Experiments from optical engineering and robotics for a pre-engineering program

Engineering is experiencing a period of dramatic change and growth in several areas. Demand for qualified professionals continues to grow. To meet this growing demand, we need to attract new students who are well prepared to study engineering. However, reports indicate a widening gap in the preparation of incoming students. To address this problem several universities and colleges around the USA have developed strong outreach programs and relevant curricula to attract students to study engineering. At CSUS, the authors have developed some simple experiments from optical engineering and robotics to increase student motivation and interest in engineering. The experiments have been successfully used in our freshman level "Introduction to Engineering" course that emphasizes problem solving and teamwork. Student feedback has been very positive and has led to broader partnerships with area high schools, and community colleges, under the auspices of the Sacramento Engineering and Technology Regional Consortium