HEADER TITLE = arial, bold, 24 point, caps

1
Engineering Education for Todays Classroom
The Infinity ProjectSM Bringing Engineering
Education to Schools Across the Country
infinity-project.org
The Institute for Engineering Education
2
History of the Program

• Started in 1999 as a partnership between Southern
  Methodist University, Texas Instruments and
  leading national engineering faculty.
• Purpose Respond to the national challenge of
  exciting and preparing young students for
  advanced education in engineering, technology,
  math, and science.

3
Curriculum Development Team

• Developed in partnership with subject matter
  experts in the field of engineering and education
• Ongoing multi-million dollar investment in
  curricula materials

4
What is The Infinity ProjectSM?

• Award Winning Engineering Education Program
• Based in Caruth Institute for Engineering
  Education
• Emphasizes innovation in addition to problem
  solving
• Appropriate for
• Early College Students
• High School Students (10th 12th)
• Middle School Students (6th 8th)
• Outreach Camp Students
• Hands-on application of math science to topics
  of interest to students
• Internet, cell phones, electronic music, digital
  cameras

5
Program Breadth

• 350 High Schools/Middle Schools/Colleges in 37
  States
• Public, Private, Magnet Schools
• Gaining international interest
• Australia, Ireland, Israel, Lebanon, Mexico,
  Portugal

Massachusetts Maine Michigan Mississippi Missouri
New Jersey New Mexico New York North
Carolina Ohio
Alabama Alaska Arkansas Arizona California Colorad
o Connecticut District of Columbia Florida
Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Iowa Kansas Kentucky
Louisiana Maryland
Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Tennessee Texas Utah
Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin
6
Infinity Project Partners

• Universities, corporations, government agencies
  and many others

7
The Complete Solution

• Instructional Materials
• High School/College Textbook
• Middle School Student Manual
• Instructors Guide
• Daily Lesson Plan
• Chapter Presentation Slides
• On-line Customer Support
• Technology Kit
• Turns PC Into Engineering Design Platform
• Professional Development
• Instruction in Use of Hardware, Software and Text
• Week Long Sessions Hosted by University Partners

8
Elements to Success

• Two Key Elements for The Infinity Projects
  Success
• 1. Award winning, high quality program
• 2. Easy for schools to implement
• Added benefits
• low cost
• works with existing teacher base
• significant classroom support
• high impact

9
Engineering Curricula
Course Title Level Teacher Certification Available
Infinity Project Engineering Our Digital Future Pre-req Algebra II, one lab based science 4th Year Science Requirement 2010/2011 11-12 Math Science Technology Education Current
Infinity Project for Computer Applications Pre-req Basic Math and Science 9-10 Technology Education Current
The Infinity Project for Middle School 6-8 Math Science Technology Education Current
10
Key Course Objectives

• The student develops an understanding of the
  engineering design process.
• The student uses a variety of technological
  devices to design, build, and test engineering
  concepts.
• The student applies mathematical knowledge to
  engineering technology.
• The student explores the connections between
  humans and technology to enhance the human
  utility of engineering designs.
• Inspire students to pursue higher level math
  science

11
High School Engineering Curriculum

• The Infinity Project - Engineering Our Digital
  Future
• Year long course designed for students that
  completed Algebra II and one lab based science
• Course may also be taken concurrently with
  Algebra II
• Provides math, science, or career technical
  elective credit
• Also taught at the college level as Introduction
  to Engineering
• Typically taught as a stand alone course
• Curriculum may be incorporated into existing
  math/science/CTE courses
• Instructional Materials Include
• Engineering Our Digital Future, Instructors
  Manual, Student Manual
• Daily Lesson Plan Guide, PowerPoint Lecture
• Infinity Project Technology Kit with LabVIEW
  software
• On-line Customer Support

12
Engineering Our Digital Future Outline

• Chapter 1 - The World of Modern Engineering
• Chapter 2 - Creating Digital Music
• Chapter 3 - Making Digital Images
• Chapter 4 - Math You Can See
• Chapter 5 - Digitizing the World
• Chapter 6 - Coding Information for Storage and
  Secrecy
• Chapter 7 - Communicating With Ones and Zeros
• Chapter 8 - Networks From the Telegraph to the
  Internet
• Chapter 9 - The Big Picture of Engineering

13
High School Engineering Curriculum

• The Infinity Project for Computer Applications
• Adapted Engineering Our Digital Future Curriculum
  for 9th and 10th grade students
• Enhances Computer Applications Course by
  introducing hands-on engineering concepts
• Aligned with Texas Computer Applications TEKS
• Provides Technology Education Graduation Credit
• Instructional Materials Include
• Daily Lesson Plan Guide, PowerPoint Chapter
  Lecture
• Student Lab Manual for Computer Applications
• Textbook Engineering Our Digital Future
• Infinity Project Technology Kit with LabVIEW
  software
• On-line Customer Support

