Conference Session

Research to Practice: STRAND 4 – K-12 Engineering Resources: Best Practices in Curriculum Design (Part 1)

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mercedes M McKay, Stevens Institute of Technology (SES); Susan Lowes, Teachers College/Columbia University; Devayani Tirthali, Brown University; Arthur H. Camins, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

teachers agreed,the degree of learning was not reflected in the assessment scores. Furthermore, althougheducators felt that the curriculum had helped their students learn engineering design throughhands-on activities, student results did not show increases in learning of the Engineering DesignProcess. This suggests that more explicit instruction in science and programming content and theengineering design process may be required for deeper learning.IntroductionRobotics is a timely, relevant and exciting field that incorporates a very broad spectrum ofengineering, science, and information technology disciplines. Robotics curricula have beenwidely used in both formal classroom instruction and out-of-school contexts and at many gradelevels to engage

Conference Session

Engineering in Middle Schools

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tris West, Lewisburg Area School District; Abe Feuerstein, Bucknell University; Steven Shooter, Bucknell University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

AnthropologistsThe unit ends with a visit from a mechanical engineering professor from a local university who 7discusses the engineering careers and places engineering in context with archeology,anthropology and history. The WebQuest includes a teacher section that provides a script for thelesson for other teachers to use in their classrooms.Section 3: MethodologyParticipantsChildren from six sections of a sixth grade combined social studies/technology class participatedin this study. There were 18 to 25 students in each section of the class and 116 studentsparticipated overall. The demographics of the children in this sample reflect the demographics ofthe middle school which they attend which is mostly white

Conference Session

K-12 Activities

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dean Aslam, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

reflected light and the card is thrown inthe basket in the front (see Figure 8). However, when a white cardis placed on the belt, the sensor receives the reflected light and theRIS is programmed to reverse the motor for 1.5 seconds. Thus, thecard is thrown in the rear basket. The RIS was also used to study Newton's laws in a number ofexperiments (see a sample of a manual for one such experiment inAppendix A). The experiments include distance measurement(Figure 9), velocity measurement, acceleration measurement, valueof gravitation constant, spring constant, etc. A rotation sensorattached to one of the wheels of the robot is used for distancemeasurement. The RIS can be used to measure the area of a circle, a triangle ora shape made of right

Conference Session

Professional Development Programs for Teachers

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kelly Bradley, University of Kentucky; Janet Lumpp, University of Kentucky

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

commitment to studentassessment, and teacher and program accountability, the Kirkpatrick evaluation model provides arigorous way to address the complex demands of today’s professional development models.Successful teacher education initiatives create a set of experiences that encourage participatingteachers to become genuine "learners” in situations intended to model a proposed instructionalapproach.13,14 Like students, teachers must be actively involved in learning, with opportunities todiscuss, reflect upon, and try out instructional approaches. Positive, self-sustaining curricularchanges are most likely to occur when teacher learning takes place within a professionalcommunity that is nurtured and developed from with the school and beyond

Conference Session

iSTEM

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

M. David Burghardt, Hofstra University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

)         What  are  the  Constraints  of  the  challenge?  (list)      EXPANDED  DESIGN  CHALLENGE:  Reword  the  design  challenge  to  include  the  specifications  and  constraints.    DESIGN  PORTOFOLIO   The  design  portfolio  has  several  elements—challenge  (including  specifications  and   constraints),  developing  knowledge  (knowledge  and  skill  builder  activities),   creating  alternative  solutions  (evaluating  trade-­‐offs  and  selecting  the  optimum   solution),  building  and  testing  a  prototype,  evaluating  the  design  and  refining  the   design.      There  is  also  a  reflection  section  and  an  extension  section  for  students

Conference Session

Addressing the NGSS, Part 2 of 3: Supporting K-12 Science Teachers in Engineering Pedagogy and Engineering-Science Connections, Part 2 of 3

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christine Schnittka, Auburn University; George Edward Turner Jr., Auburn University; Randall William Colvin, Auburn University; Mary Lou Ewald, Auburn University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

. Page 24.106.5   4   1. Explore prior knowledge related to engineering and relationships between domains, 2. Develop basic knowledge of engineering, 3. Engage in cooperative engineering design activity, and 4. Reflect on activity as both learners and STEM educators (p.3).The only component Donna (2012) included that we did not was the formal development ofprofessional learning communities after PD concludes. While this took place informally in ourstudy due to the statewide AMSTI model, it was not a formal part of the design. Yoon, Diefes-Dux, and Strobel (2013) determined that engineering teacher professionaldevelopment

