Conference Session

Research Initiatives

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric N. Wiebe, North Carolina State University; Malinda Faber, The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation; Jeni Corn, Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, NC State University; Tracey Louise Collins, North Carolina State University; Alana Unfried, North Carolina State University; LaTricia Townsend

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Paper ID #6746A Large-scale Survey of K-12 Students about STEM: Implications for Engi-neering Curriculum Development and Outreach Efforts (Research to Prac-tice)Dr. Eric N. Wiebe, North Carolina State University Dr. Wiebe is a professor in the Department of STEM Education at NC State University and Senior Research Fellow at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. A focus of his research and outreach work has been the integration of multimedia and multimodal teaching and learning approaches in STEM instruction. He has also worked on research and evaluation of technology integration in instructional settings in

Conference Session

Research Initiatives

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David G. Rethwisch, University of Iowa; Soko S Starobin, Iowa State University; Frankie Santos Laanan, Iowa State University; Melissa Chapman Haynes, Professional Data Analysts, Inc.

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

of students in these courses. The curriculum is divided into two strata (Taylor,Foster, & Ratcliff, 2006)—foundation courses (Introduction to Engineering Design andPrinciples of Engineering) and specialization courses (Aerospace Engineering; BiotechnicalEngineering; Civil Engineering and Architecture; Computer Integrated Manufacturing; andDigital Electronics). The sequence of courses ends with a capstone course (Engineering Designand Development) that requires students to take their own idea from design through development.In addition, Gateway to Technology is offered in middle school in selected school districts and isintended to maintain and increase middle students’ interest in STEM fields and to encourage thestudents to take the high

Conference Session

K-12 and Pre-College Engineering Division Curriculum Exchange

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Justin Michael Hutchison, University of Illinois

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Paper ID #10239Graduate students help to create a discovery-based and cooperative learningexperience about clean energy for high school students (curriculum exchange)Mr. Justin Michael Hutchison, University of Illinois Justin Hutchison, M.S., is currently a doctoral student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Uni- versity of Illinois. He is treasurer of the local student chapter of American Society for Engineering Edu- cation (ASEE) and a coordinator for graduate student outreach in the Civil and Environmental Graduate Student Professional Development Program. Mr. Hutchison is a National Science Foundation Graduate

Conference Session

Middle School Engineering Programs, Curriculum, and Evaluation

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jacob D. Joseph, The College of William and Mary; Jessica Taylor, College of William and Mary, STEM Education Alliance; Gail B. Hardinge, College of William and Mary, STEM Education Alliance; Eugene F. Brown, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

, the intention of theVDP is to inspire students to become the next generation of scientists and engineers.The VDP consists of Academic Year, Summer Academy, and National Outreach programs.Academic Year Program—The VDP’s Academic Year Program is an inclusive, in-classinitiative involving approximately thirty contact hours. Teachers and S&Es collaborate on thedelivery of a high-energy curriculum, R2: Relevant Robotics, designed to leverage the efficacy ofresearch-based educational techniques, developed around a Five Strands of STEM Instructionmodel. The R2: Relevant Robotics curriculum consists of two units, “Crisis at a Coral Reef” and“Landmines,” both of which are correlated to national math and science standards. Informationabout the

Conference Session

Middle School Engineering Programs, Curriculum, and Evaluation

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary Elizabeth Spencer, Queen's University; David S. Strong, Queen's University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

range from integrating engineering concepts into the K-12 curriculum to providing outreach and design challenge opportunities outside of school. Suchinitiatives are present in very isolated cases within Canada, however, their reach and impact islimited.In order to better understand the perspective of pre-high school students in Canada, samplegroups will be provided with a survey incorporating a variety of questions pertaining to whatthey understand about engineering as a profession. All questions have been structured as openended in order to promote individualized answers from the students. Survey questions will beanalyzed with NVIVO software to determine if there are common themes in the understandingand perception of engineering from the

Conference Session

Computer Science-related Programs

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ning Fang, Utah State University; Karen Nielson, Utah State University; Stephanie M. Kawamura, InTech Collegiate High School

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

AC 2012-3346: INTEGRATING REAL WORLD ENGINEERING EXAM-PLES AND MATHEMATICAL CALCULATIONS INTO COMPUTER SIM-ULATIONS TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF CONCEPTPAIRSProf. Ning Fang, Utah State University Ning Fang is an Associate Professor in the College of Engineering at Utah State University, USA. He has taught a variety of engineering courses such as engineering dynamics, metal machining, and design for manufacturing. His areas of interest include computer-assisted instructional technology, curricular reform in engineering education, the modeling and optimization of manufacturing processes, and lean product design. He earned his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. degrees in mechanical engineering and is the author of more

