This TUES Type 1 project provides students at the University of North Texas (UNT) with interdisciplinary learning experiences in wireless sensor networks and structural design. The project is developing curricular material for a upper-level course with construction engineering and electrical engineering technology students emphasizing interdisciplinary teamwork and hands-on learning experiences in real-world contexts. Students participate in hands-on activities in collaborative environments solving problems with real-world contexts and enhancing their knowledge in other disciplines. The four hands-on activities include: 1) design, fabrication, and testing of the wireless sensor network, 2) structural analysis and modeling of the test structure (UNT Apogee Stadium), 3) on-site testing of the structure, and 4) data processing and analysis.
The project includes field trips and other outreach activities for middle and high school-aged students from north Texas to provide an introduction to careers in construction and electronics. The project team is partnering with Calhoun Middle School, which has a large number of talented Hispanics students, in Denton, TX, to coordinate field trips with UNT engineering technology students serving as guides and with the "Texas Girls Collaborative" project to attract women students to construction and electronics. Dissemination plans include the curriculum materials and online resources created through this project publically available online and a professional development workshop for engineering faculty and professionals. Since the developed materials are relatively low-cost and will be freely distributed, this increases the possibility that other institutions may adopt the materials.
