Advancing Mechatronics Technician Education

美国制造业对高素质工人的需求日益增长。在宾夕法尼亚州西部地区，先进制造业和能源公司对熟练技术人员的需求日益增长。为了帮助解决这一问题，阿勒格尼县社区学院将与行业合作伙伴和社区组织合作，开发新技术领域的课程，并扩展学院的机电一体化（机械、电气和计算机技术的混合）副学士学位课程。这些新课程将涉及机器人、塑料技术和加工技术等领域。教师也将能够获得这些新领域的认证。将该计划扩展到工业增长领域将成为将行业认证与学术课程相结合的典范。机电一体化项目将提供多种选择，让更多的学生参与并获得学位。项目团队还将与中学教师合作，提高高中生对先进制造领域职业道路的兴趣。该项目将有助于增加宾夕法尼亚州西部地区和全国劳动力所需的技术人员数量。三个目标将指导这个项目。首先，扩大现有的机电一体化学位课程，包括机器人、塑料和工艺技术以及绿色制造的专业课程。第二，为这些新技术领域的教师提供专业发展和认证。第三，制定策略，增加中学和社区大学学生在职业道路上的曝光率和保留率。新课程将涵盖基于行业相关主题的概念和技能，如编程便携式和可定制机器人，注塑成型，塑料材料选择，仪器和操作，质量控制和设备故障排除。这些课程将以绿色制造为主题。新课程将纳入顶点项目，包括基于项目的学习活动和学生实习。机电一体化项目也将得到加强，提供灵活的晚间和周末课程安排，以及自定进度的在线课程，以促进来自不同人群的学生和农村地区学生的更多参与。该学院的机电一体化教师将使用可移动培训器为中学生提供实际操作的客座讲座，以展示职业道路或指导高中的课程模块。学院还将举办机电一体化问题解决竞赛，鼓励中学生参与先进制造领域的技术途径，并提高他们的意识。课程材料和项目成果将在区域和全国范围内共享。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。

The manufacturing industry in the United States has an increasing need for well-qualified workers. In the western region of Pennsylvania, there are growing needs for skilled technicians in advanced manufacturing and energy companies. To help address this situation, the Community College of Allegheny County will work with industry partners and community organizations to develop courses in new technology areas and expand the college's associate degree program in mechatronics (a blend of mechanical, electrical, and computerized technologies). These new courses will address areas such as robotics, plastics technology, and process technology. Faculty will also be able to obtain certifications in these new areas. This expansion of the program into areas of industrial growth will serve as a model for the benefits of integrating industry certification with academic coursework. The mechatronics program will be designed to offer a variety of options that allow more students to participate and obtain degrees. The project team will also work with secondary school teachers to increase the interest of high school students in career pathways in advanced manufacturing fields. The project will help increase the number of technicians with skills needed for the workforce in the western Pennsylvania region and the nation. Three goals will guide the project. First, to expand the existing mechatronics degree program to include specialization courses in Robotics, Plastics and Process Technology, and Green Manufacturing. Second, to provide professional development and certifications for faculty in these new technology areas. Three, to develop strategies to increase the exposure and retention along career pathways for secondary school and community college students. The new courses will cover concepts and skills based on industry-relevant topics such as programming portable and customizable robots, injection molding, plastic material selection, instrumentation and operations, quality control, and equipment troubleshooting. These courses will have an overarching theme of green manufacturing. The new curriculum will incorporate capstone projects that include project-based learning activities and student internships. The mechatronics program will also be enhanced to provide flexible evening and weekend scheduling as well as self-paced, online courses to facilitate more participation from a diverse population of students and students in rural areas. Mechatronics faculty at the college will use transportable trainers to provide hands-on guest lectures for secondary school students to showcase career pathways or instruct course modules at high schools. The college will also host Mechatronics Problem Solving Competitions for secondary school students to encourage their engagement in, and awareness of, technician pathways for advanced manufacturing fields. The curriculum materials and project results will be shared regionally and nationally. 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.