Paper ID #47083Developing Coordination and Organizing Skills in K-12 Students throughSystems Engineering Projects (RTP)Geling Xu, Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach Geling Xu is a Ph.D. student in STEM Education at Tufts University and a research assistant at Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach. She is interested in K-12 STEM Education, Engineering and Technology Education, Robotics Education, MakerSpace, LEGO Education, and Curriculum Design.Mohammed Tonkal, Tufts University and Kind Abdulaziz University Mohammed is a Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering with a research focus on teaching
electrochemical, optical, and MEMS devices. A champion of diversity and equity in engineering education, Dr. Yung has designed innovative curricula that integrate project-based learning, hands-on activities, and peer collaboration. He is a strong advocate for incorporating disability perspectives in biomedical engineering, aiming to train a generation of engineers who are equipped to tackle accessibility challenges in healthcare technology. Dr. Yung’s commitment to STEM outreach is evidenced by his extensive work with underrepresented K-12 students in Central New York. Through various programs, including those at La Casita Cultural Center and local schools, he has fostered a love for science and engineering in young minds
collaborative groups provides cognitivebenefits and deepens conceptual understanding given opportunities to explain, question, justify,and negotiate, with benefits for learning and achievement outcomes” [4]. These activities enhancestudent engagement and interest to pursue STEM, helping students envision themselves in STEMcareers and increase their self-efficacy [5]. Successful projects depend on the interest andenthusiasm of team members and on effective team building [6]. Understanding how minoritizedstudents participate in groups reveals team dynamics, interactions, and any challenges thatminoritized students face in collaborative group activities.We lean on a conceptual framework to categorize types of discourse actions withing collaborategroup
deepengagement in learning” [16, p. 1]. Using authentic experiences to help explain and applycontent is one way to create motivating and engaging context.Client-based scenarios are one approach to creating a motivating and engaging context throughauthentic experiences. For example, client-based scenarios are used in model-eliciting activities(MEAs) to connect content to real-world experiences [17]. Instructors use MEAs to teachmodeling and problem solving of complex tasks; the client’s problem is used as a lens to helpstudents evaluate the practical application of a design solution by determining how their workmeets a client’s needs. By applying a client-based context to the design project, students aremore inclined to consider how their design solution
Paper ID #46064BOARD # 214: Project Drider - Teaching Students about the Dangers ofTicks the Fun Way (Work in Progress)Joshua Dahl, University of Nevada, Reno Joshua Dahl is currently a student at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is pursuing a Masters with an emphasis Computer Science and Engineering but more specifically Compiler Design and Developer Experience. When he graduates he is planning on pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science where he hopes to continue to make contributions to both the fields of Computer Graphics and Programming Languages.Erik Marsh, University of Nevada, RenoLandon Wright, University of IdahoQuinn
Paper ID #47176 ˜BOARD # 200: Culturally Relevant Engineering Pinata Project for Elementary-AgedSTEAM Programs (PK-12) (Work In Progress)Dr. Lelli Van Den Einde, UC San Diego & eGrove Education Van Den Einde is a Teaching Professor in Structural Engineering at UC San Diego and the President of eGrove Education, Inc. She has decades of experience teaching hands-on, project-based curricula, spanning high school camps, K-12 outreach, and undergraduate design courses. Dedicated to fostering diversity, she creates supportive environments for students of all backgrounds. Her
Educa. Currently, I am developing a blended learning strategy to bring high-quality STEM education to remote and rural communities. This initiative aims to spark students’ interest in STEM subjects and careers, fostering local talent and opportunities. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 From Pilot to Practice: Expanding Remote STEM Education Across Remote Communities (Evaluation)AbstractFollowing the success of an initial pilot project aimed at addressing educational inequities in ruralareas through a blended remote learning approach, this paper presents the outcomes of its secondand expanded implementation across 11 remote schools in Latin America