Conference Session

High School Engineering Programs, Curriculum, and Evaluation

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Heath Tims, Louisiana Tech University; Krystal S Corbett, Louisiana Tech University; Galen E. Turner III, Louisiana Tech University; David E. Hall, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

curriculum calledNASA-Threads which integrates engineering, mathematics, and physics concepts through hands-on projects. NASA-Threads combines NASA applications, fundamentals, technology, andcommunication with projects that are facilitated by an inexpensive robotic platform.Fundamentals are taught in this active classroom environment as projects unfold. The hands-onprojects build excitement and foster the development of student confidence and creativity; theyalso develop student ability to solve realistic multiple-step problems.Each student participating in the NASA-Threads curriculum is provided with their own robot(Boe-Bot) which provides a tool for measurement and control of physical systems. We haveadopted the Boe-Bot robotics platform from

Conference Session

High School Engineering Programs, Curriculum, and Evaluation

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kelly B Crittenden, Louisiana Tech University; Galen E. Turner III, Louisiana Tech University; James D. Nelson, Louisiana Tech University; Jane A. Petrus, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

AC 2011-2156: BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS BY AVOIDING THE ”SHOW-AND-GO”: A STEM PROJECT FOR HIGH SCHOOLSKelly B Crittenden, PhD, Louisiana Tech University Kelly Crittenden earned his BS and PhD in BioMedical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University in 1996 and 2001 respectively. He is an Associate Professor of Engineering, and holds the Harrelson Professorship in Engineering. Dr Crittenden has focused much of his effort in the arena of Engineering Education, and multidisciplinary design.Prof. Galen E. Turner III, Louisiana Tech UniversityDr. James D. Nelson, Louisiana Tech UniversityJane A Petrus, Louisiana Tech University Jane Petrus serves as the Student Success Specialist for the College of Engineering and Science at

Conference Session

Middle School Engineering Programs, Curriculum, and Evaluation

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jed S. Lyons, University of South Carolina

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

level students from STEM disciplines, knownas GK-12 Fellows (Fellows), to improve their communication and teaching skills while enrichingSTEM content and instruction in K-12 schools. Through about 300 projects in more than 140different universities throughout the United States and Puerto Rico1, thousands of graduatestudents majoring in engineering, science, mathematics and other technology-related majors haveinteracted with hundreds of thousands of K-12 students. The characteristics and focus of GK-12projects vary by site; however most follow one of two operational designs2. Some projects use an“Exposition Model” that has Fellows completing presentations in many schools or districts overthe course of a year. Other projects follow a “Classroom

Conference Session

K-12 Engineering Resources: Best Practices in Curriculum Design, Part 1 of 2

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Malinda S. Zarske, University of Colorado, Boulder; Madison J. Gallipo, University of Colorado Boulder; Janet L. Yowell, University of Colorado, Boulder; Derek T. Reamon, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

, including their capacity-building and school partner- ship programs. She coordinates the Integrated Teaching and Learning Program’s NSF-funded TEAMS Program (Tomorrow’s Engineers. . . creAte. iMagine. Succeed.) which engages more than 2,200 K-12 students in engineering throughout the academic year and summer months. She is also a contributing curriculum writer and editor for the TeachEngineering digital library, also an NSF-funded project. Janet holds a master’s degree in Information and Learning Technology from the University of Colorado Denver and a bachelor’s in Communication from the University of Colorado Boulder.Prof. Derek T Reamon, University of Colorado, Boulder

Conference Session

K-12 Engineering Resources: Best Practices in Curriculum Design, Part 2 of 2

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andres Cornel Chavez, California State University Northridge; Stephanie Marie Jaco, California State University Northridge; Alejandro Roldan, California State University Northridge; Matthew Ferrer, CSUN; Joyceanne Sim; George Youssef, California State University, Northridge

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

student have been involvedin the development of the nail polish module. Additionally, the bell module has been critiqued byfaculty in the education department of researching university. Finally, it was shown that the wayscience is taught must change to allow students to relate the abstract concepts to real lifeexamples. This can be accomplished by providing our science educators with more resources tofacilitate the integration of more hands-on activities in the curriculum. The Electric Bell module Page 24.835.8can serve as model to create, develop and implement more tunable educational modules.Bibliography[1] Almaguer, A. J., et al. "Building

Conference Session

Engineering Professional Development for K-12 Teachers – I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

