Mobile-Studio-Based Education and Outreach

STEM education with significant engineering content at all levels from K through grad school generally requires expensive, complex equipment and thus is typically built around elaborate facilities with well-trained staff support. As briefly mentioned above, Mobile Studio Pedagogy makes it possible for students to carry enthusiasm for engineering and science from the classroom to any place there is a computer. The Mobile Studio provides a full electronics laboratory for the price of a textbook.

The Mobile Studio has a wide range of measurement, communication and control functionality discussed extensively at http://mobilestudioproject.com. Its development began at three of the partner schools – RPI, Howard and Rose-Hulman, where it has been used to teach EE courses for both majors and non-majors. In the ERC, this activity has expanded to include all six partner schools, with notable early success at BU. In the summer of 2009, the board was used in the 2-week BU Summer Challenge where high school students preview college life through activities built around the LED free space optical communication work. The materials developed were then used by Professor Ruane in the first year engineering course "Introduction to Engineering-Smart Lighting". This course was offered as two half-semester, lab-based modules, for 2 credits each, in the High Tech Tools and Toys Lab, originally built for the CenSSIS ERC. Prof. Ruane also utilized the materials in the Fenway High School -BU Partnership. At RPI, utilization of the Mobile Studio for Smart Lighting started in sophomore and junior undergraduate courses. It later moved to general outreach events and a summer high school program similar to the one at BU.