The project, which involves two secondary school partners and several industrial partners, is expanding the airframe and power plant aircraft technician programs to incorporate instruction on compression-ignition, piston-driven aviation engines (also called diesel-cycle engines). The goal is to integrate instruction on high-performance aviation diesel engines into the aircraft technician programs at three institutions in Ohio and disseminate the curriculum nationwide. The project is: (1) providing faculty professional development for seven secondary and postsecondary faculty members who will teach the new aviation diesel engine maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair courses; (2) developing two new aviation diesel engine laboratories to be used by a community college and two feeder high school career centers; (3) developing and pilot testing two new associate-degree level aviation diesel engine maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair courses; (4) developing and pilot testing high school level aviation diesel engine maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair modules; and (5) developing and expanding 2+2 articulations from high school to community college. The evaluation effort, under the direction of an independent expert, is using mixed methods to assess learning gains and student and instructor perceptions about the material. Project materials and results are being disseminated through presentations at professional conferences, through wide distribution of a CD-ROM, and publications in professional journals. Broader impacts include the dissemination of project material and the strong connection to secondary schools.