R. Mark Nelms, Auburn University; Regina Halpin, Program Evaluation and Assessment

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

AC 2007-1635: EXPERIENCE WITH AN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY WORKSHOPFOR MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERSR. Mark Nelms, Auburn UniversityRegina Halpin, Program Evaluation and Assessment Page 12.712.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2007 Experience with an Alternative Energy Workshop for Middle School Science Teachers Encouraging interest in science and engineering can begin early in the education process ifteachers have the proper training1. Discussed in this paper is an outreach activity for middleschool science teachers to provide them with the curriculum materials needed to foster students’interest in science and engineering. This

Conference Session

K-12 Engineering Resources: Best Practices in Curriculum Design, Part 2 of 2

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kristin M Brevik, The University of North Dakota; Bradley Bowen, North Dakota State University; Frank M. Bowman, University of North Dakota; Kristi Jean, North Dakota State College of Science

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and received a Master’s of Civil Engineering and an Ed.D. in Technology Education from N.C. State University. He specializes in developing and integrating project-based activities into the K-12 classroom that incorporate engineering and STEM learning concepts as well as providing professional development for K-12 teachers.Dr. Frank M. Bowman, University of North Dakota Dr. Frank Bowman is Associate Professor, Tom Owens Fellow, and Associate Chair in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of North Dakota. He holds a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology and a B.S from Brigham Young University, both in Chemical Engineering. His research

Conference Session

Innovative K-12 Engineering Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dewey Spangler, Virginia Tech; Olga Pierrakos, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

learnimportant fundamental subjects in a well structured yet open minded and supportiveenvironment.Many high schools offer courses in engineering. Due to a lack of pre-requisite classes, thesecourses are usually introductory in nature and do not offer opportunities for students to studyvector and calculus based engineering mechanics1. The course coverage in GESN is the same asthat offered in a freshman or sophomore university level statics class, making it unique for a highschool curriculum. Exposing high school students to engineering before they apply to a collegeor university is beneficial since the rigorous course load of a university program makes itdifficult to complete an intended major without adding an extra year (or more) to the requiredtime.2

Conference Session

Computer Science and Information Technology in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Meltem Alemdar, Georgia Institute of Technology; Tony Docal, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

user to be connected to a computer. In 2009, NASA awarded Georgia Tech a contract to develop online professionaldevelopment (PD) courses for STEM teachers. One of the goals of this project is to supportteachers’ professional development through an online curriculum designed to enable teachers tolearn skills for integrating technology into the classroom. Traditionally, this type of professionallearning has been conducted face-to-face in workshops and summer institutes led by schoolsystems, colleges and universities, educational support agencies, and private corporations.However, this model only reaches teachers who are either within commuting distance of theservice provider or are willing and able to travel to a remote site for sometimes

Conference Session

Fundamental: Metrics & Assessment for K-12 Engineering Education

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tamara J Moore, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Siddika Selcen Guzey, Purdue University, West Lafayette; James Holly Jr., INSPIRE Institute, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

habits of mind can enhance pre-college students’ learning abilities. Page 26.177.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2015 An Assessment Tool to Evaluate Student Learning of Engineering (Fundamental) Strand: K-12 Engineering Resources: Best practices in curriculum designWhile STEM subjects have traditionally been taught separately in K-12 schools the newinitiatives share a focus on integrated approaches to teaching STEM. For example, the recentlyreleased Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)1 addressed the need for explicit integrationof

Conference Session

Promoting Scientific and Technological Literacy

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lisa Ncube, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

is an essential component of any new instructional program. With this inmind, PLTW has developed comprehensive and intensive training programs to prepare teachersto use the cutting-edge technology that is an integral part of the curriculum. This training isfacilitated by a pre-assessment, Summer Training Institute. Ongoing training supports theteachers as they implement the program and provides for continuous improvement of skills.School counselors are also vital to the success of any pre-engineering program. PLTW informscounselors of the various benefits of the program and the various careers available in the field.Over the past 6 years participation in PLTW in Indiana has risen to over 135 schools with over14,000 students. The evaluation

Conference Session

Professional Development Programs for Teachers

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anant Kukreti, University of Cincinnati; Patricia McNerney, University of Cincinnati; Suzanne Soled, University of Cincinnati; Kelly Obarski, University of Cincinnati; Mingming Lu, University of Cincinnati; Richard Miller, University of Cincinnati; Daniel Oerther, University of Cincinnati; Heng Wei, University of Cincinnati; Thaddeus Fowler, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

seminar was given by the Chief Engineer from Richard Goettle, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio and showcased a novel technique developed by their company for “permanent soil nail retaining walls” as an example to illustrate how geotechnical engineers solve landslide problems. The science behind the concept was illustrated, the mathematics involved in the design calculations was presented, and the construction process used for the retaining wall systems was explained with pictures. This seminar illustrated how science and mathematics are integrated in engineering design and how the technology is transferred into the practice of engineering. Pictures of various other projects executed in the greater Cincinnati area were presented with ideas

