DCO Tech: Expanding Regional Capacity for Training in Engineering Technology and Data Center Operations Award Abstract #2055717

Common software systems, such as those based on artificial intelligence, often require a cloud-based computing infrastructure. As cloud-based computing has expanded, so has the need for the data center infrastructure needed to support it. Data centers require significant capital investment, as well as ongoing operational maintenance. Because of tax incentives enacted by the state legislature, data centers are expanding rapidly in Virginia. As data center capacity expands, a trained engineering technology workforce is required to run these data centers. To address this urgent need, this project will expand the engineering technology program at Northern Virginia Community College by improving the recruitment and education of qualified technicians. By fostering a community of practice between industry, secondary educators, and college faculty, the project team plans to improve the workforce pipeline for engineering technology in the northern Virginia region and ensure that students have the skills required to be successfully employed in the data center industry.

This project intends to advance understanding of the efficacy of bridge programs to promote the recruitment of underrepresented minorities into higher education. It will also examine the efficacy of bridge programs and internship preparation for improving student career attitudes and readiness. It expects to increase the regional supply of engineering technology technicians through the following activities: (1) a two-week summer bridge program focused on career exploration and hands-on learning; (2) an internship preparatory program designed to support students in developing career readiness; (3) an externship for high school educators and industry professionals to develop first-hand knowledge of regional career pathways for engineering technology; and, (5) a veterans outreach program to inform military-connected students about the College’s engineering technology programs. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.

Supporting Instructors to Embed Design Thinking in Digital Fabrication Courses Award Abstract #2055324

Manufacturing and engineering industries face a looming gap in skilled workers, with an estimated 2.4M positions projected to go unfilled by 2025. This project aims to help fill this gap by improving the preparation of the needed technical workforce. To do so, it will establish a Professional Learning program in design thinking pedagogy for secondary and postsecondary educators. The curriculum will focus on design thinking projects that involve digital fabrication techniques, including 3D printing, laser engraving, and Computer Numerical Control milling. The Professional Learning program is expected to improve the educator' teaching practices and enable them to update existing curricula and lesson plans to better align with industry-relevant skills and techniques. The project also intends to create a community of practice around design thinking in digital fabrication that will build a beneficial network among secondary teachers, community college faculty, makerspace educators, and regional employers. It is expected that the project will support 36 secondary and post-secondary educators who will teach more than 3,000 K-12 and undergraduate students in the northern Virginia region. These students will have a greater interest in and be better prepared for technical careers in manufacturing and engineering.

The overarching goal of the project is to use Professional Learning to move digital fabrication instruction beyond the reproduction of simple objects. Instead, the project will train educators to use pedagogy and cognitive strategies to embed design thinking into their digital fabrication lessons and courses. As a result, students will learn to use design thinking to build complex, useful objects. The project’s specific aims include: (1) create a professional learning institute; (2) host digital fabrication summer camps at NOVA and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington; (3) host a semiannual design and digital fabrication challenge; and (4) establish an online resource library of projects and lesson plans created and refined by educators in the community of practice. The project is expected to advance: understanding of the pedagogies that help to develop student interest in manufacturing and engineering; the capacity for Professional Learning to facilitate the integration of design thinking into classrooms and makerspaces; and the extent to which a capstone design challenge may foster sustainable change in instructional practices. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). This project aims to serve the national interest by preparing students for careers in information and communication technology (ICT). The COVID-19 pandemic has increased reliance on computing infrastructure, amplified the need for skilled workers to support this infrastructure, and has disproportionately negatively impacted college students, especially those from historically marginalized groups. This project addresses the need to prepare students for ICT careers by developing (1) a Career and Leadership Readiness Institute (CLRI) program, (2) an internship program for CLRI completers, and (3) a professional learning (PL) program targeted at internship supervisors for students in Northern Virginia Community College's (NOVA) Information and Engineering Technologies programs. The goals of the project are to (1) increase access and improve internship outcomes and (2) develop a PL program to support intern supervision. Over the four-year duration of this project, 150 students will be provided with career and leadership preparation through the CLRI program, 75 of the CLRI completers will enroll in an IT internship program, and PL will be provided for 50 supervisors.

