in advanced design thinking concepts, applied product design, and sustainability. Third, and finally, is to partner with on-campus groups and local agencies to create pathways to enroll, retain, and graduate underrepresented groups in the region for an emerging technician role in product development. Through meeting these goals, this project will provide an accessible entry point for students to pursue multiple degree tracks and career paths through design thinking, integrated design, and industry-advised knowledge, skills, and abilities. This project leverages an existing Technical Certificate in Integrated Design (TC-ID) across Construction Technology, Computer-aided Design, and Fine Arts programs. The current TC-ID stacks into three degree tracks: an Associate of Fine Arts (AFA), an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Construction, or an AAS in Computer-Aided Design. This project will expand the TC-ID to Engineering Technology and Graphic Design with respective AAS degree tracks. The expansion of the Technical Certificate, and the creation of a new Certificate of Proficiency in Integrated Design aimed for concurrently enrolled high school students, will provide additional opportunities for students to be exposed to multiple degree tracks while gaining interdisciplinary skills and industry-ready credentials. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.