First-year Experience for Engineering Lab Course: The Mini-Rose Parade Float Project Update - Year 6

This paper discusses how our university integrates the Cal State's "learn by doing" philosophy into the curriculum by combining both a lecture and lab to prepare students for careers in engineering through hands on activities.Each Winter Quarter, each EGR 100 Lab section is given the task of designing and building a miniature Rose Float.Under given specifications the class brainstorms along the actual Rose Parade theme.Each section is required to follow specifications for the design of their floats and the animations.Some of the specifications included size, speed, number of animations, and decorations.There is a detailed specification sheet and a rubric used by the judges to score the mini rose floats in the competition.Each class uses 3D modeling tools to develop the design, and to develop and improve 3D spatial visualization skills, which is key to their success as engineering students.The "Learn by Doing" project experience takes a project from concept to completion, very similar to what he or she would do in the field as an engineer.At the end of the four-week project a competition is held and the floats are judged during a parade of the completed mini-rose parade floats. 1