Development and efficacy of an introduction to rocketry course on student knowledge and interest in aerospace for expanding the pipeline and enhancing education of students pursuing careers in space

As part of the Department of Defense’s initiative to increase the number of students interested in pursuing careers in the space and defense industry several courses and challenge projects were developed by SpaceLab Illinois. These projects are meant to increase awareness of career opportunities in the space and defense industry. The flagship course is the Introduction to Rocketry course which is intended for high school and early college students. The course is a combination of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) and hands on model rocket building. Often referred to as a Bended MOOC, this course is intended to be as accessible as possible for students and teachers so that it can be accessed, understood, and completed by almost anyone in the target audience. Not much is known about the development and effectiveness of blended MOOCs, likely because of the difficulty to implement such a course. The move to an online focused classroom in recent years has made educators more open to implementing online courses. This allows students access to up to date and expertly taught content that might not be possible in a traditional classroom. Still, it is important not to lose sight of the benefits of students experimenting and learning in the classroom with their teacher. The studies presented in this paper attempt to provide insight into the efficacy of the introduction to rocketry course developed. Specifically, does the course increase students’ technical knowledge and interest in aerospace? Along the journey of the development of this course and the research into its effectiveness, many challenges were encountered. This paper will also present qualitative findings from this journey to assist future educators and researchers if they should choose to develop a similar course.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Aerospace Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• Plomin, Tim

Contributors dc:contributor

• Rovey, Joshua L

• Aerospace
• Education
• Mooc
• Blended Mooc

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2023 Tim Plomin

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/121546

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F121546