Increasing community college transfer success and interest in renewable energy

"Renewable Energy"


Team:

Oscar Azucena (Lead), UC Santa Cruz, postdoctoral researcher in Electrical EngineeringEngineer WEST group photo
Karla Knudson, UC Santa Cruz, graduate student in Earth & Planetary Sciences
Cheryl Zubrick, UC Santa Cruz, graduate student in Environmental Toxicology

Audience: 

11 transfers students from community colleges just about to start UCSC as a science or engineering major

Venue:

Workshop for Engineering & Science Transfers (WEST), UC Santa Cruz, September 16-18, 2013

Description:

The goals of this activity were for students to learn about flow and power in the context of a renewable energy system, and gain practice in system optimization by identifying and working with variables in wind and hydroelectric power generation. Students investigated the relationship of flow versus power generation in electrical generators powered by renewable energy sources (wind and water) using model systems that can be used in a classroom. They conducted hands-on tests to determine the relationship between power and flow for a renewable power source to maximize energy output, activating a Light Emitting Diode (LED). The activity was a total of about 8 hours, spread over two days.

To engage students in a problem or parameter that interested them, they rotated through two stations that posed a real-life problem and stimulated them to brainstorm features, parameters, trends, and questions related to wind or hydroelectric power. For example, at the hydroelectric station students were told that Santa Cruz needs a new clean, renewable power, wants to design an efficient hydroelectric power plant to solve its energy demand. They are provided with information, models, and data from hydro plants in the Colorado River Watershed. By looking at differences in design and flow output between two different hydro turbines, they noticed important features and trends, such as penstock height and diameter, structural height, and turbine quantity/design. The wind station similarly stimulated questions about wind power generation through design and output data from the wind farm at Altamont Pass in California, and notice things like wind speed, wind direction, blade size and shape, and tower height. By the end of both stations, students came up with many how and why questions which instructors have intentionally stimulated through getting students to notice particular features and trends, and have engaged with the content enough to identify what is most interesting to them.

The activity then moves into the investigation phase in which students conceived and tested their own design using model systems. After returning from a short break, students read through the questions that they collectively generated (and strategically sorted by instructors) and formed teams of 2-3 students based on common interests. Students had about five hours to work and were told their goal is to determine variables that affect power output, and to optimize their power generation system. Students were given freedom and ownership of how to go about their process. Each team has a problem or question, such as “what kind of wind turbine can be efficient given variable wind directions?” They might decide to design a turbine that swivels or some way to funnel the wind to hit a stationary turbine. Students faced many challenges as they moved through this phase of the activity, including difficulties in designing their model system (building a functional turbine), as well as in their conceptual understanding. For example, many did not initially understand (or were able to apply) the concept that there is a limit to the trend that more flow equates to more power produced. Some also came into the activity with prior conceptions about wind power that in some cases constrained new design ideas. Students had difficulty isolating variables, because there were many and changing one often changes another (e.g. increasing the number of blades increase both surface area hit by the wind, but also the weight of the turbine). Instructors observed and listened to students as they worked, providing additional materials, asking questions, helping them to notice on their own that they have not isolated a variable, and making sure that social dynamics were productive. At the mid-point, a short demonstration with toy sailboats served as a thinking tool to stimulate them to think more about isolating variables.

In the final phase of the activity, individual students reported their results to peers and were assessed on the extent to which they reached the intended learning goals. The teams divided, with each individual team member going to different small group discussion (a “jigsaw” format). During the discussion, each student was asked to report on his or her team’s question, design approach, variables they identified, and how changing variable affected their power output. Students are explicitly asked to use evidence from their experimentation and they are encouraged to use diagrams. After the group discussions, the teams came back together and made posters that were be presented to a larger group. Instructors synthesized the collective results of all the teams, and provided further information on the relationship between flow and power.

Additional activities at venue:

This activity was one of three that an incoming group of transfer students could choose from. The whole group (from all three activities) also engaged in an ice-breaker activity to get students socializing, a faculty panel who talked about how to get involved in research, and a small resource fair where students could talk to people from various programs on campus. Students from all three groups had a poster session so that they could learn about the other group’s results.

Sponsors:

NSF logo PIRE title & grant

 

 ISEE logo

ISEE staff consultant:

Lisa Hunter


Immediate Impacts

Learning outcomes from activity: Students were assessed based on their understanding of the relationship between flow and power, and their process of optimization. A rubric was created, and students were scored on their identification of relevant variables, including assumptions and limitations of those variables; and relating variables to kinetic energy. A second rubric was created to assess their mastery of processes of optimization. Students were scored on whether they were able to isolate and change one variable, and identify dependent and co-dependent variables. A total score of 12 was possible, and 8 indicated proficiency. Students’ scores ranged from 7.5-11. 


Long-term Impacts

Venue: WEST began in 2007, and has served 275 incoming transfer students since that time. WEST students begin their first quarter at UCSC with confidence in their science/engineering ability, friends to study with, and a network that includes graduate students, postdocs, faculty and staff. Many WEST students find research positions in faculty labs. WEST is tracking persistence and graduation rates – and the results look promising – and the program hopes to show a statistically significant increase in graduation rates for those who participate in WEST within the next few years.

PDP team members: too recent to report on at this date

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