University of Wyoming, College of Engineering, undergraduate design project: star tracer

The University of Wyoming received funding in the spring of 2002 from the National Science Foundation Division of Bioengineering and Environmental Systems in order to complete undergraduate design projects. One design project that was chosen by the College of Engineering involved partnering with the College of Education. The College of Education's Special Education Department needed some visual teaching aids to be redesigned and then built. Two undergraduate students were hired throughout the summer of 2002 under NSF REU funding in order to develop thirty new teaching devices. These devices were going to be used to educate middle school students about the effects of possessing a learning disability. The teaching aids are specifically designed for simulating the affects of dyslexia. The new teaching aids required improved transportability and durability, quicker setup time, and a lighter weight. Throughout the summer, the teaching aids were redesigned and built by an undergraduate student team from the College of Engineering, and have since provided many benefits for the state of Wyoming.