2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

In response to the evolving field of Robotics Engineering and the increasing demand for specialized programming skills within the discipline, the Robotics Engineering (RBE) department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has introduced a tailored, first-year programming course designed specifically to address the needs of RBE students. This course was developed based on data collected through surveys from both students and faculty, which revealed a significant gap in programming proficiency impacting student performance in advanced RBE courses. Previously, RBE students were enrolled in programming courses offered by the Computer Science (CS) department; however, these courses often failed to meet the unique demands of robotics engineering, resulting in challenges for up to 30% of the students. The newly introduced course mitigates this issue through a project-based learning approach, where programming concepts are directly applied to real-world robotics projects.

This paper presents a detailed analysis of the implementation process, course structure, and the pedagogical foundation of this newly developed programming course. We offer a comprehensive evaluation of the course's effectiveness, using both qualitative and quantitative assessments such as student feedback, performance metrics, and cohort comparisons. Our evaluation focuses particularly on the course's impact on students' readiness for subsequent robotics courses, demonstrating a marked improvement in their ability to apply programming skills in robotics-specific contexts. Additionally, we explore the broader implications of this course for the RBE curriculum and how it may serve as a model for other robotics engineering programs seeking to enhance student preparedness for advanced technical challenges. By demonstrating the impact of this educational approach, we aim to inspire other institutions to adopt similar strategies to address the rapidly evolving demands of the field.