Learning in informal environments through engineering activities through the partnership with the girl scouts

Abstract

More affordable and portable robots have enabled easier access for outreach activities to happen in different environments. However, exposure to robotics often relies on seeing robots in action, such as industrial robotics and robots that are used for research purposes. Old Dominion University's College of Engineering and Technology in Norfolk, Virginia recently signed a partnership agreement with the Girl Scouts of Colonial Coast as one of the focused outreach strategies that target the female population. Various events are held on campus in the Hampton Roads residential area located in the southeastern United States, which has a population around 2 million people. Through this method, elementary age girls can be exposed to engineering content by attending events that are held on the university campus and lead by faculty along with graduate and undergraduate students. This paper showcases one such learning activity through an informal setting activity designed for the K-5 elementary grade levels. In this case, Girl Scouts in the following groups: Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors. Similar activities can be delivered on any other college campus that offers majors related to the area of mechanical engineering / mechanical engineering technology; civil engineering / civil engineering technology; and electrical engineering / electrical engineering technology. .