Conference Session

Diversity in K-12 and Pre-college Engineering Education

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jessica M. Scolnic, Tufts University Center for Engineering Education and Outreach; Kathleen Spencer, Tufts University; Merredith D. Portsmore, Tufts University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Engineering Education, 2014 Viewing student engineering through the lens of "engineering moments":An interpretive case study of 7th grade students with language-based learning disabilities (Research-to-Practice, Engineering Across K-12 Curriculum)AbstractThough there is a growing consensus that engineering instruction should be incorporated intoUnited States K-12 classrooms,1,2,3,4 little research has focused on what student engineeringlooks like in these classroom setting. Topics for investigation include how students understandengineering tasks, which behaviors can be viewed as age-appropriate engineering, and howstudents may coordinate these behaviors to create a coherent engineering process. In

Conference Session

Research to Practice: STRAND 3 – Principles of K-12 Engineering Education and Practice

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephanie C. Vereen, University of Alabama; Allison D. Vereen, North Douglas Elementary, Douglas County School System

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

at North Douglas Elementary located in Douglasville, Geor- gia. She is currently a doctoral candidate at Georgia Southern University pursuing an Ed.D. in Curriculum Studies. Page 26.85.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2015 A Preliminary Evaluation of Elementary School Teachers Willingness to Gain Certification in Science or Mathematics in an Effort Towards Achieving School- wide STEM Certification (RTP, Strand 3)Teacher

Conference Session

Addressing the NGSS, Part 3 of 3: Supporting High School Science Teachers in Engineering Pedagogy and Engineering-Science Connections

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

J. Jill Rogers, University of Arizona; Beau R. Vezino, University of Arizona; James C. Baygents, University of Arizona; Jeffrey B. Goldberg, University of Arizona

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Paper ID #9622ENGR 102 for High School: An Introduction to Engineering, AP type coursetaught in high schools by high school teachersMs. J. Jill Rogers, University of Arizona J. Jill Rogers is the program coordinator for ENGR 102 HS at the University of Arizona. ENGR 102 HS is an AP type, college level, introductory engineering course offered to high school students. Over the years Jill has developed K-12 science summer camps, conducted K-12 educational research, developed engineering curriculum for formal and informal education venues, and developed robotics outreach pro- grams for children’s museums and K-12 schools

Conference Session

K-12 Teacher Pre-Service and Undergraduate Instructor Training

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Howard L. Greene, The Ohio State University; Xi Zhan, Department of Educational Studies, The Ohio State University; Anika Anthony, The Ohio State University; Paul E. Post, The Ohio State University; Andrew James Parkhurst, Ohio state university

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, respectively.Miss Xi Zhan, Department of Educational Studies, The Ohio State University Xi Zhan is a doctoral student of Educational Administration at The Ohio State University. She holds an M. A. in Educational Administration from The Ohio State University, U. S. A. and a B. A. in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language from Southwest University, China. She has experience in teaching Chinese language in a vocational school in Thailand and teaching children who have intellectual disability and challenging behavior in China and U.S.A. She also assisted with an instructional design of multimedia case studies on technology integration for teachers and school leaders during her

Conference Session

Research to Practice: STRAND 5 Other Topics in K-12 Engineering Education.

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rosemary L Edzie, University of Nebraska ; Brett Meyer, University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

measured the perception of STEM. The following study is structured so that an overviewof the activity is provided, followed by the results from the Motivated Student LearningQuestionnaire, the results from the STEM Semantics Survey and a conclusion of findings withrecommendations for future research.Engineering Afterschool Activity.As part of the engineering afterschool activity, middle school age participants designed andconstructed a structure using K’NEX Education Real Bridge Building sets. Four-sets of theK’NEX building pieces were combined, providing participants with more than 9000 buildingparts to use for this activity. Each step of this activity played an integral role in the overallunderstanding of the engineering design and construction

Conference Session

K-12 and Pre-college Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Caridad Cruz, Universidad de las Americas, Puebla; Lourdes Gazca, American University in Puebla, Mexico; Aurelio Lopez-Malo, Universidad de las Americas, Puebla; Enrique Palou, Universidad de las Americas, Puebla

