Implementing iCODE (Internet Community of Design Engineers): A Collaborative Engineering and Technology Project for Middle and High School Students in Urban Settings
Abstract: The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) and Machine Science Inc. have developed "iCODE," an on-line learning system that enables schools and community centers to support IT-intensive engineering design programs for students in grades 7 to 12. This system, supported by a 3-year NSF ITEST award, is the first of its kind, incorporating step-by-step design plans for IT-intensive, computer-controlled projects, on-line tools for programming microcontrollers, resources to facilitate on-line mentoring by university students and IT professionals, forums for sharing project ideas and engaging in collaborative troubleshooting, and tools for creating web-based project portfolios. Here, we present the overall project design, results from the first year of the program's operation, and future plans.
Presider: Lee Alan Roher, University of Kentucky