14
Computer Applications Outline

• Unit 1 Introduction to Engineering
• What Scientists Engineers Do, Birth of Digital
  Age, Moores Law, Organizing Engineering Designs
• Unit 2 Basics of Engineering Involving Video
• Size, Negative Shifting of Images,
  Thresholding, Creating a Calculator in LabVIEW
• Unit 3 Basics of Engineering Involving Sound
• Sound as a Signal, Shifting Amplitude
• Unit 4 Digitizing the World
• Creating a Digital Newsletter, Signals
  Sampling, CAD
• Unit 5 Coding Information
• Storage Secrecy, Quantization
• Unit 6 Careers in Engineering
• Teamwork/Leadership/Time Management, Computer
  Jobs, Safety/Standards

15
Middle School Engineering Curriculum

• The Infinity Project Engineering for Todays
  Middle School
• Designed to get students in 6th 8th grade
  excited about math, science and engineering
  through hands-on activities
• Activities centered on 13 three-week modules
  covering disciplines of Electrical, Mechanical,
  Civil, Environmental, Biomedical Engineering
• Modules may be incorporated into 6th-8th grade
  math, science, technology classes or grouped
  together and taught as a standalone course
• Modules supported by rigorous math and science
  curriculum
• Instructional Materials Include
• Instructors Manual with Text, Exercises, Lab
  Activities, Daily Lesson Plan Guide and Power
  Point Lecture for each Module
• Student Manual with Text, Exercises, Lab
  Activities for each Module
• Infinity Project Technology Kit with LabVIEW
  software
• Lego Mindstorms NXT Kit
• On-line Customer Support

16
Middle School Curriculum Outline

• Introduction to Engineering Design
• Learn how engineers apply a nine-step design
  algorithm to create objects students use every
  day
• Sound Engineering Making Great Sounds
• Discover how technology is used to make music and
  movies sound great
• Digital Imaging Pixel Yourself in the Digital
  Domain
• Learn how technology is used to create and
  manipulate digital images
• Watts Up in Power
• Uncover the secrets behind electrical power
  generation and transmission
• Rocketry Achieving Liftoff I
• Explore the physics behind rocket motion
• Rocketry Achieving Liftoff II
• Discover where rocket engines get their power
  understand rocket trajectories
• Robots from Concept to Completion
• Learn the mechanical aspects of robots, how they
  move, manipulate objects and think

17
Middle School Curriculum Outline

• Machines Making it all Work
• Examine the basics of machine technology and how
  it has helped the development of civilization
• Structures The Roofs Over Our Heads
• Discover the concepts behind solid structures and
  their ability to stand the test of time
• Engineering in the Natural World
• Increase awareness of environmental issues and
  how technology can be used to develop solutions
• Engineering Our Planets Future
• Explore how the Earths climate is changing and
  how new technologies will meet the challenge
• Imaging The Human Body
• Find out how modern medicine is using space age
  technology to better understand how the human
  body works
• Engineering the Human Machine
• Discover how engineers medical scientists are
  tackling human heath issues and expanding our
  understanding of what it means to be human

18
Professional Development

• Focus on Supporting Educators in the Classroom
• Fun, week-long summer institutes review
  curriculum and technology associated with each
  course
• Teachers really begin to think and act like
  engineers
• Provides 35 hours of professional development
  credit
• Taught by Master Infinity Project Instructor with
  years of classroom experience
• Materials to Support Classroom Experience
• Instructors Manual
• Daily Lesson Plan Guide
• PowerPoint Chapter Lecture
• Engineering Design Projects
• Test Questions, Homework Solutions
• On-line Customer Support

19
Student Impact

• Findings from Qualitative Assessment prepared for
  Texas Education Agency as part of Innovative
  Course Renewal
• Instructors report that students
• Obtain deeper understanding of math and science
• Improve performance in other math and science
  classes
• Increase willingness to take other math and
  science classes
• Increase desire to pursue engineering and/or
  technology degrees in college
• Students report
• 83 considering engineering as a career
• 40 times higher than the typical 2
• 95 learned new math concept
• 94 would recommend course to a friend

20
Becoming an Infinity School

• Complete submit Infinity Project application
• www.infinity-project.org/joinnow
• Interview conducted with school principal
  instructor
• Schools acquire classroom technology textbooks
• Instructors attend Professional Development
  Institute
• Course offered in fall