Integrating robotics education in pre-college engineering program

In 2014, Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology has developed a five-week pre-engineering intensive summer program. The program provided high school students with hands-on experience in the Robotics and Mechanics to advance them in the pursuit of a degree in engineering. Correspondingly, the program also enhanced students´ technical writing skills and the fundamental knowledge of mathematics and physics needed in engineering. Different from other pre-college engineering programs which focus more on mathematics and physics education, in this program, engineering and engineering project design and implementation have been intensively discussed through building and programming a mobile robot. High school students were encouraged to creatively develop their own project in a team while the collaborative learning and effective communication skill are particularly addressed. The student survey showed that the intensive summer program has increased students´ comprehension of engineering and awareness towards engineering-related careers, which are critical for high school students to choose engineering as a future career.