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

number of skills reflected in this framework may appear large, these skills areintegrated into six-week learning units so that students experience them as necessary tools foraddressing STEM-design challenges rather than as a panoply of items to be learned and checkedoff of a list. Concepts related to engineering practice are woven throughout the course and, asappropriate, addressed in depth through unit projects. The engineering design process is“discovered” by the students at the beginning of the course and applied in subsequent units. A Page 25.533.13handful of engineering skills and habits of mind are introduced in each structured

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

subject to participants through everyday examples, thereby providing opportunities for participants to identify science, mathematics, and engineering principles at work in their lives. 2. Interactive Discussion of the principles illustrated by the technology examples, which generates rich discourse concerning the underlying science and mathematics concepts. 3. Exploratory Laboratories that allow participants to investigate and test engineering principles in an inquiring manner, a crucial step in learning to solve design problems. 4. Open-Ended Design Problems that feature ideation, prototyping, and testing, allowing the participants to apply engineering content and problem solving skills. 5. Reflection in

Conference Session

The Role of Engineering in Integrated STEM--uh STEAM--uh Education!

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bettina J. Casad, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Mariappan Jawaharlal, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

guided discovery approach posits that any subject can be taught effectively in someintellectually honest form to any child at any stage of development. A constructivist approach tolearning and teaching is based on the notion that learners construct their own knowledge ratherthan knowledge being transferred into learners‟ brains.8-10 Learners‟ construction of knowledgeis based on their past knowledge, the timeliness of new knowledge, and the learner‟s ability tounderstand the connections. This process forces learners to either modify existing knowledge ordevelop new knowledge. Learning experiences based on constructivism are reflected in popularinstructional strategies such as inquiry based learning11-12, problem based learning (PBL) 13-14

Conference Session

K-12 Computer Science and Computational Thinking Initiatives

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alfredo J. Perez, Northern New Mexico College; Ivan Lopez Hurtado, Northern New Mexico College; Jorge Crichigno, Northern New Mexico College; Raul R. Peralta, Northern New Mexico College; David Torres, Northern New Mexico College

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

: Content Area: Sixth Grade JHR Elementary Technology/ Computer ScienceMr. Jimmy LaraUnit of Study: Sessions: See Appendix Time Frame (Period):Computational Thinking 1. Planning: Defining computational design processes Fall Semester 2. Reflecting: Design Notebook question Date(s) of Instruction: 3.Connecting: My favorite song August- September

Conference Session

Making Elementary Engineering Work: Lessons from Partnerships and Practice

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Pamela S. Lottero-Perdue, Towson University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

STE units were developed; the pre-pilot PD,teaching, and reflection cycle was completed; many materials were purchased for the pilot yearsfor all 3rd and 4th grade (and even some 1st and 2nd grade) pilot year classrooms; PD for the pilotyear for most 3rd and 4th grade teachers took place; and an educational video about the projectwas created. To summarize, beyond having Workforce One Maryland Program funds to pay forproject costs, there were six essential factors for the success of the HCPS-TU Partnership. ThisSySTEmic Project partnership had: 1. A co-constructed vision. 2. Access to high-quality EiE curriculum. 3. Team members with unique strengths and a shared language. 4. A collaborative spirit—an

Conference Session

Research Related to Learning and Teaching Engineering in Elementary Classrooms

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Merredith D. Portsmore, Tufts University; Bárbara M. Brizuela, Tufts University, Education Department

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

quantity for length changed (a stick was eliminated) and a material (pipecleaner) was eliminated. The significant changes to the materials for length yielded a LengthRelationship Score of 1. However, the material intended for Key Acquisition (the stick)remained the same, which is why the Key Acquisition Relationship Score remained a “perfect”3. It should be emphasized that the Total Relationship Score was designed to reflect therelationship between the ideas in the drawing and the artifact. It does not reflect the quality ofthose ideas. Page 22.715.10Figure 6. A drawing and artifact pair where Total Relationship Score =4. (LRS=1 KARS=3

Conference Session

Engineering Design in Pedagogy

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew D. Lammi, Utah State University