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Engineering Teaching Kits, Experiments, and Demonstrations as Part of Workshops for Teachers to Facilitate Learning of Science and EngineeringAbstractAlimentos Divertidos is an inquiry-based science and engineering program for P-12 students1-3.To promote our experiments, demonstrations, engineering teaching kits (ETKs), and to furtherencourage their implementation in P-12 schools, our faculty presented several workshops4 at theYucatan peninsula, where P-12 teachers performed and learned how to teach more than tenexperiments and demonstrations as part of two ETKs entitled Racing Cars and Under Pressure5.Most teachers agreed that the experiments

Conference Session

Think Outside the Box! K-12 Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kelly Hutchinson, Purdue University; Lynn Bryan, Purdue University; George Bodner, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Page 14.1102.2following the summer professional development institute.Previous research on the integration of innovative science curricula has indicated that curriculumchange/reform ultimately hinges on the classroom teacher.5, 6 Moreover, the process ofintegrating new content into an existing curriculum is a complex process in which teachers oftenencounter challenges including: lack of resources (e.g., new science equipment), absence ofadministrative and peer support, lack of time to plan and teach new lessons, and insufficientcontent knowledge.5, 6 Research also has shown that science teachers’ beliefs about teaching andlearning as well as their beliefs about the conditions of the classroom and external teachingconditions influence their

Conference Session

K-12 and Pre-College Engineering Division Curriculum Exchange

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jean M. Trusedell, Purdue University; Mindy Hart, EPICS

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Paper ID #8624The EPICS Program: Innovative Education for Authentic LearningMrs. Jean M. Trusedell, Purdue University Jean Trusedell is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher with extensive experience working with K-12 Ed- ucators and students. Her current project is working with the EPICS (Engineering Projects in Community Service) at Purdue University to create curriculum that can be used with students throughout the coun- try to integrate best classroom practices with engineering principles. Previously, she was the Science and Technology Coach for MSD of Decatur Township in Indianapolis, IN. Ms. Trusedell is pursuing a

Conference Session

K-12 and Pre-College Engineering Division Curriculum Exchange

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adrian Lee, Central Illinois Technology and Education Research Institute

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

: Teaching K-8 Girls Engineering Principles through Illustrative Story Telling (curriculum exchange)Target Grade Level: 3rd & 4th grade, with 7th & 8th grade mentorsAuthor and Contact Info: Adrian J. Lee Central Illinois Technology and Education Research Institute Springfield, Illinois (ajlee@citeri.org)Curriculum Summary: Girls CREATE (Composing Relationships through Engineering, Artistic, and TeachingExperiences) is an after school program – currently in its second year – designed to teach 3rd and4th grade girls the use of narrative and illustrative techniques to portray connections betweenvarious engineering problems and their potential solutions. The students

Conference Session

Thinking Outside the Box! Innovative Curriculum Exchange for K12 Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lelli Van Den Einde, University of California, San Diego; Samuel Lee, University of California, San Diego

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

while othersencouraged students’ abstractions of lecture topics. In this way, activities in the program aremeant to stimulate students in a variety of ways and to be effective as a complete curriculum toaccommodate different personal learning styles.In addition to the experiential nature of the program, certain components are also developed toallow students to manipulate and understand course material through the solution of relevantengineering problems. Savery [3] describes Problem-Based Learning (PBL) as a “learner-centered approach that empowers learners to conduct research, integrate theory and practice, andapply knowledge and skills to develop a viable solution to a defined problem” (p. 9). Saveryalso describes an alternate description of

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

us that they would prefer a more in-depthcurriculum that ties together application and content. The Infinity Project (www.infinity-project.org) focuses on digital electronics, allowing for a rigorous approach, but is limited to avery narrow range of topics. Teachers have indicated to us that they like the rigorous nature ofthe Infinity Project, but would prefer a broader spectrum of topics which seamlessly integratescience, engineering, and mathematics across the curriculum. “…it is very difficult to add STEM electives. … an approach which integrates STEM content within the core curriculum is significantly more viable than other, electives-based approaches. ” - Marvin Nelson, Teacher, Benton

Conference Session

Think Outside the Box! K-12 Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Henry Harms, Stevens Insititue of Technology; Mercedes McKay, Stevens Institute of Technology; Elisabeth McGrath, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

module is based upon the integration of LED and solar technologies to produce safeand cost effective lighting for use in homes that do not have access to the electric grid. More than2 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water. Students participating in the WaterPurification module will develop an understanding of this problem and be challenged to developmodel systems to meet the needs of people in specific communities.The project team developed the Introduction to Core Concepts of Systems Engineeringmodule which is used in all participating schools prior to the content specific modules describedabove. Students learn about systems and systems engineering as they reverse-engineer a commondevice that contains both electrical and