Facilitating Engineering Principles via Industry Standards: The Case of Lean Sigma in a Community College Classroom

Opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) exist now more than ever for students interested in pursuing engineering degrees and careers. Although many of these students have acted on this interest, by enrolling in engineering courses as Freshmen, there are many who struggle with applying the Engineering Design Process to solving complex problems, post-enrollment. This is especially true for First Year Engineering students on the Community College level, where few opportunities for hands-on, project-based learning activities exist, in comparison to Tier1 research universities. The number of students who successfully obtain these design skills at the community college level directly impacts the number of students who are eligible to transfer to, enroll in and pursue Engineering degrees at four-year institutions. The proposed study will explore the introduction of lean six sigma methodologies within an Engineering student's first year, using a hands-on project as a pathway towards enhancing student experiences, learning and motivation in the areas of Engineering Design Process development and implementation. This proposed intervention, focuses on the implementation of instruction and curriculum design changes that serve as a catalyst for closing the education equality gap, where the ability to apply engineering design and process improvement principles are concerned.