2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Background
Soft robotics is a novel and emerging field of robotics. Unlike traditional robot mechanics, soft robotics uses flexible, compliant materials instead of rigid parts and linkages. This soft aspect of the robots has led to their increasing use in organic applications such as biomimicry, orthotic devices, and surgical robots. This field has seen rapid growth recently, which is only projected to continue as the field expands into new engineering settings. However, this rapid growth has led to a lack of up-to-date, accessible educational material surrounding soft robotics.

Overview
Our project, funded by the National Science Foundation Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program, takes place in the context of a modified version of capstone design experiences called engineering clinics at our institution. Clinics are offered to third- and fourth-year students, where they engage in multi-disciplinary, team-based projects in collaboration with faculty. In the soft robotics clinic, students are tasked with identifying and designing new soft robotics prototypes, developing modules that support student learning in connection with their prototypes, and sharing these results on a public-facing, freely accessible website. As students design the prototypes and modules, they work with faculty to identify courses or outreach programs where the modules could be implemented with the long-term goal of the project being an implementation of the learning modules in multiple courses and programs at our institution. In this manner, the project has the potential to impact the learning and interest in soft robotics of both the students designing the modules and the students participating in the modules once they are developed. By having projects made by students, for students, our goal is to benefit both through soft robotics. At the end of each semester, student module designers are asked to self-report their growth in soft robotics learning and interest and reflect on their experience in the clinic. Students participating as learners are also asked to respond to a post-module survey to gauge their learning and soft robotics interest in relation to their module participation.

Results
We have previously reported on the learning outcomes of students in the first semester of the clinic project. This project has since continued, engaging students in another two semesters of project work (Spring 2024 and Fall 2024) as well as summer work for two students (Summer 2024). The results of this paper will focus on the continued observation of learning patterns that emerged in the first semester of the project as well as new patterns that were noted. The effects on student growth from factors that differed in each subsequent semester will also be analyzed. This includes placing a greater emphasis on understanding the potential applications of projects in our engineering curriculum, changing team sizes, as well as other factors.

Conclusion
This work offers valuable insights into the continuation of a novel initiative to involve students in the design of educational modules and encapsulates the results of those modules being implemented.