The project is to develop, assess, revise, and disseminate a sophomore-level course, ?Introduction of Renewable Energy Manufacturing,? and to develop faculty expertise in teaching the course. Project tasks include: (1) draft the textbook for the course and publish it though a self-publishing company; (2) develop lab modules; (3) draft the lab manual and publish it though a self-publishing company; (4) establish a website that contains links to relevant YouTube videos and homework assignments; (5) develop assessment questions for students; (6) visit related manufacturing companies and national renewable energy labs; (7) teach the course at three institutions and conduct both informative and summative assessments; (8) analyze assessment results; (9) revise the draft textbook and lab manual based on assessment results; (10) submit revised textbook and lab manual to a regular publisher; and (11) publish journal and conference papers and make presentations to disseminate findings.
The proposed work will have significant impacts on training the nation?s future workforce in renewable energy manufacturing. Such a workforce is critical for the U.S. to secure its global leadership in the renewable energy industry. This will greatly benefit the U.S. economy, energy security, environment, and society in general. The collaborative work among the three institutions, one of which is a HBCU, will broaden participation and promote diversity in STEM education.
