High-Impact Practices in Materials Science Education: Student Research Internships Leading to Pedagogical Innovation in
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High-Impact Practices in Materials Science Education: Student Research Internships Leading to Pedagogical Innovation in STEM Laboratory Learning Activities
Lon A. Porter, Jr. Department of Chemistry, Wabash College, 301 W. Wabash Ave., Crawfordsville, IN 47933, U.S.A. ABSTRACT Traditional lecture-centered approaches alone are inadequate for preparing students for the challenges of creative problem solving in the STEM disciplines. As an alternative, learnercentered and other high-impact pedagogies are gaining prominence. The Wabash College 3D Printing and Fabrication Center (3D-PFC) supports several initiatives on campus, but one of the most successful is a computer-aided design (CAD) and fabrication-based undergraduate research internship program. The first cohort of four students participated in an eight-week program during the summer of 2015. A second group of the four students was successfully recruited to participate the following summer. This intensive materials science research experience challenged students to employ digital design and fabrication in the design, testing, and construction of inexpensive scientific instrumentation for use in introductory STEM courses at Wabash College. The student research interns ultimately produced a variety of successful new designs that could be produced for less than $25 per device and successfully detect analytes of interest down to concentrations in the parts per million (ppm) range. These student-produced instruments have enabled innovations in the way introductory instrumental analysis is taught on campus. Beyond summer work, the 3D-PFC staffed student interns during the academic year, where they collaborated on various cross-disciplinary projects with students and faculty from departments such as mathematics, physics, biology, rhetoric, history, classics, and English. Thus far, the student work has led to three campus presentations, four presentations at national professional conferences, and three peer-reviewed publications. The following report highlights initial progress as well as preliminary assessment findings. INTRODUCTION Digital modelling, coupled with 3D fabrication continues to provide unique and exciting opportunities for the development of innovative new educational tools. Consumer-grade 3D printers, computer numerical control (CNC) tools, and laser engravers are advanced tools for the fabrication of custom prototypes via the precision offered through digital design [1]. Technological advances offer enhanced capabilities, while increased market competition drives prices lower to expand access to these exciting instruments for educational research labs and community makerspaces. Realizing the significant potential for engaging STEM students, the Wabash College 3D Printing and Fabrication Center (3D-PFC) was established to provide the infrastructure and technical expertise required to enable the exploration of diverse, learnercentered initiatives on campus. The 3D-PFC currently houses a diverse range of 3D printers, digital scanning equipment, laser engrav
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