I2D2: Imagination, Innovation, Discovery, and Design

A large-scale collaborative learning project involving first-year engineering students and fifth graders from local schools wasdeveloped and implemented during the fall of 2010. Entitled ‘I2D2: Imagination, Innovation, Discovery, and Design,’ theprogram’s success in the first year inspired program continuation during the 2011 school year and beyond. The program wasdeveloped for an intended dual benefit of both college and intermediate school students. The college students worked with theintermediate school students on LEGO1activities and then had the opportunity to talk with them about their ideas for a RoboticPet—in this way serving as a ‘customer’ to a first-year engineering design project. For the intermediate school students, the goalwas to offer exposure to a university setting and instill an interest and recognition of the engineering/scientific process to helpprepare them for their science fair projects. The results indicate that while intermediate school students are already interested ingoing to college, exposure through hands-on activities with college students can increase their interest level in STEM fields. For thefirst-year engineering students, differential responses were indicated by women and students with younger siblings. Finally, theintermediate school teachers were interviewed after the event for their feedback and reaction to the event. Future plans forimproved program administration and assessment are discussed.