project SUPERCHARGE.Jeritt Williams, Illinois State University Jeritt Williams is an assistant professor of Engineering Technology at Illinois State University, where he teaches applied industrial automation and robotics.Dr. Matt Aldeman, Illinois State University Matthew Aldeman is the Founding Associate Dean of the Illinois State University College of Engineering. Prior to joining the College of Engineering, Aldeman served as an Associate Professor in the Department of Technology, where he taught in the Engineering Technology and Sustainable and Renewable Energy undergraduate programs.Dr. Jin Ho Jo Dr. Jin Ho Jo is a Professor of Technology at Illinois State University, teaching in the Sustainable and
Scholar program, an initiative by the Ohio Department of Higher Education aimed at developing electronic and coding skills for K-12 students in southern Ohio. Montgomery is the inventor of the STEM MiniDome and Wearable Droid teaching robots, tools used to teach electronics and coding to students. An active member of the Star Wars droid builder community, Montgomery built a full-scale replica of R2-D2, a project that took 2.5 years to complete. His experience with this project transformed his teaching approach, a topic he discussed in his TED Talk in Dayton, Ohio, in 2021. Montgomery is also the cofounder of SOMACC (Southern Ohio Makers Against COVID Coalition), a grassroots group that produced 4,500 3D-printed face
Paper ID #45731Engaging High School Students in a DOT-Funded Summer Camp to PromoteTransportation Engineering Majors and CareersDr. Xi Wang, Drexel University Dr. Xi Wang is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Drexel University. She received her Ph.D. and M.Eng both in Civil Engineering, from the University of Kentucky and Auburn University. She is licensed as a Professional Engineer and LEED Green Associate. She is teaching a range of courses in construction management and will be assisting capstone design projects that directly serve regional construction firms. Her research interests include technology adoption in
Paper ID #47199Promoting STEM through summer research experiences for K-12 teachers ina group settingDr. Hua Li, Texas A&M University - Kingsville Dr. Hua Li, a Professor in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, is interested in AI, sustainable manufacturing, renewable energy, sustainability assessment, and engineering education. Dr. Li has served as P.I. and Co-P.I. in various projects funded by different federal agencies.Prof. Kai Jin, Texas A&M University - Kingsville Dr. Kai Jin is a Professor of Industrial Engineering and Co-PI of the MERIT project. Her research interests
). This initiative provides high school students from Chicago and Latin America withinformal education in computer science, utilizing the STEAM framework. Local students from Chicagoare enrolled in the university's TRIO Upward Bound program, while international students receivesponsorship from local institutions or universities. All participants are Spanish speakers, and instructionis conducted in Spanish.The primary objective of this initiative is to create a collaborative environment for adolescents fromvarious backgrounds to engage in collective projects that tackle socially significant issues. The programfeatures remote synchronous meetings every second Saturday for four hours, complemented byasynchronous work through a Learning Management
addressing these challenges. Front-end design deals withthe highly open-ended nature of the design process such as problem framing, need finding, and ideation. Given thisopen-endedness, it can be particularly hard to implement in K-12 settings. This NSF-funded project seeks to supportteachers in engaging secondary students in front-end design where they explore and define problems; and thengenerate and review design ideas that combine scientific, technical engineering, social and contextualconsiderations. The project takes a design-based research approach in developing curriculum and a web-basedplatform. The platform enables collaborative content generation, sharing, sketching tools, and scaffolding for ideageneration. We present preliminary results
engineering programs. She has extensive experience designing and managing STEM outreach initiatives, international education programs, and undergraduate engineering coursework. Roher holds an M.S. in Information and Computer Science from UCI and a B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Her work focuses on engineering education, hands-on project development, and student engagement through experiential learning.Prof. Liang Li Wu, University of California, Irvine Liang (Lily) Wu is an Associate Professor of Teaching at the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine. She is also the Faculty Director of International Programs at the Henry Samueli School of
Paper ID #45686Curriculum Design for All LearnersDr. Cathy P. Lachapelle, STEM Education Insights Cathy is particularly interested in how collaborative interaction and scaffolded experiences with disciplinary practices help children learn science, math, and engineering. Her work on STEM education research projects includes design, evaluation, and effiDr. Medha Dalal, Arizona State University Dr. Medha Dalal is an assistant research professor and associate director of scholarly initiatives in the Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. Her career as an engineering education researcher focuses on
