Really Changing the Conversation: The Deficit Model and Public Understanding of Engineering

Canek Moises Luna Phillips; Kacey Beddoes

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Conference: 2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Publication Date: June 23, 2013
Start Date: June 23, 2013
End Date: June 26, 2013
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: A Challenge to Engineering Educators
Tagged Division: Liberal Education/Engineering & Society
Page Count: 16
Page Numbers: 23.1025.1 - 23.1025.16
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--22410
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/22410
Download Count: 588

Paper Authors

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Canek Moises Luna Phillips Purdue University orcid.org/0000-0002-6571-2733

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Canek Phillips is a graduate student at Purdue University in Engineering Education. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University. His research is focused on how people relate knowledge in engineering forums.

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Kacey Beddoes Purdue University, West Lafayette

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Dr. Kacey Beddoes is a Postdoctoral Researcher with ADVANCE-Purdue in Purdue’s School of Engineering Education. She received her Ph.D. in Science and Technology Studies (STS) from Virginia Tech in 2011 and serves as Managing Editor of Engineering Studies and Assistant Editor of the Global Engineering Series at Morgan & Claypool.

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Abstract

Really Changing the Conversation: The Deficit Model and Engineering Education!Numerous reports and outreach initiatives stem from a concern over low public understanding ofand interest in engineering. Most often, these reports and initiatives express a belief (eitherimplicitly or explicitly) that the public does not understand or appreciate engineering becausethey are uninformed or misinformed and that, consequently, the provision of more information(in the form of scientific literacy or the benefits of engineering), will lead to increasedunderstanding and support for engineering. In that way, they are enactments of the deficit model.The deficit model is a term from the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS) used todescribe initiatives/projects that are based upon a belief in the public’s lack of knowledge andscientific literacy and seek to remedy it by providing more, correct, information. However, alarge body of literature has now identified significant problems with the deficit model, includingproblems that undermine the aims of organizers or authors, thus limiting efficacy of efforts tocommunicate with the public. Therefore, the aim of this paper is three-fold: 1) to introduce thedeficit model to an engineering education audience, 2) to identify leading critiques thatengineering educators should be aware of, and 3) to present a framework that can be used byengineering educators and taught to future practicing engineers to think through importantdimensions of communication.The paper begins with an introduction to the deficit model. We explain the concept and identifyits major limitations. Following that is a discussion of the types of publics that are constructedthrough various communication models and how the deficit model limits the types of publics thatare engaged. Next, examples of leading initiatives that enact the deficit model are presented todemonstrate the current over-reliance on deficit model enactments within engineering andengineering education. Alternative communication models, drawn from science communicationliterature, are then presented and the ways in which they provide different types of publicparticipation methods through added levels of information flow, directions of influence, andconstructions of publics are discussed. Using prior insights from STS, as well as communicationsliterature, we present a framework of three key concepts integral to public communication: flowof information, direction of influence, and the construction of publics so that engineers canunderstand how these dimensions affect the ways communication with the public is carried out.The paper concludes with a discussion of how the expanded understandings of communicationprovided can be used to accomplish previous goals set forth by programs such as Changing theConversation - including providing outreach and improvement of scientific literacy for the publicgood - while also allowing for public input about important issues related to engineering.

Citation
Format

Phillips, C. M. L., & Beddoes, K. (2013, June), Really Changing the Conversation: The Deficit Model and Public Understanding of Engineering Paper presented at 2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Atlanta, Georgia. 10.18260/1-2--22410

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -              Really Changing the Conversation: The Deficit Model and                             Engineering Education!Numerous reports and outreach initiatives stem from a concern over low public understanding ofand interest in engineering. Most often, these reports and initiatives express a belief (eitherimplicitly or explicitly) that the public does not understand or appreciate engineering becausethey are uninformed or misinformed and that, consequently, the provision of more information(in the form of scientific literacy or the benefits of engineering), will lead to increasedunderstanding and support for engineering. In that way, they are enactments of the deficit model.The deficit model is a term from the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS) used todescribe initiatives/projects that are based upon a belief in the public’s lack of knowledge andscientific literacy and seek to remedy it by providing more, correct, information. However, alarge body of literature has now identified significant problems with the deficit model, includingproblems that undermine the aims of organizers or authors, thus limiting efficacy of efforts tocommunicate with the public. Therefore, the aim of this paper is three-fold: 1) to introduce thedeficit model to an engineering education audience, 2) to identify leading critiques thatengineering educators should be aware of, and 3) to present a framework that can be used byengineering educators and taught to future practicing engineers to think through importantdimensions of communication.The paper begins with an introduction to the deficit model. We explain the concept and identifyits major limitations. Following that is a discussion of the types of publics that are constructedthrough various communication models and how the deficit model limits the types of publics thatare engaged. Next, examples of leading initiatives that enact the deficit model are presented todemonstrate the current over-reliance on deficit model enactments within engineering andengineering education. Alternative communication models, drawn from science communicationliterature, are then presented and the ways in which they provide different types of publicparticipation methods through added levels of information flow, directions of influence, andconstructions of publics are discussed. Using prior insights from STS, as well as communicationsliterature, we present a framework of three key concepts integral to public communication: flowof information, direction of influence, and the construction of publics so that engineers canunderstand how these dimensions affect the ways communication with the public is carried out.The paper concludes with a discussion of how the expanded understandings of communicationprovided can be used to accomplish previous goals set forth by programs such as Changing theConversation - including providing outreach and improvement of scientific literacy for the publicgood - while also allowing for public input about important issues related to engineering.
AU  - Canek Moises Luna Phillips
AU  - Kacey Beddoes
CY  - Atlanta, Georgia
DA  - 2013/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Really Changing the Conversation: The Deficit Model and Public Understanding of Engineering
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/22410
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--22410
ER  -