Using a quasi-experimental mixed methods research design, this project will advance our understanding of how projects such as this one (a) improve outcomes (i.e., professional socialization, attitudes toward ICT disciplines, degree completion, persistence in ICT careers) for CLRI completers placed in internships compared to CLRI completers who are not placed in internships; and (b) improve supervisors' coaching of interns (i.e., confidence for supervising, effective coaching skills). The longitudinal and cross-sectional components of the research design allow for comparison of outcomes and documentation of the relative impacts of the CLRI, internship, and PL for students and supervisors, which is absent in the existing research literature. Since supervision quality and characteristics are critically important in determining student learning experiences and outcomes in diverse fields, the model is expected to be valuable across disciplines and for all workplace learning opportunities. The NSF program description on Advancing Innovation and Impact in Undergraduate STEM Education at two-year Institutions of Higher Education supports projects that advance STEM education initiatives at two-year colleges. The program description promotes innovative and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges.

Each year PDI will provide students with a series of 6 Entrepreneurship Workshops to develop a preliminary business plan for a new product, a 4-week Product Design Summer internship composed of workshops and fabrication time to prototype and test their ideas, and academic mentoring to help students develop their ideas into portfolio elements and actionable business ideas. This all culminates in an Industry Pitch Event to local entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors.

Fostering an Entrepreneurial Mindset Through Interdisciplinary Product Design

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving the communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills of technicians in training through entrepreneurial product design training. Employers in the information and engineering technology (IET) sector report that the employee talent pool lacks these “soft” skills that are demanded by the modern workplace. Traditional IET programs do not foster soft skills, instead focusing on the acquisition of technical knowledge. A promising method to teach is skills is product design – a holistic set of methodologies that applies engineering, entrepreneurship, and creative skills to the development of new products or services. As an interdisciplinary collaborative process, product design functions as a microcosm of the workplace, aiding in the development of skills required by regional employers. Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA)’s Product Design Incubator (PDI) is an interdisciplinary project designed to train groups of community college students through a product design challenge. The PDI curriculum will integrate introductory entrepreneurship education and training (EET) and design thinking to guide students from initial ideation through the prototyping and pitch processes. PDI will be situated at NOVA’s Fab Lab and will incorporate NOVA faculty, regional entrepreneurs and IET professionals to support student products. PDI will increase contact between students and industry professionals, foster interdisciplinary collaboration between NOVA students and staff, and increase the supply of IET workers with industry-required collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills.

PDI’s primary goal is to improve soft skills through product design instruction. PDI has 4 components: 1) a series of entrepreneurship workshops focused on learning entrepreneurship skills through a series of product design exercises; 2) a four-week summer product design internship during which student groups will work with an interdisciplinary group of faculty, regional entrepreneurs and the Fab Lab staff to prototype, test, and refine their idea; 3) an industry-centered pitch event for student groups to present their ideas to regional entrepreneurs and professionals who will provide feedback on student product prototypes; and 4) a follow-up academic year mentoring plan to help students develop their summer work into a portfolio, focus their career interests, or continue to develop their idea into an actionable business. Throughout the product duration, PDI will provide product design instruction to 60 students. During year 1, PDI will use an advisory cohort structure of 12 students, who will provide formative feedback on the program. During years 2 and 3, cohorts will expand to 24 students. PDI will advance the understanding of the efficacy of product design-centered EET in improving communication and collaboration skills, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset, and improving interdisciplinary knowledge. Results from NOVA PI will provide insights into the integration of EET into technician education to strengthen soft skills. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.

