Conference Session

Middle School Programs

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard H. Crawford, University of Texas, Austin; Christina Kay White, University of Texas, Austin; Chandra L. Muller, University of Texas, Austin; Anthony J. Petrosino Jr., University of Texas, Austin ; Austin B. Talley P.E., University of Texas, Austin ; Kristin L. Wood, University of Texas, Austin

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

UT Austin undergraduate students who act asmentors and role models for the students. Additional, industry mentors are recruited to providetechnical support as well as STEM career information. Page 25.647.32.1 Underlying Principles of Our CurriculumBeyond Blackboards is founded on design-based learning, which incorporates differentiatedcurricula with active learning. It is an instructional methodology in which students are engagedin solving socially-relevant community, regional, national, and global challenges. Our approachis based on a five step cycle that includes: 1. Hands-On Technology Exploration introducing a technical

Conference Session

Out-of-School and Informal Activities

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yair Joseph Mega P.E., Northeastern University; Claire Duggan, Northeastern University; Daniel Sullivan, Northeastern University; Lauren Horn, Northeastern University; Charles A. Dimarzio, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

force behind the success ofthe program; by creating a nurturing research environment, the students become comfortablewith the networking and interpersonal skills involved in STEM careers.Networking during the program is accomplished through brown bag lunches, field trips, socialactivities, and homeroom activities. The group sizes for the YSP programs are small andconducive to networking and social interaction. The brown bag lunch events are a way forstudents to investigate other research projects, and the students and faculty associated with thevarious lines of work. Career exploration seminar series introduce the students to other facultyand graduate student research on a variety of subjects.The program staff keep alumni connected and up to

Conference Session

Linking K-12 to Post-secondary

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Monica Letrece Dillihunt, University of Alabama, Huntsville; Derrick Wayne Smith, University of Alabama, Huntsville; Phillip A. Farrington, University of Alabama, Huntsville

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

educators to develop innovative ways to teach mathematics and science.15,22 Inparticular, both the NCTM and NSTA focus on the use of “inquiry-based” and “authenticlearning” experiences that focus the applications of math and science in a “real-world”context.22,20According to Subotnik et al., high school appears to be a key point at which young people’simpressions of science influence their career decisions.30 Brody outlined elements of successfulpre-collegiate STEM programs with an exposure to strong content knowledge in mathematicsand science based on academic instruction and hands-on demonstration as well as anappreciation for the utility of STEM subjects in the workplace.3 Further evidence from Bloom,Pyryt, Subotnik et al., and Tai et al

Conference Session

K-12 and Pre-college Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cheryl Farmer, UTeachEngineering; David T. Allen, University of Texas, Austin; Leema Kuhn Berland, University of Texas, Austin; Richard H. Crawford, University of Texas, Austin; Lisa Guerra, NASA

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

and selection techniques employed by engineers.  Verification – Engineers must verify that their selected concept satisfies the design constraints, requirements, and customer needs.  Communication – Students learn good communication skills and unique aspects of how engineers document and present design ideas and analytical results. Emphasis is placed on creating communication artifacts to ensure accurate interpretation by others (with an eye toward clarity, detail, precision of process, and completeness).  Collaboration – Students learn the importance of working on multidisciplinary teams and understand what type of team member they are. Emphasis is placed on engineering personality

Conference Session

Curriculum Development

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen W. Crown, University of Texas, Pan American

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

graduates in STEM fields.IntroductionThe education of a scientist or an engineer begins long before the student enters anundergraduate program to study their chosen STEM field. Childhood influences and experiencesimpact which students will academically prepare for and consider pursuing postsecondaryeducation in STEM fields. Experiences and influences that positively affect students at themiddle and high school level where academic preparation is critical include the example andinfluence of parents, teachers, and peers. Hispanic middle and high school students in the SouthTexas border region often grow up in a home where their parents do not have a college degreeand where their economic situation may discourage pursuing higher education. For

Conference Session

Engineering Design

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ann P. McMahon Ph.D., Ann P. McMahon, LLC

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

-12 Science Coordinator for an inner ring public school district near St. Louis, Mo. A satellite engineer for McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) for 10 years prior to her career in STEM education, McMahon was the Director and a Co-principal In- vestigator for one of the 88 National Science Foundation (NSF) Local Systemic Change Initiative grants awarded nationwide for science and math education reform. For 15 years, she taught physics and as- tronomy in Washington University’s graduate course series for in-service K-8 teachers. McMahon was the Founding Director of MySci, an innovative and award-winning mobile science outreach program for K-2 students. In that role, she led a collaborative partnership of scientists and science

Conference Session

Standards and K-12 Engineering

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tamara J. Moore, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; Micah S. Stohlmann, University of Minnesota; Jennifer A. Kersten, University of Minnesota; Kristina Maruyama Tank, University of Minnesota; Aran W. Glancy, University of Minnesota

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

. One of the coreconcepts of engineering literacy proposed by Chae, Purzer, & Cardella13 is for students todiscuss, critique, and make decisions about national, local, and personal issues that involveengineering solutions. Similarly, a few of the messages that were rated the most favorable duringfocus group interviews by students and parents in the National Academies Press report onimproving the perception of engineering were that engineers make a world of difference andengineering is essential to our health, happiness, and safety3.(k) an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary forengineering practice.Engineers use applications of mathematics and science to develop technological tools that can beused to

Conference Session

Examining Problem-based Learning

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nicholas Massa, Springfield Technical Community College; Michele Dischino, Central Connecticut State University; Judith Franzosa Donnelly, Three Rivers Community-Technical College; Fenna D. Hanes, New Engalnd Board of Higher Education; James A. DeLaura, Central Connecticut State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

motivated toengage in PBL activities for external rewards (i.e., grade or promotion).Self-efficacy refers to a student’s confidence in his or her ability to be successful in a particularlearning endeavor. Research shows that self-efficacy is an important factor related to positivelearning outcomes and can moderate the amount of effort learners put forth in achieving specificlearning objectives25. In this study, we defined self-efficacy as pre-service teachers’ confidencein their ability to apply PBL methods in the classroom.Critical thinking refers to the degree to which students apply previous knowledge to newsituations in order to solve problems, reach decisions, or make critical evaluations with respect toperformance standards26. In order for