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education, K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

as raw video were collected to capture the students’cognitive processes and strategies39. Additionally, software tracked the students’ activity on adesktop computer. Post-hoc focus group reflective interviews immediately followed the designchallenge40. The audio and video data from the design challenge, audio and video data from thepost-hoc interview, the computer tracking data, and the design artifact were triangulated forevidence of emerging themes or phenomena in systems thinking.Participants School selection. A high school pre-engineering program was chosen that had open-ended authentic engineering design as part of the curriculum. Authentic was defined as achallenge that was similar to what was experienced in industry: open-ended

Conference Session

Thinking Outside the Box! Innovative Curriculum Exchange for K12 Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Victor Mejia, California State University, Los Angeles; Jessica Alvarenga, California State University, Los Angeles; Jianyu Dong, California State University, Los Angeles; Huiping Guo, California State University, Los Angeles; Israel Hernandez, California State University, Los Angeles; Eun-Young Kang; Phanit Pollavith; Adriana Trejo, Roosevelt High School; Nancy Warter-Perez, California State University, Los Angeles

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

and subtraction, the matrices should have the same dimensions in order to perform theoperation.b. FunctionsFunction Transformations In mathematics, there are several basic functions: f(x) = c, where c is a constant, f(x) = x,f(x) = x2, f(x) = x3, f(x) = |x|, f(x) = x . Various transformations or combination oftransformations can be performed on a basic function. Transformations can cause a shift, areflection, a stretch, or shrink of the original graph. For example, we can negate a function suchthat g(x) = -f(x), which will produce a reflection across the x-axis. We can have g(x) = f(-x),which will produce a reflection across the y-axis. We can modify the function such that g(x =f(x)+ c, which will shift the original graph up by c units

Conference Session

Broadening Participation of Minority Students in and with K-12 Engineering

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Allison Anderson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Guillermo Luis Trotti, Trotti & Asssociates, Inc.; Suzanne Marie Wilcox, ExplorationWorks Museum of Science and Culture; Elizabeth Perry Gundersen, ExplorationWorks Museum of Science and Culture; Dava J. Newman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering, Minorities in Engineering

concepts, explanations, arguments, models, and facts related to science. Strand 3 Manipulate test, explore, predict, question, observe, and make sense of the natural and physical world. Strand 4 Reflect on science as a way of knowing; on processes, concepts, and institutions of science; and on their own process of learning about phenomena Strand 5 Participate in scientific activities and learning practices with others, using scientific language and tools. Strand 6 Think about themselves as science learners and develop an identity as someone who knows about, Page 22.1638.4

Conference Session

Service as an Element of Education

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William C. Oakes, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Pamela Dexter, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Jane Hunter, University of Arizona; James C. Baygents, University of Arizona; Michael Gerard Thompson

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

rethinking how engineering isportrayed to young people and our society at large. Many engineering programs that have beendeveloped over the last decade do not fit this model and still reflect a more traditional view ofengineering. Meeting the challenges cited by the NAE report requires multiple and diversepathways for students to come to engineering, including new and innovative alternatives to Page 25.484.3compliment the more traditional programs.One pathway that fits the characteristics described in the report from the National Academy isservice-learning. Service-learning connects learning STEM content with meeting communityneeds on a local or even

Conference Session

Assessment and Evaluation of K-12 Engineering Programs

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

“small.”Conclusions There are several points of interest based on these results. First, PLTW in Iowa tends toattract white males and students who have higher achievement in mathematics and science injunior high. The percentages of women who enter PLTW are approximately the same percentagethat enters mechanical and electrical engineering programs (Walcerz, 2006). Overall, theselection bias was rather significant, with participants scoring between 0.72 and 0.9 standarddeviations higher on mathematics and science scores prior to entering PLTW. We stronglysuggest that future research on PLTW needs to reflect selection bias in their analysis of theprogram. We controlled for selection bias using propensity score matching that predicted entry

Conference Session

Broadening Participation

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary B. Phelps, HEDGE Co.

