NSF Award
2434215
With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions <br/>(HSI) Program, this Educational Instrumentation project at San Francisco State University (SFSU) <br/>will strengthen undergraduate learning in Civil, Mechanical, and Computer Engineering. <br/>Specifically, this project will secure a state-of-the-art Six Degrees of Freedom (6-DOF) Hexapod <br/>Motion Platform from Quanser Corporation, which will allow students to conduct hands-on <br/>experiments in courses such as Dynamics, Engineering Experimentation, Structural Analysis, <br/>Control Systems Laboratory, Systems Dynamics and Mechanical Vibrations, Digital Signal <br/>Processing, and Engineering Design Projects. An estimated 500 students and five faculty <br/>members will utilize the project-funded equipment each year. In addition to providing improved <br/>experiences in engineering courses, the new equipment will also be used in undergraduate <br/>research and independent projects.<br/><br/>The goals of this project are to enrich the learning and experiences of undergraduate students <br/>by providing critical equipment in the aforementioned disciplines. The Hexapod Motion <br/>Platform will enable students to bridge theoretical knowledge with practical application, <br/>enhancing their understanding of real-world engineering challenges and developing essential <br/>technical skills. This project will assess the impact of the project-funded equipment using <br/>quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods, including tracking D, F, W rates, analyzing <br/>student performance on relevant assessments and conducting surveys to collect feedback.<br/>This project is funded by the HSI Program, which aims to enhance undergraduate STEM <br/>education, broaden participation in STEM, and increase capacity to engage in the development <br/>and implementation of innovations to improve STEM teaching and learning at HSIs<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
