Conference Session

Enhancing K-12 STEM Education with Engineering

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tirupalavanam Ganesh, Arizona State University; John Thieken, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Settings, NationalScience Foundation. Opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in thismaterial are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NationalScience Foundation (NSF).References[1] National Research Council. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school: Expanded edition. Committee on Developments in the Science of Learning with additional material from the Committee on Learning Research and Educational Practice. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.[2] National Research Council. (2001). Knowing what students know: The science and design of educational assessment. Committee on the Foundations of Assessment. Pelligrino, J., Chudowsky, N., and

Conference Session

High School Engineering Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amy Prevost, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Mitchell Nathan, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Benjamin Stein, University of Wisconsin; Allen Phelps, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

logs and self-report surveys have also been used as methods for obtaining information about theenacted instruction6,7,8.The assessed curriculum refers to the specific content that is tested and can differdrastically from the intended and enacted curricula. Tests are drafted by the federalgovernment (thought instruments like NAEP, for example), individual states, districts,and the teachers themselves. The learned curriculum captures the actual changes inknowledge by the individual students, which reflects the notion that students can andoften do learn more and less than offered in the instructional context.In earlier studies, we analyzed the enacted curriculum of the first Project Lead the Way™foundations course, Introduction to Engineering

Conference Session

Best Practices in K-12 Engineering Panel

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stacy Klein-Gardner, Vanderbilt University; Marlene Aviles, Dr. Ercel Webb School # 22, Jersey City School District; Jennifer Case, East Middle School; Augusto Macalalag, Stevens Institute of Technology; John Brockway, East Middle School; Christie O'Hara, Colorado School of Mines; Michael Asheim, Colorado School of Mines; Barbara Moskal, Colorado School of Mines; Brian Lien, Princeton High School; Eugene Rutz, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

, 2teachers learned physical science content of forces, motion, and electricity through lectures, hands-onactivities, field trips, Internet based projects, collaborative work, reflections, model-based inquiry, andthe engineering design process administered by the faculty and staff of the engineering and teacher-education colleges. Teachers engaged in two Engineering is Elementary (EiE) modules over focusedon the engineering design process.Proven Success in the ClassroomBased on our pre- and post- tests administered to teachers and students in treatment and comparisongroups in year 1, participating teachers showed science and engineering gains of almost 3 timesgreater than teachers in the comparison group. Students of teachers in the treatment group

Conference Session

Engineering Collaboration: Faculty & Student in K-12 Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Holly Anthony; Josh Price; Joe Harris

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

legacycycle, students had the opportunity to present their findings (go public) to their peers, parents,and members of the community. A complete version of the legacy cycle can be viewed inAppendix A.Implementation of this legacy cycle into my high school science classroom increased studentmotivation, generated excitement, and made students aware of possible careers in engineering. Ifeel strongly that the legacy cycle experience broadened my students’ knowledge of the Page 15.711.3application of engineering in not only the science classroom, but also in life. Student products,pictures documenting the implementation, and reflections (from both me and

Conference Session

Teacher and Counselor Professional Development

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vikram Kapila, Polytechnic University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

clearly-stated objectives, asequence of steps to be followed, and a description of expected results. These activities illustratereal-world applications of material covered in the lectures, thus reinforcing and imparting agreater sense of understanding. The discussion hour of each session provides teachers with anopportunity to reflect on and further explore the session’s work and to brainstorm ways ofintegrating these activities to illustrate pre-college science and math concepts. In summer 2009,during the guided training phase, 10 doctoral students interacted with teachers by serving asteaching assistants. Specifically, each doctoral student participated in two sessions. Thisopportunity allowed the research assistants to interact with teachers

Conference Session

Women in K-12 Engineeering & Outreach Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Heath Tims, Louisiana Tech University; Jim Nelson, Louisiana Tech University; Galen Turner, Louisiana Tech University; Missy Wooley, Ruston High School; Marvin Nelson, Benton High School

