Project Profile

The Internet Community of Design Engineers (iCODE) is a collaborative project of the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Machine Science Inc. We have developed an on-line learning system that enables schools and community centers to support engineering design programs for students in grades 7 to 12. Microcontroller technology is an unseen but pervasive part of everyday life, integrated into virtually all automobiles, home appliances, and electronic devices. Since microcontroller projects result in physical creations, they provide an engaging context for students to develop design and programming skills. Moreover, these projects foster abilities that are critical for success in IT careers, requiring creativity, analytical thinking, and teamwork—not just basic IT skills. Our materials include step-by-step design plans for IT-intensive, computer-controlled projects, custom hardware and on-line tools for microcontroller programming, on-line mentoring by university students and IT professionals, forums for sharing project ideas and collaborative troubleshooting, and tools for creating web-based project portfolios. We are launching 10 community- and school-based sites in Lowell, Lawrence, and the greater Boston area. Throughout the year, students will engage in hands-on, design-based activities, using microcontroller kits that have been developed and classroom-tested by the project partners. Each participating student attends 25 weekly after-school sessions, two career events, two design exhibitions/competitions, and a 2-week-long summer camp on a University of Massachusetts campus in Boston or Lowell. The iCODE program will serve more than 175 students over a three-year period.