Engineering Education Commons^™

Analogical Reasoning In The Engineering Design Process And Technology Education Applications, Jenny Daugherty, Nathan Mentzer

Publications

This synthesis paper discusses the research exploring analogical reasoning, the role of analogies in the engineering design process, and educational applications for analogical reasoning. Researchers have discovered that analogical reasoning is often a fundamental cognitive tool in design problem solving. Regarding the possible role of analogical reasoning in the context of technology education; analogies may be a useful tool to develop student’s design skills, teach abstract or complex concepts, and build students’ analogical reasoning skills for general problem solving. The positive and negative educational implications of analogical reasoning being explored by researchers are also discussed.

Resources: Handheld Computing Devices, Cameron Denson

Publications

The article features a valuable resource to aid teachers in their effort to satisfy the need to implement modern instructional technology and their students' need to access green technology. It states that handheld computing devices are currently being widely used in many classrooms and technology savvy educators can manifest to the benefits of these data-collection systems. It believes that handheld units can offer students with an all-inclusive technological device that caters to all learners.

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

Publications

The article focuses on a study by Dearing and Daughtry about postsecondary engineering education. The study used a modified Delphi technique that they conducted with technology teachers, technology teacher educators, and engineering educators to identify engineering outcomes for high school pre-engineering students. The purpose of the study was to identify those concepts that are necessary to teach high school students in order to prepare them for postsecondary engineering education, while preserving the mission of teaching technological literacy.

Quality And Characteristics Of Recent Research In Technology Education, Scott D. Johnson, Jenny Daugherty

Publications

The focus of research in technology education has evolved throughout its history as the field changed from industrial arts to technology education (Spencer & Rogers, 2006). With the move to technology education, the field has begun to broaden its focus to better understand the teaching, learning, curriculum, and policy implications of preparing the next generation of technological thinkers. Although a complete “paradigm shift” may not have occurred completely within all technology-oriented programs (Sanders, 2001), the current emphasis on engineering within technology education indicates a need to examine and assess the status of technology education research over the past ten years …

Resources: E-Book Readers, Daniel Brenner, Todd R. Kelley

Publications

The article provides information on the resources of electronic book (e-book) reader. It cites that an e-book reader is a device where people can download, store, and read printed materials. However, e-book readers are not applicable in educational setting because textbooks are not yet available for download. There are funding programs for e-books readers in schools emerged like Target Early Childhood Reading Grants, HP Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative, and EDS Technology Grant Program.

Resources: Getting There - Space, Todd R. Kelley

Publications

The article presents a school activity about transportation concepts using the DVD "Black Sky: The Race for Space & Winning the X-Prize." The article describes the video as a good resource to explore novel ideas in space travel with students. It suggests that the video inspires students to learn more about space transportation and the science and technology of modern rocketry.

Year Three Annual Report: Activities, Findings And Evaluators' Reports, Ncete Faculty

Reports to NSF

The Center continues to strengthen the research climate across the institutional settings. A number of activities have been directed at this effort: internal funding of small student and faculty research projects; development of an internal funding process for doctoral student research; and presentations by researchers at Center meetings and professional conferences. The internal research program has been successful in providing relatively non-threatening experiences with proposal preparation, review, negotiation, and the conduct of small research projects. Six proposals were funded for exploratory research projects in 2005-06 and five projects were funded in 2006-07. As these projects are completed, findings are shared …

Should There Be A National Curriculum For Technological Literacy?, Laura J. Hummell, Ethan B. Lipton, Melissa Morrow, Jerry Streichler, Karen Zuga

Publications

The author discusses her belief that the United States should have a national curriculum for technological literacy. The author asserts that there are huge discrepancies and deficiencies existing in technology-based curricula, and as a result students in the United States are being ill-prepared for living and working in a globally based economy and society. The author believes that if a national curriculum for technological literacy is developed it should resemble the Standards for Technological Literacy (2000/2002), which was created by the International Technology Education Association. The author points out that in order for such a curriculum to be successful it …

Resources: Student Friendly Modeling Materials, Todd R. Kelley, Jared Berrett

Publications

The article presents cost-effective materials for elementary classrooms that allow students to create models. These materials include card stock, clay, cable or zips ties, fasteners and bolts, and commercially manufactured building kits such as LEGOs, Erector Sets, Tinkertoys and K'Nex. In addition, the author asserts the importance of using such materials in promoting student learning of technology and engineering.