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

, National Science Foundation (NSF) under Page 15.247.11Award Number 0622462, and Department of Education (DoE) under Award NumberU215K090140. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in thismaterial are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NASA, NSF, or DoE.References:[1] National Science Board. Science and Engineering Indicators. http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind08/. 2008.[2] National Science Board. The Science and Engineering Workforce: Realizing America‟s Potential. http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/documents /2003/nsb0369/nsb0369.pdf . 2003.[3] Redish, Edward F. and K. Smith. “Looking Beyond

Conference Session

Think Outside the Box! K-12 Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Heath Tims, Louisiana Tech University; Krystal Corbett, Louisiana Tech University; Galen Turner, Louisiana Tech University; David Hall, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

provided more project-based learning than other courses.” ) were bothrelated to the hands-on project-based instruction in the classroom. It is also interesting to notethat the survey data reflects a somewhat neutral trend for interest in STEM disciplines. However,student comments suggest that the curriculum has influenced many students in their careerdirection. This includes some students that have a greater appreciation of STEM topics eventhough they are not planning to pursue a STEM degree.Table 1 – Results of student survey Page 15.959.8 strongly somewhat somewhat strongly

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and K-12 Engineering

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adam Wathen, Georgia Institute of Technology; William Hunt, Georgia Institute of Technology; Donna Llewellyn, Georgia Institute of Technology; Peter Ludovice, Georgia Institute of Technology; Marion Usselman, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

skills gained at the lower levels. Thetaxonomy is typically applied to three domains of learning: affective, cognitive, andpsychomotor. We are concerned here only with the cognitive domain. The levels within thecognitive domain are knowledge (1), comprehension (2), application (3), analysis (4), synthesis(5), and evaluation (6). The Bloom’s categories used to describe the entries are the modifiedBloom’s categories reflecting active thinking3: Remembering (1), Understanding (2), Applying(3), Analyzing (4), Evaluating (5), and Creating (6). For analysis, each category is ranked from1-6 in the order of increasing complexity. Table 1 is a summary of the descriptions of eachcategory along with examples of students’ responses corresponding to the

Conference Session

Gender and Minority Issues in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joan Kowalski, Penn State University - New Kensington; Tracie L. Brockhoff, Penn State University - New Kensington

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

recommendation of programparticipants are integral to the mission of the program. Participants who have reached college-age have been contacted this past summer to assess the program outcomes. Specifically, roughly75 percent of participants surveyed indicate engineering, engineering technology, or some non-traditional field of science as their intended major. One-third has chosen XXXX University,with one-fourth of this group enrolling at the XXXX XXXX Campus in particular. Feedbackfrom the questionnaire conducted reflects a strong positive impact on the participants’ interestsin careers related to engineering, engineering technology and non-traditional science. In fact, a2007 program FIRSTE participant is currently a freshman in the mechanical

Conference Session

Engineering Professional Development for K-12 Teachers

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Silvia Carreño, Universidad de las Americas Puebla; Enrique Palou, Universidad de las Americas, Puebla; Aurelio López-Malo, Universidad de las Americas, Puebla

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

, their answers to the question Page 15.451.7“Describe what the engineer is doing in the picture” probe an accurate knowledge about whatand engineer does as can be seen in Box 1. However, most of them are far form actually depictan engineer in action. This means that if P-12 Mexican teachers’ perceptions of and attitudestoward engineering are not accurate, they will play a significant role in perpetuating incorrectperceptions about engineering8. This will be reflected into their curricula and in the way theydeliver messages about the nature of engineering to their students. Teachers’ perceptions matter,they influence attitudes toward, and a

Conference Session

Enhancing Recruitment and Retention in Engineering

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Keith Walters; Keisha Walters

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

scores for statements 4, 5, and7. The second goal—encouraging students to pursue science and engineering careers—isindicated by interest evaluation responses to statements 1-3, and by the follow up contacts withthe student participants. The third goal of increasing students’ knowledge and understanding offluid mechanics is indicated by interest evaluation statement 6, and by the results of the pre- andpost-course concept inventories. These conclusions are also supported by the student responseson the course evaluations.Recommendations for Course ImprovementBased on the student feedback, post course assessment, and the instructors’ own observations,the course was a success. However, upon reflection, a number of potential improvements