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

studies at Old Dominion University. Phelps’s consultancy, HEDGE Co., focuses on working with educators to grow the numbers of females pursuing engineering or technology careers and her research reflects that. Additionally, she chairs the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Outreach Committee and is a conferred Fellow of the society. In her spare time, Phelps is the Webmaster for ASEE’s Women in Engineering Division (WIED). Page 25.1296.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 The Effects of Hands-on Activities on Middle School Females’ Spatial Skills and Interest

Conference Session

The Role of Robotics in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cher C. Hendricks, Georgia Institute of Technology; Meltem Alemdar, Georgia Institute of Technology; Tamra Williams Ogletree, University of West Georgia

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

AC 2012-2994: THE IMPACT OF PARTICIPATION IN VEX ROBOTICSCOMPETITION ON MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ INTER-EST IN PURSUING STEM STUDIES AND STEM-RELATED CAREERSProf. Cher C. Hendricks, Georgia Institute of Technology Cher Hendricks is a Research Scientist II at Georgia Institute of Technology. The focus of her work is on K-12 STEM programs. Prior to her work at Georgia Tech, she was an Associate Professor of educational research at the University of West Georgia (1998-2010) and a special education teacher. In addition to her STEM research, Hendricks is author of the textbook Improving Schools through Action Research: A Reflective Practice Approach. The third edition was released in February.Dr. Meltem Alemdar

Conference Session

Principles of K-12 Engineering Education and Practice

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chelsea J. Andrews, Tufts University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

occurs during each test, all of their design changes are in directreaction to the test results, and this comment reflects that shared understanding. After a bit morework, they encounter the same disagreement again, as Marco wants to tape on an additional Page 24.981.9“pack” of popsicle sticks:Marco: Tape that onVincenzo: Wait, dude, let’s just test it with that firstMarco: Two packsVincenzo: No, dude, just test itMarco: Yeah, we’re going to test itVincenzo: Test it and THEN if it’s too light we’ll put this onThese exchanges and disagreements highlight the importance of the pair dynamic, which is oftenlost when comparing

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

where they learn how to work with the students before they deliverthe research-inspired challenges they developed. The learning experience for the middle schoolstudents is also scaffolded by successively exposing them to more about the engineering designprocess and what they are expected to do in the subsequent sessions. During the delivery portionof the class there are no additional assignments beyond preparing the design challenges and theadditional class session each week is reserved for discussion and reflection in a learningcommunity setting.The final portion of the class is devoted to the reflection and to finalizing the documentation inlight of experiences at the middle school. The materials created during the class are valuable andworth

Conference Session

Outreach Along the K-12 Pathways to Engineering

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Liesl Hotaling, University of South Florida-St. Petersburg; Susan Lowes, Teachers College/Columbia University; Rustam Stolkin; Peiyi Lin

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

technology professionals at a variety of levels and in avariety of environmental fields1. This type of multidisciplinary, technology-based approach isnot sufficiently reflected in our current educational programs.The classroom integration of sensor development is therefore not only topical but offers highlyinterdisciplinary subject matter, providing motivating scenarios for teaching STEM topics andskill sets. SENSE IT provides students with the opportunity to learn about sensor technologythrough a hands-on, collaborative process of designing, constructing, programming and testingwater quality sensors. Design-based activities such as SENSE IT provide a rich context forlearning and lend themselves to sustained inquiry and revision. Application of

Conference Session

K-12 and Pre-College Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Peter Thomas Malcolm, University of Virginia

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

. By their nature, Fermi problems depend on the use of some prior knowledge. Studentsmust be able to perform the following steps: 1) conjure up relevant values such as theapproximate U.S. population or MPG of a car, 2) understand the necessary mathematicaloperations to perform on these values, 3) use those operations in a logical and cohesivemathematical way, and 4) reflect on whether the estimate might or might not be reasonable. Thekinds of problems presented by the 3D Estimator primarily assess students' performance of thethird step, thereby assisting with performance on the fourth. That is, the 3D Estimator assessesstudents' use of mathematical operations and numerical strategies for producing reasonableestimates. Producing reasonable

Conference Session

iSTEM

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David R. Heil, David Heil & Associates, Inc.; Greg Pearson, National Academy of Engineering; Susan E. Burger, David Heil & Associates, Inc.