Resources: Building Big (And Small), Todd R. Kelley

Publications

The article offers a set of videos and web resources for elementary teachers to help them explore five different structures, including bridges, domes, skyscrapers, dams, and tunnels, that have been built big to meet the human needs and wants. It includes the miniseries video "Building Big" by David Macaulay and the website www.pbs.org/buildingbig.com.

Curricular Value And Instructional Needs For Infusing Engineering Design Into K-12 Technology Education, David K. Gattie, Robert C. Wicklein

Publications

An overarching objective of Technology Education in the U.S. is to improve technological literacy among K-12 students (DeVore, 1964; Savage and Sterry, 1990; International Technology Education Association, 1996, 2000, 2003). This is addressed in part through a focus on end-product technology and the use and importance of various technologies in society (Savage and Sterry, 1990). While such a focus is certainly necessary, it may not be sufficient if the objective is to infuse engineering into the technology education field. Current efforts at the University of Georgia propose adjusting the focus of Technology Education to a defined emphasis on engineering design …

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

Publications

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 …

Year Two Annual Report: Activities, Findings And Evaluators' Reports, Naida Tushnet, Jodie L.S. Hoffman, Jaclyn Ziobrowski, Khadijah Salaam, Isabel Ochoa

Reports to NSF

A major challenge in the work of the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education has been the need to strengthen the research climate across the institutional settings. A number of activities have been directed at that effort: internal funding of small student and faculty research projects; presentations by researchers at Center meetings; providing a research focus for the required core courses in cognitive science, design, problem solving, and creativity; and the evolution of the research framework for the Center. The internal research program has been successful in providing relatively non-threatening experiences with proposal preparation, review, negotiation, and the conduct …

Five Good Reasons For Engineering As The Focus For Technology Education, Robert C. Wicklein

Publications

The article presents information on a paper which discusses why engineering design should be the focus for technology education. Technology education is still viewed as a non-essential instructional program and this is because school administrators and counselors have inadequate understanding of it. Even general populace have inadequate understanding concerning technology education. The pervasiveness of technology literally affects every living creature in our society. Therefore, it is of critical importance that the educational system includes and supports the study of technology in the general curricula. The deficiency within the technology education profession to formulate a clear and defined target for the …

Integrating The Study Of Technology Into The Curriculum: A Consulting Teacher Model, Thomas Erekson, Steven Shumway

Publications

Over the past 40 years there have been several initiatives by leaders in the profession to make revolutionary changes in philosophy, curriculum, methods, and facilities in the transition from industrial arts to technology education. The transition to technology education has been grounded in the dramatic changes that technology and technological innovations have brought to all aspects of society. It has been postulated that to fully participate in a technologically-based society, people must be technologically literate (Pearson & Young, 2002). Thus, the need arose to assure that all students have experience in technology education in order to acquire technological literacy.

Review Of The Book - Teaching About Technology: An Introduction To The Philosophy Of Technology For Non-Philosophers, Vincent Childress

Publications

Marc de Vries' latest book, Teaching about Technology: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Technology for Non-Philosophers, was interesting to the reviewer because it provided a link between philosophies of technology and the nature of the technology curriculum more than any other philosophy-related work he has read. The book is intended for use with pre-service teachers, graduate students, and others who are interested in teaching technology. Teaching about Technology is part of a series of books on science and technology that is edited by William Cobern of Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The editorial board for the series is …

Logic Circuits And The Quality Of Life, Vincent W. Childress

Publications

The article presents information on the relationship between the logic circuits and the quality of life. The applications of logic circuits are countless. With the flooding of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, people around the world became all too aware of human dependency on technology to manage the forces of nature and maintain a high quality of life. New Orleans' sewage and water control systems depend on water pumps to move sewage, storm-water runoff, and fresh water around the city. Under normal conditions, when it rains in New Orleans, a city that sits below sea level, massive …