. She is currently engaged in multiple research projects that involve transdisciplinary collaborations in the field of engineering, medicine, and technology, as well as research on teacher preparation and the conducting of evidence-based practices in multiple contexts. Jennifer’s publications appear in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, and Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities. Before joining the CTE, Jennifer was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at Towson University. Prior to joining higher education, she was a special education teacher at the
highest undergraduate team ranking in the 2024 international ACC Quanser QCar competition and continues to compete in ongoing challenges. She is also a dedicated STEM advocate, serving as a counselor for the GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science) summer program. In addition to her academic and research pursuits, Gabriella is an NCAA Division I swimmer and is fluent in both English and Spanish.Stephanie Weiss-Lopez, University of the Incarnate Word Stephanie Weiss-Lopez has overseen GEMS since 2020 as a Project Manager and Coordinator. Ms. Weiss-Lopez is a UIW alum with a degree in Meteorology, currently the AVS Laboratories Project Manager, and an MBA student at UIW. She has over 18 years of management and
, 2025 Pre-college design “Tech for Good”: As a member of a collaborative team, students believe they can change the world (Evaluation)AbstractThis paper describes the project facilitation strategies and evaluation results from a 3-weekengineering design program for high school students. The program features student-led projectideation and teaming to develop “Tech for Good”. Students were tasked with designing,building, and evaluating a solution to a problem that they feel is important to society and that hasthe potential to improve the lives of others. Students reviewed UN Sustainable DevelopmentGoals, explored global grand challenges, and iterated on generative AI prompts to support
, Wentworth Institute of Technology Associate Professor at Wentworth Institute of Technology in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (started 2008). Education B.A. in Liberal Arts Engineering from Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL); B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&MDr. Gloria Guohua Ma, Wentworth Institute of Technology Gloria Ma is a Professor in the Mechanical Engineering program at Wentworth Institute of Technology. She is actively involved in community services of offering STEM workshops to middle- and high-school girls. Her research interests include dynamics and system modeling, geometry modeling, project based engineering design, and robotics in manufacturing, artificial intelligent in
successful implementation heavily depends on the pivotal role ofteachers[4]. Teachers serve not only as designers and organizers of these activities but also need tocontinuously adapt their teaching strategies to address students’ diverse needs[5]. Additionally,they are expected to provide timely guidance and support when challenges arise[6]. Nagdi et al.emphasize that teachers are responsible for ensuring that students can balance the demands ofdifferent disciplines while participating in STEM projects. They also highlight the importance ofensuring that students receive adequate support to complete their tasks[7]. However, Herro andQuigley have pointed out that approximately 60% of STEM teachers lack sufficient preparation inteaching methodologies
, there is a need to understand how PSTsdevelop teaching self-efficacy in these areas [5], [6]. In earlier related research, the authors partnered PSTs in an instructional technologycourse with undergraduate engineering students in an electromechanical systems course to teachrobotics lessons to fifth graders. Teaching robotics was selected as an ideal context for PSTs togain relevant experience because robotics fuses coding and engineering and growing evidencesupports it as a powerful approach to STEM learning and self-efficacy development [7], [8], [9].PSTs’ relationships with their engineering partners and interactions with the fifth graders exerteda meaningful influence on their satisfaction with the project and their teaching self
Engineering Design ThinkingAbstractThis Work in Progress (WIP) paper is part of a larger collaborative mentoring programpairing graduate-level engineering education researchers with high school students. Theproject investigates the potential of Gen-AI (Generative Artificial Intelligence) as apedagogical tool for fostering engineering thinking in pre-college engineering education.Specifically, this paper explores nine high school students' perceptions regarding integratingGen-AI into the ideation phase of engineering design in an engineering design course. In thisstudy, students engaged in two distinct engineering design projects, first without AI assistanceand later with AI assistance. After completing each project, students responded to an open
