Materials Technology Education Processes and Outcomes: The MatEdU Program

The National Resource Center for Materials Technology Education (MatEdU) and its continuation program, the MatEdU Online Digital Library, has made major progress in areas related to education, technology training, inter-communication, and networking in materials technology. A significant impact of this National Science Foundation-funded Advanced Technological Education resource center has been implementing materials technology into multiple areas, from technology and electronics education to advanced manufacturing, energy materials, and critical materials utilization. Using its website as its centerpiece, workshops, and educational modules along with opportunities for undergraduate research and faculty mentoring at community colleges are available. Practical examples abound, including guitar building, additive manufacturing, and numerous types of advanced materials and applications. This paper provides the information future programs will need to build follow-up programs to enhance technology education further.