Creativity: A Framework For The Design/Problem Solving Discourse In Technology Education, Theodore Lewis

Publications

Subjects for which aesthetics and creative performance are critical curricular dimensions (such as art, physical education, music, and technology education), and which are accommodative of students across the range of intelligences (Gardner, 1999) are not readily or completely captured by content standards. Therefore content knowledge in these fields that target student achievement as conventionally conceived must be complemented by treatment of more subjective and elusive goals such as the development of connoisseurship, appreciation, or creative insight. With the publication of standards for the subject (International Technology Education Association, 2000), the need for focus upon creativity in technology education has been …

New Perspectives: Technology Teacher Education And Engineering Design, Roger B. Hill

Publications

Initiatives to integrate engineering design within the field of technology education are increasingly evident (Lewis, 2005; Wicklein, 2006). Alliances between technology education and engineering were prominent in the development of the Standards for Technological Literacy (International Technology Education Association, 2000), and leaders from both disciplines have expressed support for the outcomes described in the Standards (Bybee, 2000; Council of the National Academy of Engineering, 2000; Dugger, Meade, Delany, and Nichols, 2003; Gorham, Newberry, and Bickart, 2003). The National Science Foundation (NSF) has also encouraged and funded opportunities for technology educators and engineers to work collaboratively. The Bridges for Engineering Education …

Year One Annual Report: Activities, Findings And Evaluators' Reports, Naida Tushnet, Jodie L.S. Hoffman, Jaclyn Ziobrowski

Reports to NSF

The ultimate goal of NCETE is to infuse engineering design, problem solving and analytical skills into 9-12 grades through technology education in order to increase the quality, quantity, and diversity of engineering and technology educators, and to significantly strengthen the pathways to engineering and technology professions for students. The Center is doing this by teaming engineering faculty and technology education faculty in a systematic approach that involves: 1. Building a community of researchers, leaders, and PhD students to conduct research in emerging engineering and technology education areas. 2. Creating a body of research that improves our understanding of learning and …

President’S Message: Advancing The Tide Of Technology Education, Ethan B. Lipton

Publications

The article presents information relating to the field of technology education. Vigorous change continues in the study of technology and the delivery of technology education because of the integrating nature of technology and the need to prepare students for developing technological world to meet changing human needs. Significant strides have been made in the evolution of technology education of which we should all be very proud. In the last decade alone, the International Technology Education Association has provided the leadership for a wide range of initiatives designed to enhance technology education through technology, innovation, design, and engineering experiences at the …

Coming To Terms With Engineering Design As Content, Theodore Lewis

Publications

This article addresses the challenges posed by engineering design as a content area of technology education. What adjustments will technology teachers have to make in their approach to teaching and learning when they teach design as engineering in response to the new standards? How faithful to engineering as practiced must their approach be? There is already some advocacy in the literature that greater attention will need to be paid to mathematics and science, where these subjects underpin design. Cotton (2002) proposed that mathematical theories should be applied to design in technology education classrooms, and that students should be encouraged to …

National Center For Engineering And Technology Education, Christine Hailey, Thomas Erekson, Kurt Becker, Maurice Thomas

Publications

The article reports that the overall impact of the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education (NCETE) is to strengthen the nation's capacity to deliver effective engineering and technology education in the K-12 schools. Further, it informs that the National Science Foundation established the Centers for Learning and Teaching (CLT) program to address needs in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. The CLT program has three goals, based upon stated national needs. First, CLT are expected to renew and diversify the cadre of national leaders in STEM education. The CLT includes partners with strengths in engineering and in …

A Turn To Engineering: The Continuing Struggle Of Technology Education For Legitimization As A School Subject, Theodore Lewis

