Training Technicians for Connected Technologies in Businesses and Smart Homes

越来越多的家庭和行业正在采用被称为物联网（IoT）的连接技术解决方案。因此，劳动力正面临着越来越大的技能差距。需要训练有素的技术人员来开发、调整、安装和排除物联网技术的故障，以及分析它们生成的数据。该项目将提高熟练物联网技术人员的质量、能力和数量。为了实现这一目标，该项目将开发一个物联网证书计划。物联网证书课程的学生将参加实地考察，以了解物联网在工业和家庭中的广泛应用。物联网证书课程将在一个顶点课程中达到高潮，学生将应用他们在课堂上学到的概念和实践。具体而言，学生将在校园内或在商业和行业领导团队合作伙伴所在地开发安全可靠的物联网产品或系统。获得物联网证书的个人将有助于满足国家对智能家居和互联城市高技能技术人员的需求。该项目的目标是：(1)修改和设计物联网证书的新课程，(2)提供专业发展活动，为教师提供高质量的物联网教学做好准备，(3)在物联网技术员领域招募和留住更多的女性和其他代表性不足的群体。该项目旨在在项目结束时向至少30名学生颁发物联网证书。课程的修改和发展将通过思科学院的教师专业发展、项目商业和行业领导团队成员提供的知识以及相关工作分享的专业知识来进行。将开展包容性招聘和留用活动，欢迎妇女和其他代表性不足的人口参与。此外，目前入学的大学生将从电气、暖通空调、建筑工程、计算机网络、网络安全、计算机编程和数据分析等专业招收。获得物联网技术员证书的个人将能够对传感器进行编程，安装和编程智能控制器，解决问题和修复硬件和软件问题，并分析系统生成的数据。该项目的贡献包括制定反映行业需求的物联网课程，为学生在快速发展的物联网世界中的职业生涯做好准备，并改进策略，以增加妇女和其他代表性不足的群体的参与。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。

More homes and industries are adopting connected technology solutions known as the Internet of Things (IoT). As a result, the workforce is facing a growing skills gap. Trained technicians are needed to develop, adjust, install, and troubleshoot IoT technologies, as well as to analyze the data that they generate. This project will increase the quality, capacity, and number of skilled IoT technicians. To achieve this goal, the project will develop an IoT Certificate Program. Students in the IoT Certificate Program will participate in field trips to see wide-spread IoT applications in industries and homes. The IoT Certificate Program will culminate in a capstone course in which students will apply the concepts and practices they learned in the classroom. Specifically, the students will develop a secure and reliable IoT product or system either on campus or at a Business & Industry Leadership Team partner location. The individuals who earn the IoT Certificate will help meet the national need for a highly skilled technician workforce for smart homes and connected cities. The goals of this project are to (1) modify and design new curriculum for an IoT Certificate, (2) provide professional development activities that prepare faculty to deliver quality instruction in IoT, and (3) recruit and retain more females and other underrepresented groups in the IoT Technician field. The project aims to award IoT certificates to at least 30 students by the end of the project. Curriculum modification and development will be informed through faculty professional development at the Cisco Academy, through knowledge provided by the project’s Business & Industry Leadership Team members, and expertise shared by related efforts. Inclusive recruitment and retention activities will be developed to welcome participation of females and other underrepresented populations. Additionally, currently enrolled college students will be recruited from programs such as Electrical, HVAC, Construction Engineering, Computer Networking, Cybersecurity, Computer Programming, and Data Analytics. Individuals who earn the IoT Technician Certificate will be able to program sensors, install and program smart controllers, problem-solve and repair hardware and software problems, and analyze the data generated by the system. The contributions of this project include development of an IoT curriculum that reflects industry needs, equips students for a career in a rapidly evolving world of IoT, and improves strategies to increase participation of women and other underrepresented groups. 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.