EPICS

http://epicsnational.ecn.purdue.edu

http://epics.ecn.purdue.edu

Carla ZoltowskiEducation Administrator

Natalie KubatNational Coordinator

June 16, 2007

Introduction and Overview: Outline

Motivation Context: engineering

design, service learning Projects in four areas

Human servicesAccess and abilitiesEducation and outreachThe environment

EPICS in the curriculum EPICS Programs Impact/Meeting needs

Calls to Action National Academy of

Engineering Studies: The Engineer of 2020:

Visions of Engineering inthe New Century

Educating the Engineer of 2020: Adapting Engineering Education to the New Century

Rising Above the Gathering Storm

How People Learn

Motivation

Pace of technological innovations will continue to be rapid.

World in which technology will be deployed will be intensely globally interconnected.

Population of individuals who are involved in or affected by technology will be increasing diverse and multidisciplinary.

Social, cultural, political, and economic forces will continue to shape and affect the success of technology innovation.

Presence of technology in our everyday lives will be seamless, transparent, and more significant than ever.

Service-Learning!

The EPICS Partnership

PurdueUniversity

Greater LafayetteCommunity

EPICS Projects

Access & Abilities

Human ServicesEnvironment

Education & Outreach

EPICS Projects: Social Services Design chemical sensing

equipment to help and protect local law enforcement in their work to inhibit drug making laboratories.

Develop database system to assist the Tippecanoe and Jasper County Probation Departments to track and supervise offenders.

Develop scheduling software to assist local crisis center to schedule volunteers 24/7.

Complete analysis of sustainability and energy efficiency techniques for HFH homes.      

EPICS Projects: Environment

Constructed Wetland: Developed an 80 x 800 ft2

wetland to remove agricultural chemicals from stream water

Designed and created new weir boxes for Purdue’s constructed water-treatment wetland to improve its function.

Monitor and improve local water quality.

Work with home owners organization to improve aesthetics and prevent erosion by planting native vegetation in retention pond.

EPICS Projects: Access & Abilities Interactive play

environments for young children with disabilities: cause & effect, multi-sensory stimulation

Chin-activated switch Walking swing Remote controlled bowling

ramp Develop devices to

increase safety and efficiency of employees with disabilities

Develop assistive technology/devices for PU students

EPICS Projects: Education K-12 outreach projects

Lego scanning probe microscope

Pharmaceutical Partnerships with local

K-12 schools Technology-assisted job

training Projects with local

museums:Columbian Park ZooHands-on exhibits for

Imagination Station

Context: Learning Pedagogies Experiential educationActive learning, problem-based learning,

inquiry-guided learningDesign education Service learning

Engagement in the communityTied to academic learning outcomesReciprocityReflection

Why Community Projects?

Real projects: start-to-finish design – problem definition, specifications,version control, sustainability,design/coding standards,rigorous testing, reliability,maintainability, safety,satisfying a customer,accountability, pride

A different view of engineering and computing

The university as citizen

EPICS Characteristics Long term projects:

Long-term partnerships with community organizations Vertically-integrated teams: freshmen - seniors

Extended design experience

Large-team experience: teams of 8-18 students

Broadly multidisciplinary teams: 20 disciplines at Purdue

Open-ended design:define-design-build-test-deploy-support

EPICS teams can tackle projects of significant size, scope, and impact

Time Scales: Traditional Courses

Student Learning

Academic Calendar

Project

Student learning and project development are tied to academic calendarSemester/Quarter

EPICS Decouples Time Scales

Student Learning

Semester/Quarter

Project

Semester/Quarter Semester/Quarter

EPICS Decouples Timescales

Student Learning

Semester/Quarter

Project

Semester/Quarter Semester/Quarter

Student Learning

Project

Community Receives Long-Term Support They Need

DesignProcess

Traditional

Course

Learning Design Design is messy

Involving people

The Design Process as a full cycle Phase are often skipped in traditional courses

