High School Students Build Computers Through UA Engineering Project

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Two University of Alabama engineering professors are teaching Aliceville High School students about computer science and the vital role it plays in the world.

Under the direction of Dr. John Lusth, associate professor of computer science, and Dr. Monica Anderson, assistant professor of computer science, the students are learning how to build computers, write computer programs and command robots. They also plan to analyze how the computers they built compare to standard computers with regard to efficiency and power usage.

The program activities are all hands-on experiences for the students. Aside from building the computers and commanding the robots, students have completed two scavenger hunts, which included learning information about the history and philosophy of the computer, and researched information about robots.

“Our goals were to show these high school students that a career in computer science, while challenging, is a lot of fun with great opportunities for expressing one’s creativity,” Lusth said.

Linda Jones, the multimedia teacher at Aliceville High School, said the students were surprised and amazed at the field of computer science and the program has been an inspiration for their futures.

“Eighty percent of my students are now interested in computer science as a career, and 75 percent are interested in attending The University of Alabama,” Jones said. “The students used the computers daily, but they never thought about how they were constructed. Now they know.”

For the remainder of the semester, the students will continue to work with their computers and robots. On the last day of class, the students will be judged in an art contest based on their designs of computer cases created specifically for each of their computers.

Jones said she has received positive feedback from students, and they said the project was very rewarding and an experience they will never forget.

The class meets each Wednesday, and it includes 18 high school juniors and seniors.

The program was funded by the UA Office of Community Affairs. In 2009, Lusth and Anderson will work with a high school in Perry County.

In 1837, The University of Alabama became one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering classes. Today, UA’s fully accredited College of Engineering has more than 2,300 students and more than 100 faculty. In the last seven years, students in the College have been named USA Today All-USA College Academic Team members, Goldwater scholars, Hollings scholars and Portz scholars.