Conference Session

Mentoring & Outreach for Girls & Minorities

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andres Goza, Rice University; David Garland, Rice University; Brent Houchens, Rice University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

American 11.0% 12.5% White 14.8% 3.7% Hispanic Hispanic Hispanic 81.0% 82.5% 74.1% Figure 1: Demographics of DREAM mentees from spring 2009 The demographics of the participants are never pre-determined by the program, and as such theDREAM mentee demographics largely reflect the school demographics. At Austin High School(AHS), African Americans and Hispanics make up, on average, 96% of the participants in

Conference Session

Women in K-12 Engineeering & Outreach Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ari Epstein, MIT; Beverly Mire, Cambridge Youth Programs; Trent Ramsey, Cambridge Youth Programs; Karen Gareis, Goodman Research Group; Emily Davidson, MIT; Elizabeth Jones, MIT; Michelle Slosberg, MIT; Rafael Bras, MIT

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Conference Session

High School Engineering Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Heersink, Colorado School of Mines; Wanda Dann, Carnegie Mellon University; Barbara Moskal, Colorado School of Mines; Alka Herriger, Purdue; Steven Cooper, Purdue

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

school students’ attitudes and beliefs toward computing can provide teachers andresearchers with an understanding of how to encourage more students to pursue these fields. Thestudy presented here was partially support by the National Science Foundation (NSF) (DUE-0512064; DRL- 0737679; DRL- 0623808). The ideas and opinions expressed are that of theauthors and are not necessarily reflective of that of the NSF.Research QuestionThe research question that guided this investigation is: ≠ Are the two intervention programs which target high school students’ computer science and information technology attitudes equally effective for improving students’ attitudes within the two fields

Conference Session

Mentoring & Outreach for Girls & Minorities

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Aurenice Oliveira, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

calculate input and output power,and power loss or attenuation. Page 15.670.7Figure 1. Lab activities providing hands-on experience.6. AssessmentAssessment is vital and should reflect to what extent the course meet the learningobjectives; direct and indirect assessment measurements were developed to measure theeffectiveness of the course and whether goals are met.Participating student knowledge and understanding of subject material were directlyevaluated through quizzes and pre-test and post-test that measures competence of thecourse components. Results of the exams were analyzed to determine specific areas ofcognizance of the subject matter, interest in

Conference Session

Thinking, Reasoning & Engineering in Elementary School

Collection

2010 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

. They were supported bythe lead teachers and the community college faculty as they prepared to integrate a unit of EiEinto their classrooms over the next two academic years: 2009-2010 and 2010-2011.Description of the Participating Lead TeachersBefore starting the Teacher Educator Institute, each of the lead teachers filled out a participantsurvey. Tables IX and X tabulate the participant survey responses and reflect the number of yearsthe teachers have been employed in education and their educational backgrounds. Table IX: Number of Years Employed in Education Years in Education 3 3.5 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 13 16 17 20 Number of 3 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 Teachers Table X

Conference Session

High School Engineering Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Todd Kaiser, Montana State University; Peggy Taylor, Montana State University; Carolyn Plumb, Montana State University; Howard Tenenbaum, La Jolla High School, San Diego Unified School District; Seth Hodges, St. Michael Indian School, St. Michaels, AZ

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

in my classroom.I spent the first day of school this year providing a PowerPoint on “What I Did Last Summer.”Photos and stories about the solar cell course took up much of the presentation. This presentationmay be responsible for an increase in membership in our school’s AISES chapter (AmericanIndian Science and Engineering Society). A couple of our freshman students are now interestedin investigating solar cell technology for next year’s AISES science fair.Conclusions and RecommedationsWhile the course had generally positive comments from the follow-up survey, it was felt thatmore should be done to highlight the electrical engineering aspect of the course. The course willagain be offered in summer of 2010, and it will be modified to reflect