for those interested in initiating ordeepening intentional partnerships between universities and K-5 educational settings. We detail acollaboration between Georgia Tech and Hope-Hill Elementary School, a Title I school in thepublic school system three miles away from the Georgia Tech campus. In the United States, aTitle I school means that the school receives federal funds to support students from low-incomefamilies. These students are a particularly vital population to engage and cultivate STEMinterest, as outreach efforts can provide them with exposure to careers in STEM fields that theymight not otherwise consider [12]. Effective outreach strategies, such as incorporating design-based learning and hands-on projects, have been shown to
Paper ID #45876Energy Grid Card Game (Resource Exchange)Julian Andrew SchmittMarlene Urbina Marlene Urbina is a undergraduate students at Illinois State University studying Engineering and Technology Education.Alexander Michael Perhay Alexander Perhay is an undergraduate student at Illinois State University studying Engineering and Technology, and Computer Science. He is a student worker with SUPERCHARGE under the NSF grant.Chance William Tyler, Illinois State University Chance Tyler is a student at Illinois State University studying Engineering Technology and a student worker for the NSF project
. Metacognition and skill building focus to help students improve quickly w/ focusing on improvement sections. Designed for the flipped classroom approach with an Educatorʼs Guide. Skill development built through interleaving instead of repetition. Skills are built through varied exercises of different contexts. Active, project based, learning balancing declarative, procedural, and conditional
from cells using bioreactors. This innovative field blends engineering, nutrition, animal science, and ethics, offering a rich platform for pre-college STEM exploration. Tufts University is advancing research in growth methods, media, scaffolding, and consumer acceptance, while also leading educational outreach. The project has created three free activity guides for middle and high school students that promote hands-on learning and discussion around the science, ethics, and sensory aspects of cellular agriculture. 80-100 Grades minute lessons
-PS4-4).This curriculum unit introduces students to engineering, solving a real-world problem andcreating a seemingly complex device that all students succeed in finishing. The unit is roughly a20-hour scaffolded module in which high school students design a stereolithographic 3D printerfor additive manufacturing. Our approach ensures all students can succeed by focusing ondesigning to meet specific requirements, not to win a competition. The project is team-based andallows for built-in redesign opportunities, which reflects both the collaborative and the iterativeprocess of real-world engineering. Figure 1. SLA printer setup (left). The PowerPoint slides are projected onto the surface of the resin solution to build a part layer by layer
11 and 12) STEM education generally focuses on knowledge-basedlearning, yet this approach fails to reflect the dynamic application of STEM concepts in post-secondary and/or research environments. Consequently, many students graduate from secondaryschool with limited understanding of how STEM concepts are applied outside the classroom. Toovercome this challenge, advocacy is high for student-centered learning that immerses studentsin realistic STEM environments through hands-on experience, self-motivated learning, andinquiry-based projects. The Discovery Program was launched in 2016 with the dual objectives of providing (i)senior secondary school STEM students with immersive educational experiences and (ii)engineering graduate students
electronic devices can be a barrier to offering students the opportunities (Ahmed & La, 2015; Venkatesh, et al., 2021).Low-cost engineering frameworks for robotics typically center industrial or higher education institutions with larger budgets and more internal support than K-12 institutions (i.e., Pedra et al., 2014).Designing robotics for K-12 education requires knowledge about the context and resources of schools. The LCER framework is for designers of educational robotics to consider the needs of schools, affording access to technology. To create the LCER framework, we adapted existing engineeringrobotic design and educational technology frameworks. Many low-cost robotics projects (e.g., Murali et al., 2019; Tsalmpouris et al
, University of Maryland College ParkDr. Jennifer Kouo, The Johns Hopkins University Dr. Jennifer Kouo is an Assistant Research Scientist at the Center for Technology in Education (CTE) at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. Jennifer’s areas of expertise include Universal Design for Learning, technology integration, assistive technologies, and serving students with a range of disabilities, particularly autism spectrum disorder. She is currently engaged in multiple research projects that involve transdisciplinary collaborations in the field of engineering, medicine, and technology, as well as research on teacher preparation and the conducting of evidence-based practices in multiple contexts. Jennifer’s