2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

In June 2023, a Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) summer camp, named ENCHANT (ErgoNomiCs and Human-Automation iNteracTion) was conducted at the University. The camp hosted nineteen middle school-aged students for a department tour and interactive activity stations designed to foster curiosity. Organized into groups of four or five, the students rotated through four 50-minute stations, allowing for hands-on experiences and collaboration to broaden their knowledge of industrial engineering.
Station 1, “Optimi-Station” introduced fundamental concepts and mathematical principles of optimization through activities like route planning and Lego building.
Station 2, “Lego Mindstorms” students discussed both the hardware and software aspects of robotics, gaining hands-on programming experience with robots to perform various tasks.
Station 3, “Can I trust Automation?” had students think about the importance of considering how technology would be perceived and used by users. Students performed multiple tasks assisted by automation decision aids and discussed how system designers could properly calibrate users’ trust toward automation.
In station 4, “Driving Simulator”, students wore eye trackers while simulating driving to explore the use of physiological data for enhanced autonomous driving.
After each station, the attendees were asked to complete an evaluation questionnaire. This questionnaire consisted of five general questions and two station-specific questions. Three general questions sought feedback on the participant’s level of excitement, concentration, and perception of time passing quickly. Participants rated these aspects on a 4-point Likert scale (‘YES!’, ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘NO!’). Two station-specific questions focused on reviewing the concepts discussed during the activity. Additionally, the attendees were asked whether they would recommend including the activity in future events and any suggestions for improvements were welcomed and collected in a free-response format.
The results reveal that the hands-on activities kept attendees excited and engaged throughout the camp while effectively discussing the learning objectives and exposing the middle school students to new topic areas. Participants reported positive excitement levels (60.5% ‘YES!’, 36.8% ‘yes’), high concentration levels (43.4% ‘YES!’, 53.9% ‘yes’), and short perceived time-passing (47.4% ‘YES!’, 38.2% ‘yes’) for all stations. For inclusion of the activity in future events, 94.7% reported ‘yes’ to Stations 1 and 3, and 100% reported ‘yes’ for Stations 2 and 4.
For the station-specific questions, 94.7% correctly answered the Station 1 question, and 55% reported an increased interest in the topic. For Station 2, 94.7% correctly answered the first question, and 60% correctly answered the second question. For Station 3, 94.7% correctly answered both the first and the second questions. For Station 4, 94.7% correctly answered the first question, and 100% correctly answered the second question.
By providing an environment where education, exploration, and enjoyment met, the camp created a platform for the students to get an insight into the exciting possibilities that industrial engineering holds. More summer camps should be hosted on diverse engineering topics, utilizing hands-on activities with enriching learning experiences to broaden access for diverse students and encourage interest in engineering and related fields.