The goal of this project is to improve the electrical and computer engineering curriculum through activities on wireless networks. In particular, the investigators are applying a vertical integration approach, in which workshops, seminars, and projects are being developed in a sequence of courses across the curriculum. In the first two semesters of the curriculum, workshops and seminars are used to motivate students by showing them real wireless networks, by relating theory to practice and by performing hands-on experiments. This exposure continues through the core course in the communications area and into the senior year, where students participate in engineering design projects related to a wireless network testbed. An industrial partner is supporting and participating in implementing the wireless network testbed. The project is being evaluated using surveys and special tests to examine changes in the students' understanding and attitudes with the help of an evaluation expert from the social sciences. Dissemination efforts involve the establishment of a website and the presentation and publication of material and data through appropriate engineering education conferences and journals. Broader impacts include the dissemination of the materials and results and the focus on Hispanic students.
