Three Rivers Community College

SPIE Press is the largest independent publisher of optics and photonics books - access our growing scientific eBook collection ranging from monographs, reference works, field guides, and tutorial texts.

Abstract Creating Real-World Problem-Based Learning Challenges in Sustainable Technologies to Increase the STEM PipelineAs a new generation of American students move through the educational pipeline, they are beingchallenged as never before with important issues such as global climate change, sustainability,and all things “green.” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines sustainability as“meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meettheir own needs.” The implications of sustainability are far-reaching and pervasive. They affectall aspects of life including how we generate energy, provide clean drinking water and growfood, manufacture goods and provide services, heat and cool our homes, and get to work andschool each day.With all of the attention given by policy makers and the media about the importance ofsustainable technologies, student enrollment in science, technology, engineering and math(STEM) fields in the U.S. continues to lag behind other industrialized nations. If the U.S. is tomaintain its global economic and technological competitiveness, the educational system mustproduce more graduates interested and prepared to enter STEM related careers. To this end,educators must provide students with learning experiences that engage and motivate them bytapping into their natural creativity, imagination, and desire to solve the big problems of theworld such as environmental sustainability, while at the same time develop the problem-solvingand critical thinking skills needed for lifelong learning.One instructional method capable of providing this type of learning experience is problem-basedlearning (PBL). PBL is an instructional approach that challenges students to “learn how to learn”through collaborative real-world problem solving. Research shows that compared withtraditional lecture-based instruction, PBL improves student motivation, critical thinking andproblem-solving skills, learning retention and the ability to adapt learning to new and novelsituations—critical skills for the 21st century workplace.In this paper, we report on the progress of the Problem-Based Learning for SustainableTechnologies: Increasing the STEM Pipeline (STEM PBL) project of the New England Board ofHigher Education. This three-year National Science Foundation Advanced TechnologicalEducation (NSF-ATE) project is aimed at increasing student interest and preparedness inpursuing STEM-related careers, and providing STEM educators across the U.S. with the trainingand resources needed to introduce PBL in their classrooms. Working closely with industry,government, and university collaborators breaking new ground in sustainable technologies, theSTEM PBL project team has created a comprehensive series of online multimedia PBLinstructional materials referred to as “STEM PBL Challenges.” The STEM PBL Challenges aredesigned to engage secondary and post-secondary students in authentic real-world problem-solving focused on contemporary issues of sustainability including solar and wind energy, cleanwater, sustainable agriculture, and consumer product hazards. A detailed discussion of theproblems, the collaborating partners, the STEM PBL Challenge development process, and thepre- and in-service teacher training program is presented.

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional approach in which students learn course content by using a structured approach to collaboratively solving complex real-world problems. PBL addresses widespread industry concern that graduates of technician and engineering programs often have difficulty applying their technical knowledge to novel situations and working effectively in teams. Over the past 9 years, the PBL Projects of the New England Board of Higher Education (Boston, MA) have developed instructional strategies and materials that research shows address industry concerns by improving student learning, retention, critical thinking and problem-solving skills as well as the transfer of knowledge to new situations. In this paper we present a retrospective of the PBL Projects, three National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education (NSF-ATE) projects that developed twenty interdisciplinary multi-media PBL case studies called in the topic areas of optics/photonics, sustainable technology and advanced manufacturing, provided faculty professional development in the use of PBL in the classroom to teachers across the U.S. and abroad, and conducted research on the efficacy of the PBL method. We will describe the resources built into the Challenges to scaffold the development of students’ problem solving and critical thinking skills and the support provided to instructors who wish to create a student-centered classroom by incorporating PBL. Finally, we will discuss plans for next steps and examine strategies for taking PBL to the next level through actual industry-based problem solving experiences.

By learning about the principles of optics, Connecticut high school students will be able to produce high quality photographs using pinhole cameras. In this project, a class of photography students has partnered with a class of physics students to learn about optics, build pinhole cameras, use commercially available pinhole cameras and produce quality photographs. In this paper, the results of this student partnership under the guidance of the Laser and Fiber Optic Technology program at Three Rivers Community College and EASTCONN, a regional education service center will be explained.

The chapter presents healthcare examples of the current virtual working environment and introduces nursing skills necessary for evidence-based practice in a virtual workplace. The authors discuss how the Nursing Information Literacy Program was designed and implemented at Three Rivers Community College to assist nursing students in developing skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving, technological literacy, information literacy, and collaborative and cooperative learning. The authors hope that this example will serve as a model for creating other information literacy programs that prepare students for working in a virtual workplace.Request access from your librarian to read this chapter's full text.

Rather than focus narrowly on photonics technician training, projects PHOTON and PHOTON2 have developed instructional materials for the widest possible use across a range of educational levels and science and technology disciplines.

Project PHOTON has developed a set of instructional materials suitable for a one-semester laboratory based introduction to photonics course. The textbook, laboratory experiment kit and laboratory manual have been thoroughly field tested by participating high schools and two year colleges. All materials have been aligned to national Math, Science, Technology and Language Arts standards.

The Connecticut Business and Industry Association and Three Rivers Community College have partnered with Connecticut’s photonics industry to provide innovative training programs in optics, lasers and fiber optics. A Certificate in Fiber Optics is being delivered by distance learning with assistance by company mentors. This approach was developed to meet training objectives and company goals.