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and K-12 Engineering

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rene Reitsma, Oregon State University; Paul Klenk, Duke University; Malinda Zarske, University of Colorado, Boulder; Jacquelyn Sullivan, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

ofthe authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.Bibliography1. Baeza-Yates, R., Ribeiro-Neto, B. (1999) Modern Information Retrieval. ACM Press, Addison Wesley, Harlow, UK.2. Blumenthal, D. (2003) Evaluation Approaches for a K-12 Digital Library Collection. WGBH Educational Foundation. Boston. MA. Available: http://eduimpact.comm.nsdl.org/evalworkshop/blumenthal.doc. Accessed 12/03/2008.3. Breen, C. (2008) Review: NetTrekker. MacWorld.com. Available: http://www.macworld.com/article/134787/2008/08/nettrekker.html. Accessed: 12/03/2008.4. Cunningham, C.M., Hester, K. (2007) Engineering is Elementary: An Engineering and Technology Curriculum for Children. Proceedings, ASEE

Conference Session

Mentoring & Outreach for Girls & Minorities

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lindsey Jenkins-Stark, Iridescent; Tara Chklovski, Iridescent

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

(consistent with what was said earlier) minutesso that the majority of the session time (1 to 1.5 hours) is spent experimenting and manipulatingmaterials. Two well established lesson plan approaches are utilized: the Learning Cycles lessonapproach62 and Inquiry-based instruction63. Engineers practice teaching using few technicalterms, real-world analogies and multi-media to ensure understanding for audiences with limitededucation. Engineers learn to use assessment practices such as graphic organizers to ensurefamilies make significant knowledge gains64. Weekly preparation includes a reading assignment,instruction planning and reflective practice. Engineers are observed by Iridescent staff in eachsession and given feedback on how to improve their

Conference Session

Women in K-12 Engineeering & Outreach Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sharnnia Artis, The Ohio State University; Ruth Friedman, The Ohio State University; Glenda LaRue, The Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

before engaging in the process of extracting visible DNA from strawberries. Rheology Activity: As part of the rheology activity, participants were introduced to the physical property viscosity before going outdoors and mixing together water and corn starch to create a substance that allowed them to “walk on water.” Ice Cream Activity: The participants had a follow-up activity to reflect on their visit to the Graeter’s ice cream facility. OSU graduate students in chemical engineering talked with the participants about the function of ice cream’s ingredients and what chemical engineers call the “unit operations” involved in manufacturing large-scale quantities of ice cream. Participants then developed their own

Conference Session

Technological Literacy and K-12 Engineering

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vaneshette Henderson, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; Kelly Rusch, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; Brenda Nixon, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; Warren Waggenspack, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

residents. Thedemographics of enrolled undergraduate students at LSU do not reflect the population ofLouisiana. Only 8.5% and 16% of the undergraduate engineering students enrolled at LSU areminorities and females respectively.Participant Application Selection ProcessParticipants of HSTEAP consisted of mathematics and science teacher pairs with each paircoming from the same high school. The participants for the first year program were recruitedthrough various media, organizations and agencies, including the Office for Diversity Programs,The LSU CAIN Center,Louisiana Science TeachersAssociation, LouisianaAssociation of Teachers ofMathematics, informationalmagazines, newsletters,listserves, websites and bydirect mail to high schools inLouisiana. The

Conference Session

Engineering Collaboration: Faculty & Student in K-12 Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vikram Kapila, Polytechnic University; Magued Iskander, Polytechnic University; Noel Kriftcher, Polytechnic University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

-navigating whiskerrobot, and a line-following robot.4. Broadened Education and Training of Fellows Through effective performance of their teaching, mentoring, and collaboration activities,Fellows are developing (i) a deeper understanding of STEM concepts; (ii) an ability to exploreand recognize connections and relationships between different STEM concepts; (iii) an ability topractice and reflect on the process of knowledge building; (iv) an ability to review others’ workand provide constructive criticism; and (v) an ability to revise and enhance their own work basedon others’ feedback. Development of these various abilities assists Fellows in their own researchsince every successful engineering research enterprise relies on deep understanding

