Conference Session

Gender and Minority Issues in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tirupalavanam Ganesh, Arizona State University; John Thieken, Arizona State University; Monica Elser, Arizona State University; Stephen Krause, Arizona State University; Dale Baker, Arizona State University; Chell Roberts, Arizona State University; Sharon Kurpius-Robinson, Arizona State University; James Middleton, Arizona State University; Jay Golden, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

wide administration of the DAEtest. The purpose of the DAE test was to determine individual conceptions of engineers andengineering. Students were given 20-30 minutes to draw an engineer and answer three questionsrelated to what they had drawn. Test directions and question prompts are given below. Close your eyes and imagine an engineer at work … Open your eyes. On the attached sheet of paper, draw what you imagined. Once you have completed your drawing, please respond to the following prompts: 1. Describe what the engineer is doing in the picture. Write at least two sentences. 2. List at least three words/phrases that come to mind when you think of this engineer. 3. What kinds of

Conference Session

High-School Engineering Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Muhammad Kehnemouyi, Montgomery College; Uchechukwu Abanulo, Montgomery College

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

discussion of summarized responses aregiven below. 1. What engineering discipline were you interested in before participating in this project and why? Six (6) of the students listed more than one discipline, 3 of them weren’t sure, and 4 of them listed a single discipline. 2. What engineering discipline are you interested in now and why? Eight (9) students decided on one discipline, 3 students listed two disciplines, and one student was still unsure. 3. Why did you or didn’t you change your mind? Some students stated that they only made up their minds, some changed their mind because of more money or more interested in the career opportunities, while some made

Conference Session

Engineering in the Middle Grades

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Karen High, Oklahoma State University; Becky Hammack, Stillwater Middle School; Beth Watt, Stillwater Middle School; Julie Thomas, Oklahoma State University; Adrienne Redmond, Oklahoma State University; Pat Jordan; Jean Dockers, Oklahoma State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

to a successful career 4.19 3.50 -0.68 4.41 0.9057 Engineers are creative. 4.06 3.49 -0.57 4.30 0.815=Strongly Agree, 1=Strongly DisagreeData presented is mean for the group Page 14.57.13 The largest differences are bolded in the table. In analyzing the results it is important to realize that the GAG students were taking these assessments in May, after state testing and during that time where filling out bubble tests can be the last thing on a middle schoolers’ mind. For the pre/post for the GAG unit, the only large

Conference Session

Thinking, Reasoning, and Engineering in Elementary School

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Irene Mena, Purdue University; Brenda Capobianco, Purdue University; Heidi Diefes-Dux, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

the experimental classrooms werepurposefully selected9. The data analysis process began by analyzing each individual case. Eachstudent’s DAET and interview transcripts were first reviewed. Open coding was done on thetranscripts to see what themes emerged from the data. Throughout this process, “like-minded”pieces were put together in “data clumps” and assigned a code, as suggested by Glesne11. Afterrefining and verifying these codes, final codes were obtained and analyzed for frequency andstrength of the statements. This strength testing led to the development of assertions.Each student’s pre and post interview and DAET were compared to see how the students’perceptions of engineering, the engineering design process, and the work of engineers

Conference Session

High-School Engineering Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mitchell Nathan, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Kyle Oliver, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Amy Prevost, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Natalie Tran, California State University, Bakersfield; Allen Phelps, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

work (p. 5).While the relation of math and science to engineering in this report is generally presented asunidirectional, we need to keep in mind their mutual relationship. For engineering design anddevelopment can drive scientific and mathematical advancement as well6,7. For example,advances in areas like xerography for photocopying preceded scientific understandingelectrophotography. Thus, the bidirectional influences of science and math with engineering, socentral to technological innovation, must be recognized as vital to a rigorous, high qualityengineering educational program.Conjointly, the push for an integrative curriculum for vocational and technical education comesfrom laws and policies for K12 education. The reauthorization of the

