Engineering Commons^™

Pltw And Epics‐High: Curriculum Comparisons To Support Problem Solving In The Context Of Engineering Design, Todd Kelley, Daniel C. Brenner, John T. Pieper

Reports of Center Studies

A comparative study was conducted to compare two approaches to engineering design curriculum between different schools (inter-school) and between two curricular approaches, Project Lead the Way (PLTW) and Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPIC High) (inter-curricular). The researchers collected curriculum materials, including handouts, lesson plans, guides, presentation files, design descriptions, problem statements, and support guides. The researchers conducted observations in the classrooms to collect qualitative indicators of engineering/technology reasoning, collect data on the nature of students‟ questions, how students define problems, and operate within the constraints of a design problem.

Observational studies were conducted with students participating in Project Lead …

A Case Study: Teaching Engineering Concepts In Science, David R. Stricker

Reports of Center Studies

This study was conducted to describe a teacher developed high school engineering course, to identify teaching strategies used in the process of delivering math and science literacy through this course, to identify challenges and constraints that occurred during its development and delivery, and to describe the strategies that were used to overcome those obstacles.

A case study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with the engineering instructor at Benilde-St. Margaret's in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. In addition, the researcher conducted classroom observations and reviewed instructional materials, teacher lesson plans, and teacher journals.

Themes that developed regarding the strategies used to deliver …

The Nature And Status Of Stem Professional Development: Effective Practices For Secondary Level Engineering Education, Rodney L. Custer, Jenny L. Daugherty

Reports of Center Studies

Recently engineering has emerged on the K-12 scene as a potentially important content area. However, K-12 teachers typically lack sufficient backgrounds to effectively integrate engineering into their classrooms. Thus teacher professional development is of critical importance. Although there have been several initiatives emerge to assist teachers in teaching engineering-related curriculum, there has been little empirical research generated. For example, little is known about best practices, engineering pedagogical content knowledge, or effective design principles for engineering professional development. Although there is a general consensus in the literature concerning a set of principles that differentiate effective teacher professional development (i.e., Garet, Porter, …

Formulating A Conceptual Base For Secondary Level Engineering: A Review And Synthesis, Rodney L. Custer, Jenny L. Daugherty, Joseph P. Meyer

Reports of Center Studies

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education across the K-16 spectrum. While much of this interest has concentrated on science and mathematics, technology and engineering are emerging as authentic educational problem solving contexts, as well as disciplines in their own right at the K-12 level. Over the past 20 years, the technology education field has concentrated on defining and implementing a set of content standards, the Standards for Technological Literacy (ITEA, 2000) (STL), with mixed results. On a national scale, the field continues to evolve from its historical industrial arts …

Engineering Design Activity: Understanding How Different Design Activities Influence Students' Motivation In Grades 9-12, Oenardi Lawanto, Gary Stewardson

Reports of Center Studies

The objective of this study was to evaluate grade 9-12 students’ motivation while engaged in two different engineering design projects: marble-sorter and bridge designs. The motivation components measured in this study were focused on students’ intrinsic (IGO) and extrinsic (EGO) goal orientations, task value (TV), self-efficacy for learning and performance (SELP), and control belief (CB). After finishing each project, students were asked to complete an Engineering Design Questionnaire (EDQ) survey instrument. The instrument consisted of 26 items modified from motivational scales of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ).Besides the motivational scales, five demographic and two open-ended questions exploring students’ …

Learning Effects And Attitudes Of Design Strategies On High School Students, Robert Wicklein, John Mativo

Reports of Center Studies

The purpose of this research project was to use an experimental design research methodology to compare learning and attitudinal effects of two different design instructional strategies on randomly selected and assigned 11th and 12th grade students. Through the use of a common technological based problem (see Appendix A), students were guided through a design sequence that utilized two different instructional approaches (a) predictive analysis and (b) trial & error. At the completion of a five-day (15 hour) learning activity a standardized engineering design test was administered to the students to evaluate differences in engineering design capabilities. Additionally, students completed an …

A Case Study Of The Implementation Of An Engineering Program Into A High School Technology Education Classroom, Steven Shumway, Geoff Wright

Reports of Center Studies

Using a case study format, our objective was to collect data related to the following research questions:

- What criteria do teachers and districts use when selecting engineering design experiences for infusion into high school classes and which of these criteria are most effective?

- What issues, opportunities, and constraints do teachers confront as they infuse engineering concepts into technology education?

Features Of Engineering Design In Technology Education, Paul A. Asunda, Roger Hill

Reports of Center Studies

The purpose of this study was to find critical features of engineering design that can be incorporated within technology education learning activities, and develop a rubric for assessing these features. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with three professors actively involved in engineering education. Supporting documents such as engineering design course outlines and rubrics were also examined. Using a phenomenological approach, this study identified the concept of engineering design, key features of the engineering design process, and critical elements that should be assessed in an engineering design activity in the context of technology education. A key product of the study …

Young Women’S Perceptions Of Technology And Engineering: Factors Influencing Their Participation In Math, Science And Technology?, Leah C. Roue

Reports of Center Studies

The current number of women in technology and engineering only represents a fraction of today’s workforce. Technological innovation depends on our nation’s best and brightest, representing all segments of our diverse society. Sanders (2005), in talking about women in technology and engineering, stated that women’s lack of participation can only be measured in jobs not filled, problems not solved, and technology not created. Research in the area of how young women view technology will provide insights into how to better encourage and prepare them for careers in technology and engineering.