Conference Session

Gender and Minority Issues in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeanne Christman, Rochester Institute of Technology; Elizabeth Dell, Rochester Institute of Technology; Robert Garrick, Rochester Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

continually update and change the experiments to keep it interesting for themselves andto reflect the interest levels demonstrated by the Girl Scouts to the various activities. Each of thefour engineering technology departments has a core group of students who plan and organizetheir experiment with other volunteers from the department helping with facilitation of the event.Funding for the Girl Scouts in Technology Program was made available through a grant from theRochester Area Community Foundation. The grant money covered the cost of supplies, websitedevelopment, faculty stipend and pay for student volunteers.Program DetailsThe Girl Scouts in Technology program was designed such that it encompasses the essentialingredients for a successful outreach

Conference Session

Enhancing K-12 STEM Education with Engineering

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steve Macho, Buffalo State College

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

can reflect on and evaluate present and past D&T, its uses and effects. (Design and Technology Association, ¶1, 2010) As summarized in Developing Industrial Design Education: A British perspectivea paper by David Weightman, Professor/Director & Deana McDonagh, AssociateProfessor of Industrial Design of the School of Art and Design, University of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign: After establishing the context of design and design education in the UK, the authors describe emerging themes in industrial-design education. These themes can be classified into three types. The first theme involves enabling students to utilize a variety of research approaches at different levels. The design process

Conference Session

Enhancing K-12 STEM Education with Engineering

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Virginia Westheider, University of Cincinnati; Patrick Brown, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

their male counterparts, the chances for success in these types of projects will be proof toboth genders that many girls are very skillful in these areas. It may take a while to graduallychange the perceptions that both genders have about their relative abilities, but if project basedlearning is a regular part of the science curriculum, we will have produced students who aremore experienced, more confident and more informed about the everyday activities of STEMcareers. This has the potential to gradually erase the disparity between the genders in scientificand technical arenas. The exploration of their own questions, the satisfaction of creating andtesting their own designs, and the experience of working in cooperative groups reflects the

Conference Session

Thinking, Reasoning & Engineering in Elementary School

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

building at all times, withchildren off task. Instructions are not good enough to use without help.” These observationnarratives make apparent the range of student engagement in the lessons and the nature of theirengagement, both of which may reflect the learning that was anticipated to be taking place.Through our coding of observation narratives it also became apparent there were a range ofinteractions among students and between students and teacher. For example, during one lessonthe observation was made, “Focus and joy in classroom were obvious. Lots of give and take withstudents, and emphasis on doing and re-doing to make things work,” and in another “Whenstudents were turned loose, they designed their own methods and tested them with

Conference Session

Engineering in the Middle Grades

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jade Mitchell-Blackwood, Drexel University; Manuel Figueroa, Drexel University; Chatchai Kokar, Drexel University; Adam Fontecchio, Drexel University; Eli Fromm, Drexel University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

reflection of the students‘ perception of engineering per se.In order to conduct quantitative analysis of the open-ended results, responses were categorized.Percentage responses in each category were calculated to generate frequencies of responses.Responses from students who provided more than one answer to a question were talliedseparately to report the full range of responses.A second set of entrance and exit closed-ended surveys was administered primarily to assess thestudents‘ engagement or interest and attitudes toward STEM. A copy of this instrument isincluded in Tables 4 - 6.The questions in the closed-ended survey are aimed at discovering thelevel of short term or long term interest, or feelings that respondents hold with regard

Conference Session

Enhancing K-12 STEM Education with Engineering

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Taylor Martin, University of Texas, Austin; Tom Benton, University of Texas, Austin; William McKenna, University of Texas, Austin; Pat Ko, University of Texas at Austin

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Conference Session

Women in K-12 Engineeering & Outreach Programs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tirupalavanam Ganesh, Arizona State University; John Thieken, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

speak out about science, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 32 (1), 3-27.[8] American Association of University Women Educational Foundation. (2000). Tech-Savvy: Educating girls in Page 15.735.15 the new computer age. Washington, DC: Author.[9] American Association of University Women Educational Foundation. (2004). Under the Microscope: A decade of gender equity projects in the sciences. Washington, DC: Author.[10] Resnick, M. & Silverman, B. (2005). Some reflections on designing construction kits for kids. Proceedings of Interaction Design and Children conference, Boulder, CO.[11