The purpose of the CSL Integrators project is to evaluate and gauge the outcomes and impacts of CSL projects on MECH 410E students and their community partners. The three main objectives of the project are as follows: (1) to obtain an overall sense of student satisfaction with MECH 410E, (2) to gauge the impact of the CSL projects on student learning and community partners, and (3) to document the CSL project developments.
This project also seeks to determine opportunities for improvement and provide recommendations for course improvements for a more effective learning experience for future students who might be taking the course as well as more effective service for future community partners.
Background
MECH 410E is a course with the objective to educate students about the theory and practice of Engineering Leadership and Service-Learning. The course syllabus states, “The goal of this course is to provide students with leadership education, and engineering service experiences to hone their nontechnical skills and enhance the service ethic within their professional development”. These objectives are partially fulfilled by students participating in CSL projects. Our project is one of five CSL project groups, the other projects and their groups are described briefly below.
Group A – This group consists of five members, their project is to design a lab for an engineering statistics course with the aim of combining statistical analysis with a CSL activity.
Group B – This group consists of four members, their project is to gather and present relevant information to a community group that is striving to halt the development of a mine near its community.
Group C – This group consists of three members, their project is working with a non-profit organization to map an estuary and to assist them with receiving carbon credits, this project was created and proposed by a student.
Group D – This group consists of five members, their project is to research and propose strategies to build an energy-efficient orphanage in a developing country.