RAOP
Important Links
Find preparation courses, platform documentation, blank assessment forms, and resources for bringing robotics and automation into school teaching. These links support the Robotics and Automation Outreach Program (RAOP) at Howard University's AVRC Laboratory.
External resources open in a new tab.
Start with RAOP Resources
Move from a platform investigation to evidence collection and a practical teaching plan.
Platform Activities
Explore Qube-Servo 3, Aero 2, QArm, and QBot investigations, learning objectives, and teaching ideas.
Blank T1–T6 Forms
Download blank assessment and feedback instruments and read how each supports program evaluation.
Plan a School Activity
Connect a laboratory investigation to a course, curriculum unit, after-school activity, or club.
Curriculum
Follow the learning modules and platform strands, with options for adapting activities for grades 6–12.
Resource Navigator
Find platform manuals, quick-start guides, and supporting files by platform, mode, and file type.
Participant Support
Review program preparation, software access, and support arrangements for participating educators.
MATLAB and Simulink Preparation
Begin with the Onramp courses, then use the course catalog for continued learning.
MathWorks · Start here
MATLAB Onramp
Practice commands, variables, arrays, data import, and plotting through introductory exercises.
(opens in a new tab)MathWorks · Start here
Simulink Onramp
Learn to connect blocks, inspect signals, and run simulations in Simulink.
(opens in a new tab)Continued learning
MathWorks Self-Paced Courses
Explore additional courses as you develop your interests in programming, data analysis, and modeling.
(opens in a new tab)Quanser Platforms and Digital Twins
Use the program-assigned platform and software versions when selecting manuals, examples, and setup instructions.
Platform resources
Quanser Academic Resources
The primary repository for platform libraries, quick-start guides, user manuals, teaching activities, and research examples.
(opens in a new tab)Setup
Computer Setup Guide
Quanser setup guidance for the Windows resource branch referenced in the educator guide. Follow the RAOP team's instructions for your assigned configuration.
(opens in a new tab)Digital twins
QLabs Getting Started
Installation and introductory guidance for Quanser Interactive Labs, the digital-twin environment used during virtual practice.
(opens in a new tab)Account access
Quanser Academic Portal
Sign in to the Quanser account associated with your program access. Contact the RAOP team if assigned experiments are unavailable.
(opens in a new tab)Sensors, Actuators, and Real-Time Interfacing
Use these references alongside the platform activity to understand how software reads measurements and writes output commands. Board settings, channels, units, and limits depend on the platform and approved laboratory model.
Real-time software
QUARC Documentation
Technical reference for Quanser's real-time software and its hardware-interfacing blocks.
(opens in a new tab)Read measurements
HIL Read Encoder
Understand how a Simulink block reads encoder counts from configured channels. Converting counts to an angle requires the platform's encoder resolution and scaling.
(opens in a new tab)Write outputs
HIL Write Analog
Understand how a Simulink block writes values to configured analog output channels. Use the channel mapping and output limits specified for the experiment.
(opens in a new tab)RAOP and Howard University News
Read institutional coverage of the program and its research and teaching context. The summer feature covers both RAOP and Howard's separate Drone Academy.
Howard news
Summer STEM Programs: The Dig
Howard University's feature on summer educator research experiences and youth STEM pathways, including RAOP.
(opens in a new tab)Howard CEA
Summer STEM Programs: CEA
The College of Engineering and Architecture edition of the summer program feature.
(opens in a new tab)Project background
RAOP NSF Award Announcement
Howard's announcement of the project and its purpose: preparing educators to bring robotics and automation learning into their schools.
(opens in a new tab)Faculty
Howard Faculty Profile: Dr. Fadel Lashhab
Institutional profile of the RAOP principal investigator and AVRC Laboratory director.
(opens in a new tab)NSF and the Noyce Community
Explore the national program and educator community supporting STEM teacher preparation and professional growth.
NSF
NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program
Official program overview and the entry point for NSF funding information and guidance.
(opens in a new tab)Community
Noyce Program Community
Browse Noyce project information, events, and resources for the broader educator community.
(opens in a new tab)Educator stories
Noyce Alumni: Where Are They Now?
Read alumni stories about teaching, professional development, and leadership in STEM education.
(opens in a new tab)NSF Guidance and Award Administration
Previous solicitation
Noyce Solicitation NSF 23-586
Previous solicitation for reference. Use the NSF program overview for the latest funding information; RAOP participant recruitment is described on this website.
(opens in a new tab)2023 reference
Noyce Program FAQ (2023)
Questions and answers associated with the 2023 program guidance. Read alongside the applicable solicitation.
(opens in a new tab)Award administration
NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide
Official NSF policy resources for proposal preparation and award administration.
(opens in a new tab)Additional Technical and Community References
Continue exploring with these optional resources. Use the files and versions assigned by the RAOP team for program activities.
Technical extension
Quanser Interactive Labs Resources
Additional libraries, documentation, and tutorials for programming in QLabs.
(opens in a new tab)Technical extension
Quanser Interactive Labs for MATLAB
Quanser's MATLAB add-on repository for installing and launching QLabs. Available experiments depend on the account and license arrangement.
(opens in a new tab)Optional enrichment
Quanser Student Competition Resources
Supplemental MATLAB competition materials for further exploration beyond the four core RAOP platforms.
(opens in a new tab)Laboratory context
Quanser Case Study: Laboratory Partnership
Background on Dr. Lashhab's laboratory development and research partnership with Quanser, including the separate DoD equipment award.
(opens in a new tab)Noyce community
AAAS: Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program
AAAS information about its work with the Noyce program community.
(opens in a new tab)Research background
Google Scholar: Dr. Fadel Lashhab
Publication profile for further reading on related research topics.
(opens in a new tab)Follow RAOP & stay connected
Program updates, announcements, and educator highlights.
Instagram links to Fadel Lashhab’s profile. Some social platforms may require sign-in.