2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

[This is a “Work In Progress.” In response to the evolving field of Robotics Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute's (WPI) Robotics Engineering (RBE) department, renowned as a pioneer in Robotics education, has recognized the need for a tailored, first-year programming course within its curriculum to enhance students' success in subsequent years. This decision stems from collaborative surveys conducted with both students and faculty, revealing a gap in programming proficiency among RBE students as they progress into their second and third-year courses. Targeted surveys in these advanced courses further confirmed the significance of addressing this matter. A market review, informed by these insights, was conducted to shape the course description. RBE students at WPI traditionally undertake programming courses from the Computer Science (CS) department; however, up to 30% encountered difficulties due to the mismatch between their needs and the CS-taught curriculum. The key differentiator of the RBE-tailored programming course, in comparison to traditional CS courses, is its project-based nature, where students learn programming concepts and directly apply them to real robotics projects. This work primarily focuses on the imperative of introducing a dedicated first-year programming course into the RBE curriculum, designed specifically for robotics, while highlighting WPI RBE's pioneering role in robotics education and the project-based approach that sets it apart. We aim to enhance the educational experience and preparedness of our students, ensuring that they are well-equipped to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving field of robotics. The pedagogical theory and approach underpinning this course will be presented, and the expected outcomes will be discussed, along with methods of assessment to evaluate its effectiveness. This endeavor is an effort to further enhance our existing RBE curriculum's excellence and adapt to the changing landscape of robotics engineering education while inspiring existing and future RBE departments in their creation of a curriculum.