Report on Educator Workshop for Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Technology

Executive Summary

A professional development workshop was conducted for regional educators at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, focusing on the construction and application of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). Hosted by the MATE ROV Competition in partnership with the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS), the initiative aimed to equip teachers with technical skills to enhance STEM education. The program places significant emphasis on addressing global challenges outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to education, marine conservation, and innovation.

Workshop Objectives and Alignment with SDG 4: Quality Education

The primary goal of the workshop was to provide educators with hands-on training in underwater robotics, directly supporting SDG 4 (Quality Education) by enhancing technical and vocational skills among teachers and, subsequently, their students.

Key Educational Objectives:

• To instruct educators on the complete assembly process of an ROV, enabling them to replicate the training in their own classroom environments.
• To provide a practical platform for applying theoretical STEM concepts to real-world challenges.
• To empower educators with the resources and confidence needed to develop student teams for participation in the MATE ROV Competition.
• To foster a new generation of professionals skilled in marine technology and robotics.

Fostering Innovation for Marine Sustainability: Addressing SDGs 6, 7, 9, and 14

The workshop extends beyond technical training by connecting ROV technology to critical environmental issues. The MATE ROV Competition, a central component of the program, challenges students to develop innovative solutions for aquatic threats, thereby contributing to several SDGs.

Application of Technology for Sustainable Development:

1. SDG 14 (Life Below Water): The program is fundamentally oriented towards marine and freshwater conservation. Competition missions are designed around pressing issues such as ocean acidification, the management of invasive species in the Great Lakes, and general marine conservation, encouraging students to innovate for the protection of aquatic ecosystems.
2. SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): Mission challenges frequently address water quality issues, tasking students with using their ROVs to monitor and help solve problems related to water purity.
3. SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): By teaching advanced robotics and problem-solving, the initiative cultivates innovation. Students are encouraged to design and build technologies that can support scientific research and address environmental threats, fostering a culture of technological advancement.
4. SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy): The program curriculum includes topics related to sustainable energy, challenging participants to consider how underwater robotics can play a role in the development and maintenance of clean energy infrastructure.

Strategic Collaboration: Achieving Goals through SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The success of the workshop is a testament to effective collaboration between multiple expert organizations, a core principle of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Key Partners:

• The MATE ROV Competition: An entity of the Marine Technology Society (MTS) that provides the competitive framework and educational resources.
• Project ROV: A professional development organization delivering expert instruction.
• Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS): The host and regional partner, providing the venue and connecting the program to local Great Lakes science and conservation efforts.

This partnership creates a support network that provides educators with the necessary resources to integrate marine technology into their curricula, thereby broadening the reach and impact of the National Marine Sanctuary system’s conservation mission.

Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

Explanation of Identified SDGs

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article’s primary focus is on an educational workshop for teachers. It aims to “instruct teachers in the region as to how to build ROVs and how they can teach those technical skills to their students.” This initiative provides educators with resources, a “support network,” and hands-on opportunities to apply STEM topics, directly contributing to improving the quality of education and technical skill development.

• SDG 14: Life Below Water

  The workshop and the MATE ROV competition are centered on marine technology and addressing challenges in aquatic environments. The article explicitly mentions that the competition’s mission challenges are “topical, timely issues” such as “ocean acidification or invasive species in our Great Lakes” and other “threats and those challenges in our aquatic bodies of water.” The partnership with the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary further solidifies this connection.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The program encourages innovation by challenging students to develop solutions for real-world problems. The article states, “students have the opportunity to really engage on those topics… and really dive in with their underwater robot to help innovate solutions for those challenges.” This focus on building technology (underwater robots) and applying it to create solutions aligns with enhancing scientific research and innovation.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  The article mentions that the MATE ROV competition covers “water quality issues.” By training educators and students to build and use ROVs for monitoring and addressing such problems, the program contributes to the management and protection of water resources.

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  The article explicitly lists “sustainable energy” as another topic that the MATE ROV competition covers, encouraging students to learn about and innovate solutions related to clean energy challenges.

What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Explanation of Identified Targets

• Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

  The workshop’s goal is to teach “technical skills” in robotics and ROV building to educators, who then transfer this knowledge to their students, preparing them for future careers in marine technology.

• Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development.

  The article highlights that students learn to apply their skills to “topical, timely issues” like “ocean acidification,” “water quality issues,” and “sustainable energy,” which is a direct application of education for sustainable development.

• Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts.

  The competition challenges students to address threats like “invasive species in our Great Lakes,” which is a key component of managing and protecting aquatic ecosystems.

• Target 14.3: Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification.

  The article directly names “ocean acidification” as a mission challenge topic for the MATE ROV competition, encouraging students to develop solutions for this specific issue.

• Target 14.a: Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology.

  The entire workshop is an exercise in transferring marine technology. It provides educators with “the skill set that they need” to build ROVs and use them for scientific exploration and problem-solving in their classrooms.

• Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities… encouraging innovation.

  The program’s structure, where students “innovate solutions for those challenges” using ROVs, directly supports the goal of enhancing scientific research and encouraging innovation among young learners.

Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Explanation of Identified Indicators

• Number of educators trained in ROV technology and STEM teaching methods.

  The article is about a workshop for a group of “regional educators.” The number of participants serves as a direct indicator of progress in providing teachers with new technical skills (relevant to Target 4.4).

• Number of student teams developed to compete in the MATE ROV competition.

  The article states that one of MATE’s hopes is to “encourage more instructors to develop teams that will later compete in the MATE ROV competition.” This is a measurable outcome of the program’s success.

• Development of innovative ROV-based solutions for environmental challenges.

  The article emphasizes that students “innovate solutions for helping us better handle those threats.” The number and quality of these solutions for issues like ocean acidification, invasive species, or water quality would be a key indicator of progress towards Targets 14.3, 14.a, and 9.5.

• Number of students engaged in hands-on STEM and marine technology projects.

  The article mentions giving students “hands-on opportunities to apply STEM topics.” Tracking the number of students who participate in rebuilding the ROVs and engaging in the mission challenges would measure the program’s reach and impact on education (relevant to Target 4.7).

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

Source: thealpenanews.com