Rural Access Mechatronics Program

High quality mechatronics technicians with interdisciplinary skills are in high demand by industry; yet, it is often difficult for students in rural areas to access and complete traditional mechatronics technician degrees. This project entitled Rural Access Mechatronics Program (RAMP) at Clark College in rural southwest Washington state is designed to increase the quantity and quality of mechatronics technicians by developing a hybrid/online Certificate of Completion in Mechatronics Fundamentals. This will provide rural students, under-and unemployed workers, and incumbent workers a new option for an educational pathway from a certificate in mechatronics to an Associate in Applied Technology (AAT) degree with anytime anywhere courses resulting from the hybrid format. Upon successful completion, students will be prepared for either technician positions or be ready to progress on the educational pathway to a baccalaureate degree. The objectives of the project are to institutionalize hybrid learning options through faculty professional development and increase the number of quality mechatronics technicians. The curriculum will be validated by multiple advanced manufacturing employers in the region who are concerned by the rapidly growing need for more skilled mechatronics technicians in the Washington Oregon border area. Through the RAMP pilot, Clark will make significant contributions to the larger technological education community as the RAMP model will be replicable in other rural communities where access to education is an issue.

The hybrid modality of the certificate opens up access to stackable certificates and an AAT degree for more rural students. The project addresses critical barriers to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education such as mathematics prerequisites by embedding the needed mathematics competencies into the mechatronics classes of the hybrid curriculum. Faculty members are being prepared with the skills needed to deliver hybrid curricula, designed specifically to meet the needs of a rural population, thereby expanding hybrid learning options throughout the educational pathway. RAMP builds upon and expands the work of other ATE centers and projects including 1) applying best practices gleaned from iMEC (1304835) to guide the transition of curricula into a hybrid format; 2) partnering with CA2VES (1501695) to leverage their knowledge in hybrid/online delivery; utilize their modules/virtual labs; and investigate their video library for use in RAMP professional development efforts; and 3) utilizing the best practices of CARCAM (1304036) for recruitment and retention of rural and first-generation students. Employers are being engaged in the curriculum development process to assure that mechatronics technicians have the skills and knowledge to be well prepared to work in industry. A comprehensive evaluation is being developed to continuously enhance the project activities and provide opportunities for researching and evaluating the success of the project and its deliverables, as well as the sharing of best practices.