Conference Session

Gender & Minority Issues in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adam Christensen, Georgia Institute of Technology; Willard Nott, American Society of Mechanical Engineers; Douglas Edwards, Westlake High School; Leann Yoder, Jets, Inc.; Christina Ho, Engineers Without Borders; Shannon Flanagan, Engineers Without Borders; Stephanie Hurd, JETS, Inc.; Marion Usselman, Georgia Institute of Technology; Donna Llewellyn, Georgia Institute of Technology; Jeffrey Rosen, Georgia Institute of Technology; Cathy Leslie, Engineers Without Borders; Samuel Graham, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

-world reinforcementof sustainable engineering practices and promotes the education of ethically responsible andinternationally aware students. We postulate that this move away from competition-basedmotivations and towards community service will be particularly appealing to non-traditionalengineering students such as minorities and women.This paper will examine the case study of EWB-Westlake High School, the first ever high schoolEWB chapter, which was chartered in the Fall of 2006, and conducted a work trip to Tanzania inJuly, 2007. The program assessment surveys address which specific activities were effective andwhich need future refinement, and explore the impact that an engineering service learningprogram can have on the future goals of the

Conference Session

Innovative K-12 Engineering Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gisele Ragusa, University of Southern California; Michael Khoo, University of Southern California; Ellis Meng, University of Southern California; Joseph Cocozza, University of Southern California

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

andparticipation in an ethics workshop. The ethics workshop provided BMERET teacherswith the opportunity to consider the role of the scientist and engineer in the educational,political, health and social realms, the ethical challenges facing scientists/engineers todayand in the near future, and the role and responsibility of scientists/engineers to society.Throughout the BMERET program, an education specialist (faculty) from theuniversity’s school of education worked with the teachers on translating their new foundknowledge and technological skills into lesson plans and classroom activities. Theschool of education faculty assisted the teachers in designing scientific curricula thataddressed state science standards and to demonstrate to 6-12th graders the

Conference Session

Topics in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Lee, University of South Florida

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

highlyintelligent and ethical doctors routinely care for their patients, sometimes fighting fortheir patients’ lives. Examples include M*A*S*H, ER, City of Angels (which featuredblack physicians), Grey’s Anatomy, and House. Certainly many of these characters arevery inspirational to youth in the process of formulating their life goals. Nursing hassimilarly been presented in a positive way, although the casting has almost alwaysinvolved female characters. The portrayal of the legal profession is often positive (withsome notable exceptions). Most attorneys are visualized as fighters for truth and justice.From the early days of Perry Mason to more recent series such as Family Law, The

Conference Session

Innovative K-12 Engineering Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Aaron Clark, North Carolina State University; Jeremy Ernst, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

, andmathematics.IntroductionThe use of visual-based systems in modern culture and education is becoming more prevalent,requiring schools to adapt their curricula and instructional practices accordingly. Visual literacyis becoming central to curricular initiatives as society begins to rely heavily on visualization andvisual communication strategies 1. Education, aesthetics, communication, ethics, research, andother aspects of learning have placed emphasis on visual science and visual literacy as a responseto our increasingly complex, highly visual, and interconnected society 2. Developinginstructional materials and methods of instruction that develop visualization abilities, meeting theneeds of technology educators, and preparing students for future careers in STEM areas

Conference Session

K-12 Engineering Outreach Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan Powers, Clarkson University; Bruce Brydges, SUNY Potsdam; Gail Gotham, SLL BOCES; James Carroll, Clarkson University; Peter Turner, Clarkson University; Douglas Bohl, Clarkson University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

technical, social, economicand ethical issues. 3 This application of learning is not only a worthy learning objective in itself,but also an effective route to greater retention of knowledge and depth of mastery. This issupported by Caine 4 who wrote, “Children learn best if they are immersed in complexexperiences and are given the opportunity to actively process what they have learned.” Further,Stevenson and Stigler 5 pointed out that only 16 percent of instruction in U.S. classrooms couldbe characterized as application.Perhaps the most compelling research driving the need for application is that the majority ofstudents learn best when instruction emphasizes application, as Conrath reported in Our OtherYouth. 6 To assist students in achieving

Conference Session

Public Engineering of Engineering, K12 Standards, and Overview

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth Welty, University of Wisconsin, Stout; Linda Katehi, University of Illinois; Greg Pearson, National Academy of Engineering; Michael Feder, National Research Council

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

review of the materials uncovered isolated instances where someform of analysis was used to define and clarify the problem, to make informed design decisions,or to predict and assess performance. For example, in several curriculum projects, students areasked to manipulate and test variables to discover patterns that can be used to inform or optimizea design. This form of inquiry was very evident in A World in Motion, City Technology,Engineering is Elementary, and the Material World Modules. However, analysis was rarely areoccurring theme throughout a design process.Another concept that was considered to be an integral part of engineering was constraints. Anyattention given to the physical, economical, political, social, ethical, aesthetic, and

Conference Session

Gender & Minority Issues in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Thompson, Purdue University; Pamela Turner, Purdue University EPICS; William Oakes, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

engineering stereotypes were nowgone. Another said, “My views/ideas of engineering have changed as far as seeing howwe can offer engineering as a social responsible career option”.When participants were asked after the workshop if they thought that, based on theirstudents’ culture, race, and/or ethic identities in their classroom and school, studentswould find EPICS relevant, responses were that they hoped EPICS would open theirstudents’ eyes and blur ethnic boundaries. While one participant felt these things made nodifference, another felt EPICS was very relevant because their culture is their community. Page 13.1162.5School modelsHigh schools are

Conference Session

Engineering in Middle Schools

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christine Schnittka, University of Virginia; Larry Richards, University of Virginia

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

a lecture and asking students to clarify their notes withanother student. However, thoughtfully designed activities can promote student engagement to amuch higher degree, and student engagement is highly correlated with academic success 5.One type of active learning, problem-based learning, is based on content-specific problems.Problem-based learning (PBL)6 is a teaching and learning method where problems relevant to thecurriculum provide the context and motivation for all the activities that follow. PBL started in Page 13.1139.2the mid 1950s in North American health sciences education and emerged as an ethical andpractical way to give

Conference Session

Public Engineering of Engineering, K12 Standards, and Overview

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Sanders, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Conference Session

Engineering Student Involvement in K12 Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jill Andrews, University of Michigan; Lorelle Meadows, University of Michigan; Joy Oguntebi, University of Michigan

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

interdisciplinary approach with an overall objective of improving ecosystem understanding, health and management, and provide a mechanism by which to bring research expertise into the classroom. Dr. Meadows has taught upper level environmental ocean dynamics courses as well as the college’s Introduction to Engineering course, which combines a team project with technical communication material, environmental consciousness and ethics. Her most recent contribution to this course has been the development and implementation of a service-learning curriculum and the inception of an engineering education research program to explore the service-learning pedagogy in engineering