Development of Robotics Technician Curriculum at BCCC

The goals of the project are to create and implement a model robotics technician curriculum and to increase the technical proficiency of underrepresented minorities with skills in robotics, electronics, engineering technology, computer and information technology, and manufacturing through robotics instruction. The project involves partnerships with Morgan State University, Pace University, Carnegie Mellon University, Juxtopia, LLC, Lockheed Martin Corporation, the Advanced Robot for Societal Impact (ARTSI), and the Community Colleges of Baltimore County's NSF-funded ATE TIME Center. The project is : (1) developing a robotics technician curriculum model at the institution; (2) increasing the success rate of Electronics/Computer Information System (CIS)/CADD technician education programs through novel robotics instruction; (3) introducing robotic concepts to underserved and disadvantaged 11th and 12th graders in the Baltimore City Public School System and improving their math skills through robotics hands-on exercises; (4) creating an articulated pathway from Baltimore City Community College's robotics technician program to Morgan State University's School of Engineering for an engineering-related Bachelor's Degree; and (5) providing internship and job opportunities to Baltimore City Community College's robotics technician students. The evaluation effort, under the direction of an outside evaluator, is monitoring student learning outcomes; enrollment, graduation, and transfer rates of robotics technician students, transition rates from Baltimore City Public School System to the robotics program; transfer rates from the robotics program to Morgan State University's Department of Industrial, Manufacturing, and Information Engineering; internship rate and employment rate of the program's students and graduates; and academic improvement of program's students. Project materials and results are being disseminated through the program's website, through presentations at national technology education and robotics conferences, through a regional workshop for HBCUs, and through the NSF-funded ARTSI and TIME Center. Broader impacts include the dissemination of the curriculum, the strong focus on African American students, and the outreach to high school students. On the site, visitors will find information about the project's educational and industry partnerships, as well as the curriculum developed by the project and course descriptions.