Partnership for Advanced Career Education in Mechatronics Engineering (PACE ME)

弗吉尼亚西部社区学院的这个项目将增加美国机电工程师的数量。机电一体化工程涉及集成电气、机械和计算机技术的系统。许多现代技术，如制造业、机器人技术和自动化设备都涉及机电一体化设计和维护。发展和维持足够的高技能机电工程师和技术人员队伍是维持美国经济强劲发展的关键因素。弗吉尼亚西部社区学院（VWCC）正在开展一个名为“机电工程高级职业教育伙伴关系”（PACE ME）的项目。这项工作将提高社区学院教师、技术教育工作者和工业之间的合作程度，以帮助实现有效的机电一体化教育。机电一体化工程是一个日益需要适当技能的工程师和技术人员的领域。该项目解决了该领域多样性的差距，并开发了一个结构，以建立对机电一体化工程技术的认识，以帮助增加追求这一职业道路的人数。该项目涉及不同的学生群体，旨在培养具有批判性思维和适应性学习技能的创新工程技术人员。该项目将采用创新的以学生为中心的策略来实现留住学生和成功培养机电一体化工程师和技术人员的项目目标。机电一体化要求多学科技能的应用。为了创建一个培养这些技能的项目，教育工作者将与行业伙伴合作，创造体验式学习的机会。行业也通过综合实习和可堆叠的证书参与进来。行业参与也将有助于学生培训跟上快速变化的智能系统。该项目强调了通过提供课程讲师的专业发展来提高教师能力以支持学生理解机电一体化技术的重要性。PACE ME将建立一个现代化的制造实验室，以支持中学和大专技师培训，并加强行业联盟。通过制造实验室，PACE ME实施行业相关项目和基于问题的学习。该项目监测关键成果，包括接触机电一体化工程的代表性不足的学生人数、机电一体化相关课程注册人数的变化率以及作为贡献合作伙伴的行业数量。PACE ME包括一项有组织的努力，以传播项目产生的有效实践和成果。

This project at Virginia Western Community College will increase the number of American mechatronics engineers. Mechatronics engineering concerns systems that integrate electrical, mechanical, and computer technologies. Many modern technologies such as manufacturing, robotics, and automated equipment involve mechatronics design and maintenance. Developing and maintaining a sufficient workforce of highly skilled mechatronics engineers and technicians is a vital factor in a sustaining a strong United States economy. Virginia Western Community College (VWCC) is conducting a project called the Partnership for Advanced Career Education in Mechatronics Engineering (PACE ME). This effort will improve the degree of collaboration between community college faculty, technical educators, and industry to help achieve effective mechatronics education. Mechatronics engineering is an area with a growing need for appropriately-skilled engineers and technicians. The project addresses gaps in diversity in this field and develops a structure to build awareness of Mechatronics Engineering Technology to help increase the number of people pursing this career path. The project involves a diverse population of students and is designed to produce innovative engineering technicians with critical thinking and adaptive learning skills. The project will utilize innovative student-focused strategies to achieve the project goals for student retention and success in producing mechatronics engineers and technicians. Mechatronics demands the application of multidisciplinary skills. To create a program to develop these skills educators will collaborate with industry partners to create opportunities for experiential learning. Industry is also engaged through integrated internships and stackable credentials. Industry involvement will also help student training to keep pace with rapidly changing intelligent systems. This project embraces the importance of enhancing the capability of faculty to support student understanding of mechatronics technologies by providing professional development of course instructors. PACE ME will establish a modern fabrication laboratory to support both secondary and postsecondary technician training and to strengthen industry alliances. Through the fabrication laboratory PACE ME implements industry-relevant projects and problem-based learning. The project monitors key outcomes including the number of underrepresented students exposed to mechatronics engineering, the rate of change in enrollment of mechatronics related courses, and the number of industries serving as contributing partners. PACE ME includes an organized effort to disseminate the effective practices and outcomes resulting from the project.