The Student Projects Involving Rocket Investigation Techniques (SPIRIT) program is a long-term, experiential learning, project-based program for undergraduates at Penn State University. Students in 5 functional teams design and build the experiments, but also the structure and rocket systems of a scientific payload. The payloads that emerge from three years of student work show extraordinary creativity. The scientific results, however, have been uneven. This suggests that the highest value of the program is in its educational impact and in the opportunity it provides for development of sounding rocket instruments and research techniques. In this paper, we review the goals and the results of the program from a teaching perspective. We report the results of past and ongoing assessments and present conclusions as to the value and limitations of the program. The SPIRIT program has been popular with students and the university administration. It is relatively inexpensive to run. The willingness of NASA Wallops Island personnel to mentor young students has been critical to the educational success of the program.
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机译：涉及火箭调查技术的学生项目（SPIRIT）计划是一项针对宾夕法尼亚州立大学的本科生的长期，基于经验学习的基于项目的计划。 5个功能小组的学生设计和建造实验，还设计和制造科学有效载荷的结构和火箭系统。三年的学生学习工作产生的有效载荷显示出非凡的创造力。然而，科学结果并不平衡。这表明该计划的最高价值在于其教育影响力，以及为发声火箭仪器和研究技术的发展提供的机会。在本文中，我们从教学的角度审查了该计划的目标和结果。我们报告过去和正在进行的评估的结果，并提出有关该计划的价值和局限性的结论。 SPIRIT计划在学生和大学管理部门中很受欢迎。运行起来相对便宜。 NASA Wallops Island人员愿意指导年轻学生对于该计划的教育成功至关重要。
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