EPICS provides an opportunity forstart-to-finish designProblem definitionDesign for x-abilityWorking designs for fielded projectsSupport for fielded projectsRedesign for second

generation systems

Student-led, Faculty-advised

Team Leader

Project Leader Project Leader Project Leader

Advisor

Team members

Team members

Team members

Team members

Team members

Team members Team members

Team members

Team members

Team members

TA

Meetings Students’ Needs

Communication Skills Multidisciplinary

teamwork Project/coursework

integration Entrepreneurship

Planning Leadership Professionalism Mentoring Community

Involvement

A genuinedefine-design-build-

test-deploy-supportexperience

Integrating the Curriculum

problem solving

analysis

engineeringfundamentals

science

mathematics

innovation

design

resourcefulness

ethics

teamwork

communication

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EPICS has the potential torealize new

efficiencies in theengineeringcurriculum

The EPICS Consortium EPICS programs at 18 universities

Purdue, Notre Dame, Wisconsin-Madison, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Butler, Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, Columbia, WPI, San Jose State, California-San Diego, California-Merced, Illinois Institute of Technology, Dayton, Dartmouth, Auckland, New Zealand, Virginia, Princeton

Core Values Academic credit for

Long-term, team-based design projects Solving technology-based problems in the community

Multi-year partnerships with not-for-profit community organizations to fulfill mutual needs: Significant design experiences for students Providing community organizations with access to technology-

based solutions Community partners who assist the student teams

Understand community needs Provide a meaningful context for design Work with the teams through definition, development, and

deployment With no remuneration to the EPICS program

The EPICS High School Program EPICS programs at 18 High Schools in Five State

One established in Bedford, Indiana 17 starting in 2007 with funding from Learn & Serve America

EPICS Programs

EPICS Curriculum Provides

Service-Learning

Design Education

Project Management

Community Partnerships

Disciplinary Knowledge from Departments

EPICS ProgramsProjects and Problems from Local Community

Institutional Curriculum and Culture

Partnerships

Communities UniversitiesHigh Schools

Corporations/Societies

15 semesters of data, 2385 responses

Impact of EPICS on your Topic

% of students giving “A” or “B” rating

Impact: Meeting Students’ Needs

84%OVERALL EVALUATION

68%awareness of ethical issues

71%technical skills

73%awareness of the community

77%organizational skills

79%resourcefulness

80%understanding of design process

81%awareness of the customer

83%communication skills

88%ability to work on a team

%A+BTopic

Impact: Meeting Students’ Needs

Objectives # responses

Teamwork 1751

Communication Skills 1008

Organizational Skills 793

Technical Skills 754

Leadership Skills 534

“What are the 3 most valuable things you have learned from being a part of the EPICS program”:Responses from 9 semesters, 2044 respondents

Impact: Student EvaluationsQuotes:

“Other engineering courses only directly benefit me.EPICS benefits everyone involved.”

“Working on this project has helped me guide the rest of my course work and ideas for a future profession.”

“It made me understand how every aspect of engineering (design, implementation, team work, documentation) come together.”

“No longer is engineering just a bunch of equations,now I see it as a means to help mankind.”

“Opened my heart.”

Impact: Student Evaluations

Quotes, continued:“My experience in the EPICS program was

one of the best that I had while I was at Purdue and was really responsible for making me interested in electrical engineering again.  Now that I have some experience under my belt, I have decided to go back to school for a graduate degree: Hopefully at Purdue.  If someone would have told my during my Sophomore year that I'd be applying for graduate school in electrical engineering, I'd never have believed them.”

EPICS and Women Research on science education

suggests that “context” is important to women students.

“Image” is increasingly being cited as a deterrent to attracting women.

NAE Engineering Message report: “Because dreams need doing…”

20% of ECE & ME EPICS students are women,compared to 11% of ECE & ME students overall

33% of CS EPICS students vs. 11.5% in CS overall

Both local and globalcommunities need accessto technical expertise that isnormally prohibitively expensive:improved, enhanced, new capabilities

Engineering will be centralto addressing globalgrand challenges

Universities willbe engaged in their

communities and in the world

EPICS: Meeting Mutual Needs

Students need more than theoretical knowledge to succeed:

teamwork, communication,customer-awareness,project management,

leadership, ethics,professionalism