Assessing the Effects of Authentic Experiential Learning Activities on Teacher Confidence with Engineering Concepts

Emel Cevik; Michael Johnson; Bugrahan Yalvac; Jennifer G. Whitfield; Mathew Kuttolamadom; Jay R. Porter; Joseph A. Morgan

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Conference: 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Publication Date: June 23, 2018
Start Date: June 23, 2018
End Date: July 27, 2018
Conference Session: Alternative Teaching Methods
Tagged Division: Engineering Technology
Page Count: 15
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--29827
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/29827
Download Count: 672

Dr. Michael D. Johnson is an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University. Prior to joining the faculty at Texas A&M, he was a senior product development engineer at the 3M Corporate Research Laboratory in St. Paul, Minnesota. He received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University and his S.M. and Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Johnson’s research focuses on design tools; specifically, the cost modeling and analysis of product development and manufacturing systems; computer-aided design methodology; and engineering education.

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Bugrahan Yalvac Texas A&M University

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Bugrahan Yalvac is an associate professor of science and engineering education in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture at Texas A&M University, College Station. He received his Ph.D. in science education at the Pennsylvania State University in 2005. Prior to his current position, he worked as a learning scientist for the VaNTH Engineering Research Center at Northwestern University for three years. Yalvac’s research is in STEM education, 21st century skills, and design and evaluation of learning environments informed by the How People Learn framework.

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Jennifer G. Whitfield Texas A&M University

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Mathew Kuttolamadom Texas A&M University orcid.org/0000-0002-3627-4885

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Dr. Mathew Kuttolamadom is an assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Technology & Industrial Distribution and the Department of Materials Science & Engineering at Texas A&M University. He received his Ph.D. in Materials Science & Engineering from Clemson University’s Int'l Center for Automotive Research. His professional experience is in the automotive industry including at the Ford Motor Company. At TAMU, he teaches Mechanics, Manufacturing and Mechanical Design to his students. His research thrusts include bioinspired functionally-graded composites, additive/subtractive manufacturing processes, laser surface texturing, tribology, visuo-haptic VR/AR interfaces and engineering education.

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Jay R. Porter Texas A&M University

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Jay R. Porter joined the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University in 1998 and is currently the Associate Department Head for Undergraduate Studies. He received the BS degree in electrical engineering (1987), the MS degree in physics (1989), and the Ph.D. in electrical engineering (1993) from Texas A&M University. His areas of interest in research and education include product development, analog/RF electronics, engineering education, and entrepreneurship.

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Joseph A. Morgan Texas A&M University

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Joseph A. Morgan has over 20 years of military and industry experience in electronics and communications systems engineering. He joined the Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution Department in 1989 and has served as the Program Director of the Electronics and Telecommunications Programs and as the Associate Department Head for Operations. He has served as Director of Engineering and Chief Technology Officer in the private sector and currently a partner in a small start-up venture. He received his BS degree in electrical engineering (1975) from California State University, Sacramento, and his MS (1980) and DE (1983) degrees in industrial engineering from Texas A&M University. His education and research interests include project management, innovation and entrepreneurship, and embedded product/system development.

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Abstract

There is a growing concern in the US about the lack of student interest and aptitude in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines. Research indicates that engineering and technology integration in K-12 improve students’ content understanding and skill development, understanding of interactions among the STEM disciplines, and interest in STEM careers. Many in-service STEM teachers have limited experience and/or educational background in engineering and technology. These teachers have limited confidence to incorporate engineering and technology in their classroom.

At a professional development (PD) workshop, that is part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded engineering research project, teachers from different school districts were invited to learn building automation and additive manufacturing at a university campus in summer 2017. The overall goal of the project is to increase the number of students on the STEM pathway. This work reports the findings of a study that explored the effectiveness of a teacher PD workshop implemented in the first year of the project. In the PD workshop teachers engaged in authentic engineering design activities using 3D printers and the internet of things technologies. In this two-week program, teachers were trained to use computer-aided design tools, additive manufacturing processes, and how to integrate sensors into various devices. University faculty and students, who administered the workshop, illustrated how to effectively incorporate these technologies and engineering design principles into their classrooms.

The main question posed was: to what extent do the teachers’ participation in the professional development activities affect their confidence and efficacy toward STEM and perception of engineering and teaching? To answer this question, authors employed a pre- and post-test survey research design was employed; data were collected from the participants before and after the PD workshop activities. The Design, Engineering and Technology (DET) Survey and Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes toward STEM Survey (T-STEM) were administered to participants. DET is a five-point Likert scale with 40 items. This instrument focuses on capturing the participants’ views and familiarity with DET concepts. The T_STEM survey is a 5 point Likert scale with 36 items. The T_STEM survey measures participants’ confidence and efficacy towards STEM fields, 21st century learning, and other constructs. Quantitative data and statistical analyses of pre and post workshop data are presented.

Citation
Format

Cevik, E., & Johnson, M., & Yalvac, B., & Whitfield, J. G., & Kuttolamadom, M., & Porter, J. R., & Morgan, J. A. (2018, June), Assessing the Effects of Authentic Experiential Learning Activities on Teacher Confidence with Engineering Concepts Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--29827

TY - CPAPER
AB - There is a growing concern in the US about the lack of student interest and aptitude in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines. Research indicates that engineering and technology integration in K-12 improve students’ content understanding and skill development, understanding of interactions among the STEM disciplines, and interest in STEM careers. Many in-service STEM teachers have limited experience and/or educational background in engineering and technology. These teachers have limited confidence to incorporate engineering and technology in their classroom.

At a professional development (PD) workshop, that is part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded engineering research project, teachers from different school districts were invited to learn building automation and additive manufacturing at a university campus in summer 2017. The overall goal of the project is to increase the number of students on the STEM pathway. This work reports the findings of a study that explored the effectiveness of a teacher PD workshop implemented in the first year of the project. In the PD workshop teachers engaged in authentic engineering design activities using 3D printers and the internet of things technologies. In this two-week program, teachers were trained to use computer-aided design tools, additive manufacturing processes, and how to integrate sensors into various devices. University faculty and students, who administered the workshop, illustrated how to effectively incorporate these technologies and engineering design principles into their classrooms.

The main question posed was: to what extent do the teachers’ participation in the professional development activities affect their confidence and efficacy toward STEM and perception of engineering and teaching? To answer this question, authors employed a pre- and post-test survey research design was employed; data were collected from the participants before and after the PD workshop activities. The Design, Engineering and Technology (DET) Survey and Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes toward STEM Survey (T-STEM) were administered to participants. DET is a five-point Likert scale with 40 items. This instrument focuses on capturing the participants’ views and familiarity with DET concepts. The T_STEM survey is a 5 point Likert scale with 36 items. The T_STEM survey measures participants’ confidence and efficacy towards STEM fields, 21st century learning, and other constructs. Quantitative data and statistical analyses of pre and post workshop data are presented.

AU - Emel Cevik
AU - Michael Johnson
AU - Bugrahan Yalvac
AU - Jennifer G. Whitfield
AU - Mathew Kuttolamadom
AU - Jay R. Porter
AU - Joseph A. Morgan
CY - Salt Lake City, Utah
DA - 2018/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Assessing the Effects of Authentic Experiential Learning Activities on Teacher Confidence with Engineering Concepts
UR - https://peer.asee.org/29827
DO - 10.18260/1-2--29827
ER -