Conference Session

Successful Mentoring and Outreach Programs for Girls and Minorities

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ruth Friedman, Ohio State University; Linda Weavers, Ohio State University; Glenda La Rue, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

assumed that an engineering outreach program would resemble schoolwith, as one participant suggested, “just a couple of activities…and lectures.”In addition to correcting the participants’ view of engineering as divorced from fun, FESCdisrupts their association of this career field with individuals who are different from themselves.According to one participant who shared her expectations for the camp during the focus-groupdiscussion, she “thought FESC would be a nerd camp, but changed mind after first day [sic].”Another participant underscored these young women’s belief that an engineering-relatedprogram would attract students who were not like them, claiming that she “expected ‘a bunch ofnerds,’ but was proven wrong.”The crucial role that FESC

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and K-12 Engineering

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Faik Karatas, Purdue University; George Bodner, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

instruction may either generatenew alternative frameworks for the students or support the old ones. As a result, attempts tochange students’ conceptions of a particular phenomenon using conceptual change strategiesmay not be as fruitful as we would either hope or expect because, in the end, teachers deliver theinstruction we design.10 Teachers who have naïve or alternative frameworks or conceptions of asubject may not teach them well or they may produce ill-structured schema in students’ minds. Unlike the well-established field of the philosophy of science, no equivalent study of thephilosophy of engineering exists.13 However, inasmuch as engineering and engineering artifactsare part of our everyday life, elementary school students and their

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and K-12 Engineering

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Sanders, Virginia Tech; Thomas Sherman, Virginia Tech; Hyuksoo Kwon, Virginia Tech; James Pembridge, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

classrooms/laboratories.The purpose of this study was to gather descriptive data that might inform and assist with effortsto infuse more “engineering content and process” into K-12 education. With that in mind, thisstudy sought to answer the following research questions:1. What is the current status of Technology Education teacher beliefs and practice that might inform the field’s transition to a curriculum that reflects technology and engineering?2. How have those beliefs, and practices evolved in the past half-century?MethodologyParticipantsThe participants in this study were Technology Education teachers from seven statesrepresenting three geographical regions in the United States. These states were chosen for thisstudy because: the state

Conference Session

Thinking, Reasoning, and Engineering in Elementary School

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michele Strutz, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

student pursuit of engineering through early education awareness.Fluctuations in Education Legislation and ReportsIn the midst of the world’s recognition bestowed on the scientific, technological, engineering,and mathematical minds of Russia for their launch of Sputnik in 1957, this outstandingaccomplishment immediately brought to light the deficiencies in the educational system in theUnited States. Much was published about the STEM deficiencies and the neglected minds of thenation’s talented students, which prompted a whirlwind of short-lived legislation and programs,and published reports. Page 14.99.3For a period of 16 years, several

Conference Session

Engineering Professional Development for K-12 Teachers

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bruce Gehrig, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Lyndon Abrams, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Deborah Bosley, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; James Conrad, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Stephen Kuyath, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

) Page 14.1256.9 ≠ “I think it would be fun but difficult.”(female) ≠ “I do think engineering would be a fun field because I like putting my mind to work to create something.”(female) ≠ “I would like to be an engineer because if it’s as fun as the project is it would be really exciting.”(female) ≠ “Yes I think engineering would be fun but it would be a little hard.”(female) ≠ “Engineering would be a really fun field because you get to use your imagination to create things.”(male) ≠ “It would be a fun field but hard.”(male) ≠ “I would like to be an engineer because I’m going to be a nurse.” (female)Positive feedback concerning engineering improved from 0% positive to 45.5%. Positivefeedback from

Conference Session

Enhancing Recruitment and Retention in Engineering Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eugene Brown, Virginia Tech; Robert McGahern, DDR&E; Robert Stiegler, NSWC-DD

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

AC 2009-1580: THE PREENGINEERING PROGRAM INITIATIVE OF THENATIONAL DEFENSE EDUCATION PROGRAM: A NAVY FOCUSEugene Brown, Virginia Tech Eugene Brown is Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech. He has worked with ONR and DoD since 2001 on educational-outreach-related work-force development issues. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics and is the author of many papers and reports describing his research in the areas of computational fluid dynamics, fluid mechanics and his work in educational outreach.Robert McGahern, DDR&E Robert McGahern is the Director of the National Defense Education Program (NDEP) Pre-Engineering Partnerships

