Abstract
Fluid power is not an engineering topic usually presented to students in grades K-12. However undergraduate students in various programs are required to learn this concept. Evidence exists that indicates college students are more easily engaged when fluid power has been introduced earlier in their schooling. Thus, a variety of organizations are beginning work toward providing programs to creatively present the topic to younger students. After an examination of existing literature, we found minimal evidence of this type of work having been carried out and reported on. This study examines data from workshops designed to introduce fluid power to middle and high school students. These workshops introduced the use of fluid power components along with relevant theory. Students were queried after the workshop and after to assess interest/enjoyment, motivation, and interest in the workshop materials. The results presented in this paper are useful for future workshop designers and presenters. We share specific information regarding student interest, timing, and type of materials that result in higher levels of interest along with the quality of presentation and demonstration materials. Also providing guidance on how gender makeup of groups during the workshop influenced these results. Further research opportunities are presented as well as suggestions on how to continue to increase interest, enjoyment, and value in fluid power as this may be applicable other areas of STEM.
Keywords
Female, fluid power, middle school, high school, engagement
Date of this Version
7-2021
Published in:
Lucietto, A. M., Moss, J. D., Garcia, J. M., & Lumkes, J. H. (2021, July). Exploring Young Women’s Interest in Fluid Power with Workshop Experiences. In 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access.
Link to original published article:
https://peer.asee.org/37168
Comments
© 2021 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference.