Impact of an Interdisciplinary Engineering Design Project on First Year Students

Increasing student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) continues to be of significant importance in order to satisfy the increasing demand for professionals in these fields.The First Year Scholars program at Kennesaw State University (KSU) aims to introduce first-year students to the undergraduate research experience.Students are encouraged to apply for projects they find interesting, regardless of whether the projects are in their majors.This program helps students gain early research experience, which sets them on a path for future success.In this study, an interdisciplinary engineering project was developed that required students from both the mechanical and electrical disciplines to work collaboratively on designing a Smart Helmet for cyclists.The students had minimal expertise in engineering design but were presented with a problem that required them to learn and acquire several new skills that they did not possess.The impact of the project was examined based on their performance and through the use of a survey which they completed at the end of the project.The results were very favorable and indicated that the interdisciplinary nature of the project had motivated them to pursue a