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine four …

A Multisite Case Study Of Faculty And Teacher Perceptions Of Ncete Professional Development Workshops On Engineering Design Content, Paul A. Asunda

Reports of Center Studies

The purpose of this study was to describe a process of preparing technology education teachers to teach engineering design concepts in the context of technology education. This process was identified through a study of professional development activities that were organized and conducted by technology teacher education partner universities of the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education (NCETE) to prepare middle school and high school technology teachers to infuse engineering design, problem solving, content, and analytical skills into the K-12 curriculum. A collective multisite case study formed the methodology for this study. Data were collected through individual interview sessions that …

Critical Inquiry Into Urban African American Students' Perceptions Of Engineering, Cameron D. Denson, Zanj K. Avery, John W. Schell

Reports of Center Studies

The purpose of this study was to critically examine the perceptions that African- American high school students have towards engineering. A qualitative research design using criterion sampling and snowballing was used to select seven African-American students from urban high schools to participate in the research. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from participants attending urban high schools on the east and west coast. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) as the theoretical framework, the study was able to produce “emergent themes” from collected data. Findings from this study will help researchers understand how African-American students may perceive the field of …

Delivering Core Engineering Concepts To Secondary Level Students, Jenny Daugherty, Yong Zeng, Martin Westrick, Rodney L. Custer, Chris Merrill

Reports of Center Studies

Within primary and secondary school technology education, engineering has been proposed as an avenue to bring about technological literacy (Dearing & Daugherty, 2004; Lewis, 2005).Different initiatives such as curriculum development projects (i.e., Project ProBase and Project Lead The Way) and National Science Foundation funded projects such as the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education (NCETE) have been developed to infuse engineering into primary and secondary education. For example, one key goal of the Technology Teacher Education component of NCETE is to impact the focus and content of the technology education field at the secondary level (National Center for Engineering …

Cognitive Processes Of Students Solving Technical Problems, Todd Kelley, Roger Hill

Reports of Center Studies

The purpose of this study was to better understand cognitive strategies used by high school technology education students who have participated in technology education instruction with an engineering design focus. Specifically, this study evaluated the cognitive strategies of students participating in Project Lead the Way curriculum programs compared with students participating in technology education programs partnering with the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education (NCETE). High school students from these two groups were studied as they worked through an ill-defined problem: moving drinking water in developing countries. The data collected from these protocols was analyzed using a coding process …

Identifying The Essential Aspects And Related Academic Concepts Of An Engineering Design Curriculum In Secondary Technology Education, Cameron Smith, Bob Wicklein

Reports of Center Studies

Technology education is a fi eld of study which seeks to promote technological literacy for all students. Some recent research in the fi eld has focused on integrating content and methodology from engineering design into technology education classes, particularly at the secondary level. This study contributes to the research base in technology education on the subject of incorporating the engineering design process into the technology education curriculum. It addressed the need for the development of a framework for understanding engineering design and the related academic concepts that can be used by professionals in the fi eld of technology education seeking …

Engineering Student Outcomes For Grades 9-12, Vincent Childress, Craig Rhodes

Reports of Center Studies

The following research study was conducted during the 2005 – 2006 academic year. Its purpose is to help the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education determine those engineering outcomes that should be studied in high school when the high school student intends to pursue engineering in college. The results of the study will also be used to determine those engineering student outcomes that all technology education high school students should learn in order to aid them in becoming more technologically literate.

A modified Delphi approach as used for the study. The participants were a panel of experts consisting of …

Women: Support Factors And Persistence In Engineering, John R. Duncan, Yong Zeng

Reports of Center Studies

Limited information is available regarding the factors that promote persistence by women in engineering programs. Stated simply, the problem is that the number of women engineers continues to fall short in comparison to the gender ratio of women to men in the population in the U.S. (BEST, 2002) and worldwide (Hersh, 2000). More women engineers are needed in general and in proportion to male engineers. This study addressed two questions. (1) What are the factors that support women in engineering? and (2) What are the factors that attract women to and help them to persist in a career in engineering? …

The Self-Management Of Cognition In A Team-Based Engineering Design Project: A Case Study, Oenardi Lawanto

Reports of Center Studies

Despite differences in educational programs offered by various engineering schools, all engineering education puts its emphasis on students’ ability to apply their knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering. Engineering students are expected to demonstrate their ability to apply that knowledge through various activities such as problem solving, design, and experimental activities during their study. In professional engineering practices, engineers are challenged to solve real-world problems that generally involve certain levels of task ambiguity and complexity. Moreover, they are often obligated to work in a team-based environment. Because of these requirements, engineering students should acquire these skills and demonstrate their ability …