Increasing the Skilled Information and Engineering Technology Pipeline for In-Demand Jobs Award Abstract #

TBD

Chris Russell: crussell@nvcc.edu (CS Bridge Program)
Emilia Butu, CS Faculty: ebutu@nvcc.edu (CS Bridge Program)
Alison McElfresh: akmcelfresh@nvvcc.edu (IET Advising)
Sarah Ali: sali@nvvcc.edu (IET Advising)

In 2018 the President reauthorized the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Act of 2006 by signing the Strengthening CTE for the 21st Century Act. The federal act provides support for CTE programs with a focus on modernizing and improving the academic and technical achievement of secondary and post-secondary students. Perkins funding at NOVA is distributed to the College through the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Community College System.

Perkins V has focal points to improve accountability, strengthen connections between secondary and Postsecondary education, expand professional development for staff and faculty, improve CTE pathways for special populations, and provide career exploration and preparation. NOVA is focused on identifying and implementing strategies to improve outcomes for all students in CTE programs; especially in supporting the development of in-demand skills identified by industry through programs at the NOVA Fab Lab and through the Career and Leadership Readiness Institute (CLRI).

Through the Fab Lab and the CTE Coordinator, NOVA will implement collaborative programs and activities to support career exploration, employability, and technical skill attainment. Students will utilize NOVA’s makerspace, engineering design challenge, fabrication camps, and SkillsUSA chapter to collaborate in the design and fabrication of solutions to challenges.

NOVA is providing students with career exploration and career development activities through an organized, systematic framework designed to aid students, including the middle grades, before enrolling and while participating in a career and technical education program, in making informed decisions about future education and career opportunities and programs of study. This includes:

• Analyzing relevant labor market information to develop career-based programs and activities that provide a pathway that links secondary and Postsecondary education to in-demand careers.
• Providing NOVA information nights focused on career exploration and career awareness, including nontraditional  fields for secondary and post-secondary students.
• Producing the CLRI to assist students in making informed decisions about future education and employment while providing workshops and activities to build skills that will support employability.

Building an Industry-aligned Pathway to Careers in Cloud Computing

The Cloud Grant represents a partnership with community colleges, industry, regional high schools, and universities to establish an industry-aligned pathway in cloud computing.

NOVA developed 'Reach for the Cloud' as an NSF ATE project to lead the development of a pathway in Cloud Computing (in partnership with Columbus State Community College). Through this award, NOVA has established a pathway to develop cloud talent and continues working with industry partners and faculty to improve student outcomes. The final deliverable is aligning courses in the cloud degree with military occupational specialty (MOS) codes to support veterans transitioning from service to education.

• More information about NOVA’s Cloud Computing Program 

Cloud NSF Grant Deliverables

New, collaboratively developed, and industry-led curriculum in cloud computing including foundational courses leading to the Cloud Fundamentals Certification, a Cloud Literacy Initiative to facilitate the education pipeline from high school to community college, a Professional Development Community of practice for high school and community college faculty to share best practices for cloud credential mapping and educator training, and a Veteran Outreach Plan to attract active and former military into the cloud technology program as their field of study.

Cloud NSF Grant Award Abstract

Building an Industry-aligned Pathway to Careers in Cloud Computing 
Award Abstract #1800988 

This project represents a partnership with community colleges, industry, regional high schools, and universities to establish an industry-aligned pathway in cloud computing. Technology sectors have shown a significant demand for cloud-certified information technology professionals. Collaboratively developed and industry-led curriculum in cloud computing will lead to a Cloud Fundamentals Certification, stackable toward an Associate of Applied Science with Cloud Specialization. This project leverages existing collaborations among the institutions to create labs and share curriculum development best practices. The target audience for the project will be two-year college students, including veterans and incumbent workers. This project addresses the national call to increase the supply of qualified technicians proficient in cloud technology.

In a survey of Tech Chief Financial Officers, cloud computing was selected by 74% of those surveyed as the technology that had the most impact on their business in 2017. The goal of the project is to establish an industry-aligned pathway in cloud computing to increase the supply of qualified technicians with proficiency in cloud technology. Project goals will be achieved by working with industry partners who will provide expertise and guidance in curriculum design. The project will develop products that will be disseminated to other institutions including a new industry-led curriculum in cloud computing, a cloud literacy initiative, a professional development community of practice, and an outreach plan for military veterans. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impact review criteria.