Conference Session

Engineering Professional Development for K-12 Teachers

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Louis Nadelson, College of Education; Janet Callahan, Boise State University; Pat Pyke, Boise State University; Anne Hay, Boise State University; Cheryl Schrader, Boise State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

AC 2009-939: A SYSTEMIC SOLUTION: ELEMENTARY TEACHERPREPARATION IN STEM EXPERTISE AND ENGINEERING AWARENESSLouis Nadelson, College of Education Louis S. Nadelson is an Assistant Professor in the College of Education at Boise State University. His research agenda is motive by science education and includes aspects of conceptual change, inquiry, and pre-service and in-service teacher education. He has investigated learning for conceptual change and the impact of inquiry on modifying misconceptions. Dr. Nadelson earned a B.S. degree in Biological Science from Colorado State University, a B.A. with concentrations in computing, mathematics and physics from The Evergreen State University, a

Conference Session

Infusing Engineering Content Through Curricular Innovation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Pelletier, Northern Essex Community College; Linda Desjardins, Northern Essex Community College; Paul Chanley, Northern Essex Community College; Lori Heymans, Northern Essex Community College

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

districts. Therevised target would be to teach EiE in every classroom of two of the three grades (3, 4,and 5) of each elementary school in the four participating districts. The decision on whichtwo grades would be chosen was left up to each school district.Project DescriptionSTEM ROCKS, funded as a student interest project, seeks to win hearts and minds in theelementary schools and to put the "T" and "E" (technology and engineering) back intoSTEM while emphasizing the supporting science and mathematics.The principal aim of STEM ROCKS is to introduce EiE into every classroom of two Page 14.998.4grades of each elementary school in Billerica, Chelmsford

Conference Session

Exemplary Outreach Programs in Engineering Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gisele Ragusa, University of Southern California; Joseph Cocozza, University of Southern California

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

AC 2009-2238: RESEARCH, COLLABORATION, AND INTERCONNECTEDOUTREACH FOR UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPSGisele Ragusa, University of Southern CaliforniaJoseph Cocozza, University of Southern California Page 14.1029.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 1 Research, Collaboration and Interconnected Outreach for Underrepresented Groups: Success from RET and REU Collaborations Gisele Ragusa, Ph.D. Joseph Cocozza, Ph.D. and Diana Sabogal University of Southern California Abstract

Conference Session

Successful Mentoring and Outreach Programs for Girls and Minorities

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katherine Chen, California Polytechnic State University; Daniel Belter, California Polytechnic State University; Teana Fredeen, California Polytechnic State University; Heather Smith, California Polytechnic State University; Shirley Magnusson, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

: • increase the pipeline of students studying engineering • increase the diversity of students studying engineering • increase the pool of students applying to Cal Poly university in engineeringWith these outcomes in mind, as well as the common reported reasons for not choosingengineering, we developed specific goals for the program: 1) bring high school students of diverse backgrounds to our university campus 2) excite kids about engineering as a profession that is creative and helps society 3) expose students to different engineering disciplines 4) provide positive experiences with hands-on engineering activities, and 5) encourage and help prepare the participants to study engineering in college.We also wanted to assess the program to

Conference Session

Think Outside the Box! K-12 Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Milo Koretsky, Oregon State University; Debra Gilbuena, Oregon State University; Adam Kirsch, Crescent Valley High School

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

AC 2009-830: ENGAGING HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ENGINEERING,SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY USING VIRTUAL LABORATORIESMilo Koretsky, Oregon State University Milo Koretsky is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Oregon State University. He currently has research activity in areas related to thin film materials processing and engineering education. He is interested in integrating technology into effective educational practices and in promoting the use of higher level cognitive skills in engineering problem solving. Dr. Koretsky is a six-time Intel Faculty Fellow and has won awards for his work in engineering education at the university and national levels.Debra Gilbuena, Oregon State University

