About MUSE

MUSE or multi-university systems education is a coalition of universities. We have proposed a learning model that develops important skills not addressed in the contemporary engineering curricula. Known as systems thinking, this skill enables students to envision the architectures of complex, multi-layered engineering systems.

In this project, an undergraduate track in wireless sensor networks will be developed as a vehicle for studying these systems, featuring (1) junior-year tutorials, (2) an online, systems-centric, senior technical elective, and (3) a culminating Capstone Design course emphasizing inter-university collaboration.


View our introduction video here

This track will be buttressed by expanding existing and planned programs to include motivation and recruitment of high school students in summer programs and exposure in freshman-year introductory engineering classes.


EXPERIENCE THE MUSE!

The IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S) Education Committee sponsors a MUSE initiative focused putting systems-thinking skills in practice. The sponsored activities will include development and distribution of wireless sensor network development boards and a world-wide student video competition.

HANDS-ON PROJECTS

As part of "Experience the MUSE" the wireless development boards will be provided at no-cost to participating universities along with hands-on projects that are suitable for entry-level engineering courses. The boards were beta-tested in fall 2009 at selected universities, and are presently being distributed to interested parties. For more information, click here.

VIDEO COMPETITION: MTT Alive!

The video competition "MTT Alive!" featured short, student-generated videos of their wireless systems-oriented design projects. The aim of the contest was to encourage more students to undertake design projects with microwave/wireless content and to attract more students to the engineering profession.

For 2010, the winning videos (announced at the IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium in May 2010) are as follows. Links go to YouTube videos:

Gold @ $1000


Gannon

McMaster

 
 
 
 
 

2010 COMPETITION GUIDELINES

MUSE TEAM

The curriculum will be developed in the three-year program by collaborating faculty at Northern Arizona University (NAU), University of South Florida (USF), and University of Vermont (UVM). To test portability, the curriculum will be implemented in the third year at the University of Hawaii (UH).

Team: Dr Jeff Frolik (UVM), Dr Tom Weller (USF), Dr Paul Flikkema (NAU), and Dr Wayne Shiroma (UH)

RESULTS TO DATE - PUBLICATIONS

FIE 2010: Mini-Workshop
ASEE 2010 Download here
ASEE 2009 Download here
FIE 2008 Download here

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0717326.
Interested in adopting this content? Please contact muse@uvm.edu

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

©2008, 2009, 2010 University of Vermont, University of South Florida, Northern Arizona University, University of Hawaii