Summer program to enhance engineering concepts through collaboration

Since 1995 the MEP/SEES (Maximizing Engineering Potential/Science Educational Enhancement Services) programs in the Colleges of Engineering and Science at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona have conducted an NSF Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP) sponsored nontraditional summer program for second-year students, called QUEST II. This unique, 4-week program has involved faculty from Mathematics, Physics, and Mechanical Engineering with upper-division student facilitators leading integrated classes and labs/activities. The curriculum shows the interrelationships of these areas of study and prepares students for a successful transition into physics and engineering mechanics. The design of the program focuses not only on the intellectual level required for technical studies, but also on the value of collaborative learning, the development of oral and written communications skills, problem solving skills, and the use of calculators and computers to supplement the learning experience. This paper presents the program format, content, and examples of the curriculum, as well as data showing the subsequent academic performance of participants.