Conference Session

Gender and Minority Issues in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tiffany Iskander, University of Utah; Paul Gore, University of Utah; Cynthia Furse, University of Utah

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

strengthened by population studies describing the interests and achievement ofcurrent secondary education students. For example, how many U.S. high school seniors Page 14.644.6currently express interests in engineering and have the mathematics achievement to besuccessful in a rigorous undergraduate engineering curriculum? Such data would be quitevaluable. With this in mind, educators and policy makers could target interventionsdesigned to enhance awareness of engineering careers to students with strong academiccapabilities and who have expressed measured interests congruent with engineering, butwho are not explicitly aspiring to engineering-related careers

Conference Session

Thinking, Reasoning, and Engineering in Elementary School

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Molly Bolger, Vanderbilt University; Marta Kobiela, Vanderbilt University; Paul Weinberg, Vanderbilt University; Richard Lehrer, Vanderbilt University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

AC 2009-1279: ANALYSIS OF CHILDREN’S MECHANISTIC REASONINGABOUT LINKAGES AND LEVERS IN THE CONTEXT OF ENGINEERINGDESIGNMolly Bolger, Vanderbilt UniversityMarta Kobiela , Vanderbilt UniversityPaul Weinberg, Vanderbilt UniversityRichard Lehrer, Vanderbilt University Page 14.214.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Analysis of Children’ Mechanistic Reasoning about Linkages and Levers in the Context of Engineering Design AbstractReasoning about mechanisms is one of the hallmarks of disciplined inquiry in science andengineering. Despite the central importance of mechanistic reasoning, its origins are not

Conference Session

Assessment of K-12 Engineering Programs and Issues

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Taryn Bayles, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Tania Monterastelli, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

ofunderstanding of the connection between engineering and the problems of our society(8).According to Jacquelyn Sullivan engineering experiences must be created that help young peopleappreciate the wonders of engineering in their everyday lives and enable them to internalizeengineering as a helping profession that speaks to their hearts(9). With this in mind, the 2007-8YESS program was an important year for the YESS program because the topic “Engineering inHealthcare” was intended to be an attraction for young women. Statistics showed that femaleinterest in the YESS series increased by 15% from the beginning to the end of the program,compared to a decrease in female interest of 11% in the 2006-7 program and an increase of 2

Conference Session

Assessment of K-12 Engineering Programs and Issues

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Doug Kueker, Vivayvic; Pam Newberry, Project Lead the Way

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Page 14.216.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Analyzing Rigor and Relevance in Science and Mathematics CurriculaIntroductionTo be successful in today’s educational climate schools must select and implement rigorous andrelevant science and mathematics curricula. Since the publication of a Nation at Risk 19 (1983),schools across the U.S. have sought to meet a growing demand from business and government toincrease the level of academic rigor in disciplines, such as mathematics and science for allstudents. Enhancing the quality of mathematics and science curricula remains as a priority forour nation’s educational institutions. In fact, accountability legislation, such as No Child LeftBehind 36 (2001) creates additional

Conference Session

Exemplary Teacher and Counselor Professional Development

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Enrique Palou, Universidad de las Americas, Puebla; Aurelio López-Malo, Universidad de las Americas, Puebla; Lourdes Gazca, Universidad de las Americas, Puebla

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

started in 2004) withstudents and teachers have consistently shown that among Alimentos Divertidos educationalbenefits are: Hands-on, minds-on learning models, students work in teams to completelaboratory exercises to learn engineering and science principles; Learning that science andengineering are fun career fields, addressing national and international studies2, 20 showing thatinterest in engineering and science can be enhanced during P-12 school years; Breaking downbarriers, students of diverse ages, gender, ethnic and economic backgrounds, and academic skilllevels come together to exchange ideas on how to solve a science experiment or engineeringdesign. They also learn that there are other students interested in becoming engineers and