Collaborative Research: A Virtual and Active Learning Approach to Digital Manufacturing Education for the Future of Manufacturing Workforce

该项目旨在通过调查在数字制造本科教育中使用虚拟和主动学习方法来服务于国家利益。虚拟学习可以使那些谁可能无法在物理校园，由于财务限制，全职工作，残疾或移民，在许多其他情况下，目前的参与。无论是在虚拟还是面对面的学习环境中，工程专业本科生的数字化制造教学对国内外制造业的未来至关重要。该项目的重点将是开发有效的方法，通过数字技术，特别是通过使用嵌入式系统，该项目旨在了解虚拟学习如何影响学生理解和保留数字化制造核心概念的能力，以及积极的学习体验如何影响学生理解和保留数字化制造核心概念的能力。可以部署在数字化制造的完全虚拟的学习环境中。为了实现这一目标，数字制造课程将部署在虚拟学习环境中，使用传统讲座和主动学习活动的混合物，以提高学生的参与度，保留核心概念和自我效能。一个新的本科数字制造课程的虚拟学习环境将开发和迭代部署在格鲁吉亚技术结合主动学习方法。将设计和试行不同类型的基于虚拟的制造实践学习体验，包括用于网络制造的嵌入式系统的虚拟培训模拟器。课程材料将分发给伙伴组织和机构，以便在全国广泛使用。最后，项目团队将评估材料，通过虚拟主动学习环境促进数字制造基本概念的学习。这种统一的努力将推动应用于制造系统的数字技术领域的教育创新。通过虚拟交付这种培训，更多的学生将能够获得更深入地了解数字制造理论的机会，并在毕业时成为未来制造业劳动力中更强大的成员。NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。该奖项反映了NSF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 investigating the use of virtual and active learning approaches in undergraduate education in digital manufacturing. Virtual learning can enable participation for those who may not be able to be present on a physical campus, due to financial restrictions, full-time employment, disability, or immigration, among many other circumstances. Teaching of digital manufacturing for undergraduate engineering students, whether in virtual or in-person learning environments, is critical to the future of manufacturing domestically and abroad. The focus of the project will be on developing effective approaches for educating students about transformative advances in manufacturing productivity through digital technologies, particularly through use of embedded systems, big data and their integration using rapidly maturing cloud computing platforms.The project seeks to understand how virtual learning affects student ability to understand and retain core concepts in digital manufacturing and how active learning experiences can be deployed in fully virtual learning environments for digital manufacturing. To accomplish this, a digital manufacturing course will be deployed in a virtual learning environment using a mixture of traditional lecture and active learning activities in order to improve student engagement, retention of core concepts, and self-efficacy. A new undergraduate digital manufacturing course for virtual learning environments will be developed and iteratively deployed at Georgia Tech incorporating active learning approaches. Different types of virtual-based, hands-on learning experiences for manufacturing will be designed and piloted, including virtual training simulators for embedded systems for cybermanufacturing. Course materials will be disseminated to partner organizations and institutions for broad deployment nationally. Finally, the project team will evaluate materials for facilitating learning of concepts fundamental to digital manufacturing through virtual active learning environments. This unified effort will drive educational innovation in the domain of digital technologies applied to manufacturing systems. By enabling virtual delivery of this training, more students will be able to access opportunities to understand digital manufacturing theory more deeply and will become stronger members of the future manufacturing workforce when they graduate. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.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.