Publications

In the long march from manual training, the subject which today we call technology education has always had to contend with the question of its legitimacy as valid school knowledge. In this regard, it shares a similar history of struggle with other subjects whose initial entry into the curriculum was based on a utilitarian rather than an academic rationale. Goodson (1983) documents such cases (e.g. geography and biology) showing how in their struggle for acceptance, the primary strategy of advocates was to try to enhance the academic bona fides of their subject. He explained that utilitarian knowledge is associated with …

Technology And Mathematics Standards: An Integrated Approach, Chris Merrill, Mark Comerford

Publications

The article focuses on the use of standards-based teaching and learning that has been gaining significant attention in the education world. State and national associations now base their specific subject area or discipline solely on standards, i.e., International Technology Education Association (ITEA), National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), National Science Education Association (NSEA). Moreover, at the public school level, state boards of education are holding school districts accountable for teaching standards-based curricula. It is with the latter definition in mind that the authors created a standards-based, integrated technology and mathematics lesson using the design and construction of stair systems.

Standards-Based Curriculum Development For Pre-Service And In-Service: A “Partnering” Approach Using Modified Backwards Design, Steve Shumway, Jared Berrett

Publications

The article reports that technology teacher educators across the nation are considering what changes will be made to their pre-service teacher education programs to implement the standards in Standards for Technological Literacy (STL) (ITEA, 2000/2002) and to help future teachers learn to develop and teach curriculum that is based on those standards (Custer& amp; Wright, 2002). A recent survey (Reeve, Nielson,& amp; Meade, 2003) revealed that in Utah, a majority of teachers have a copy of the standards and are supportive of them, but they want help implementing standards-based technology education in their classrooms. Initially, a self-evaluation of the teacher …

Critical Issues And Problems In Technology Education, Robert C. Wicklein

Publications

The article informs that to address the need of identifying a comprehensive base for the critical issues and problems, research was conducted to ascertain the perspectives of classroom teachers, university professors, and supervisors of technology education. In addition, the entire population of 132 university department heads/program leaders in technology teacher education, as well as the total population of 55 state and regional supervisors, were selected to receive the survey questionnaire. The critical problem items, insufficient quantities of qualified technology education teachers, inadequate understanding by administrators and counselors concerning technology education, and inadequate understanding by general populace concerning technology education, were …

The Status Of Metric Conversion In Industrial Education Programs In Utah With Recommendations For Statewide Training Programs, Thomas J. Brames

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to obtain information from Industrial Education teachers in Utah concerning their feelings and attitudes toward conversion to the Metric System in the United States and to determine their present familiarity with that system. The study was also designed to identify potential problem areas which would tend to influence educational programs on the Metric System for Industrial Education teachers in Utah.

A select sample of four-hundred twenty-three Industrial Education teachers representing over twenty occupational areas was chosen as the population for the study. Two-hundred ninety-seven usable questionnaires (70.2 per cent) were returned and tabulated as …

Developed Guidelines For A Career Next Step High School Placement Center Compared To Existing High School Placement Practices In Selected Urban High Schools In Utah, Jimmie B. Wallace

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyze community power actors' responses to a questionnaire, in order to gain information to be used in developing Career Next Step High School Placement Center guidelines.

The study was a descriptive research which employed the reputational technique to identify community power actors and the survey technique to gain information from selected urban schools for comparative purposes.

The reputational technique surveyed 31 Ogden Community power actors and the survey technique was administered to 26 selected urban high schools in Utah.

Guidelines were developed for the following major areas:

1. Functions of a Career …

An Analytical Study Of The 1971-72 Cooperative Vocational Program In Utah With Comparison To A Guideline For Cooperative Vocational Programs, George C. Ku

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was (1) to develop a guideline for cooperative education; (2) to determine the current status of cooperative vocational education in Utah; and (3) to compare current practices with the established guideline.

This study was completed in two parts. The first part involved the construction and verification of a guideline for cooperative education in Utah; the second, a survey of the current status of cooperative education. A descriptive survey technique was employed to gather data required for determination of the guideline's validity and relevance, and the current status of cooperative education in Utah.

All 13 key …