Student perceptions of design projects that involve developing assistive devices for elementary school children with disabilities

Abstract

One of the major goals of the engineering profession is to improve the human condition. It is therefore important for engineering educators to introduce the idea of public service so that students can recognize the potential impact their profession can have on society. One unique approach to engaging engineering students in service-based learning involves the design and development of assistive devices for persons with disabilities. Some previous papers specifically discuss incorporating design projects involving assistive devices into capstone design courses, but no literature exists that provides a clear understanding of how engineering undergraduate students participating in such projects perceive the opportunity as a means to learn engineering skills. This project begins to fill this major gap in the literature. Teams of undergraduate mechanical engineering students at Loyola Marymount University were tasked to develop assistive devices during their yearlong 2012-2013 capstone design course sequence. For these projects, the student teams partnered with WISH Charter, a nationally recognized local free independent charter elementary school that is dedicated to providing an inclusive educational environment for all children. In a full inclusion setting, students with disabilities are educated alongside students without disabilities as the first and desired option while maintaining appropriate support and services. A growing body of research indicates that inclusive education is an effective practice for most students. For example, it is well documented that inclusive education can yield positive outcomes for all of those involved, including the focus students, typical peers, classroom teachers, and the school community at large. The engineering student teams were required to submit their designs to the 2013 RESNA Student Design Competition, an annual competition sponsored by Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America. This paper will provide a discussion of the design projects and a qualitative assessment of how engineering undergraduate students participating in such projects perceive the opportunity as a means to learn engineering skills. In particular, this paper will utilize an open-coding approach to identify emergent categories in post-intervention student responses to questions regarding student learning and development as professionals and as members of society in general. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2013.