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

 governing  the  organization  publishing  the  report,  findings  and  recommendations  from  unpublished  reports  cannot  be  made  public.    If  the  report  has  been  published  by  the   Page 23.1279.2time  of  the  June  ASEE  annual  conference,  presentation  of  this  paper  will  be  updated  to  reflect  the  report’s  findings  and  recommendations.    educational programs under a single, recognizable moniker. For the first few years followingNSF’s original usage of STEM, the acronym was used most frequently by

Conference Session

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

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Cozzens, Southern Utah University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

practice may be a program, a product, or a process”In this research, the product is web-based engineering and technology curriculum. ActionResearch is specific to education and learning using web-based technology and applying it tothe engineering and technology curriculum. Even though Action Research is oftenmentioned as lacking a distinct theoretical base, it is a powerful tool in stimulating socialchange and exploring how to modify a situation or practice. Eileen Ferrance definition ofAction Research is, “It is a reflective process that allows for inquiry and discussion ascomponents of the “research.” Often, action research is a collaborative activity amongcolleagues searching for solutions to everyday, real problems experienced in schools

Conference Session

Engineering Professional Development for K-12 Teachers – I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Sullivan, The College of New Jersey; Stephen O'Brien, The College of New Jersey; John Karsnitz, The College of New Jersey

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

understand the basic operation of the technological world that surrounds them. ‚ provide the opportunity for students to develop and apply problem-solving skills to problems that have no unique solution. ‚ emphasize the importance of team work. ‚ emphasize creativity. ‚ emphasize hands-on skills by allowing students to create tangible objects. ‚ challenge and instruct the students to synthesize their previous learning in order to formulate problem solutions. This obviously includes the “appropriate” math and science. ‚ challenge students to move outside their comfort zones (except – of course – in the case of the use of such items as power tools). ‚ continuously modify their programs to reflect the changes

Conference Session

K-12 Engineering Outreach Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jorge Rodriguez, Western Michigan University; Tycho Fredericks, Western Michigan University; Steven Butt, Western Michigan University; Luis Rodriguez, University of Wisconsin - Waukesha

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

about the design process, data collection from potential customers, and tasks toaccomplish their goals that result in the manufacture of their prototype. Recognizing thatstudents need to occasionally take a break from the intensive product design process, theinstructors have also included “design challenges” that allow students to puzzle over achallenging problem for a short period of time (the teams in this challenges are different from theDesign teams). For the residential programs, time is allocated for the students to interact witheach other in peer evening group sessions in order to reflect on the activities of the day, address Page

Conference Session

Engineering in Middle Schools

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

result in actually testing their ETK in a middle school class. When a middle schoolteacher feels the team is ready, they go into the classroom. The first version of each ETKis always taught by the team that developed it. They are accompanied by one or moreobservers, and the classroom teacher is present during the lessons. We ask each teacher toprovide comments and reactions on the use of the ETK in their class, and to suggest waysto improve it. We also ask whether any problems might arise in using the ETK. Finallywe want to know if the teacher feels he or she could use the ETK without our teampresent.Members of the design team also reflect on how they think the field test went. Based onall this feedback, the team prepares the next version of

Conference Session

Engineering in Middle Schools

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ibrahim Zeid, Northeastern University; Randal August, Northeastern University; Ronald Perry, Northeastern University; Emanuel Mason, Northeastern University; Jannon Farkis, Northeastern University; Marta Hersek, Northeastern University; Morgan Hynes, TechBoston; Haruna Tada, TechBoston; Felicia Vargas, TechBoston

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

assessment methods include recording anecdotal observations, using achecklist during class, looking at in-class work, and assessing final projects. With the exceptionof the final presentation, most are informal and formative assessments done with the goal ofgauging progress and determining next steps.Professional Development EvaluationWe evaluate the teachers’ professional development component of the project in three categories:Evaluation of Course, Evaluation of Training Activities, and Personal Reflection. The totalnumber of evaluation questions is 10. Here are sample questions; on a scale of 1 – 4, with 1being the lowest scale value, teachers gave he following scores: Rate your knowledge of course content prior to taking it: 1.8 Rate

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

that analyzed the influence of television on theresulting negative images that viewers (particularly white viewers) developed as relatedto various minority groups, including race, gender, and ethnicity. Once classic exampleof such an analysis is the study of the image of race (focusing on African-Americans)during the early days of television (the 1950s). MacDonald7 notes that blacks portrayedduring the 1950s were typically cast as inferior, lazy, dumb, and dishonest individuals.Negro doctors were presented as quacks; Negro lawyers were cast as unethical cowardswho did not understand their own profession. Even in the 1970s, it was noted that blackchildren had few positive role models on television8 . Reflecting more recent portrayals(mainly the