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The National Center for Engineering and Technology Education

Christine E. Hailey, Kurt Becker, Maurice Thomas, Tom Erekson Utah State University (USU)/USU/USU/Brigham Young University

Abstract

The National Center for Engineering and Technology Education (NCETE) is a recently funded National Science Foundation Center for Learning and Teaching. This paper provides a broad overview of NCETE activities that will span the five years of the program, consistent with the goals of ASEE’s Emerging Trends in Engineering Education session. The long-term goal of NCETE is to understand how to infuse engineering design into technology education in grades 9- 12. The paper describes the relationship between engineering and technology education and why NCETE focuses on 9-12 grade technology education as the provider of engineering design concepts. The nine institutions associated with NCETE, the school district partners, and the professional society partners are described. The paper also presents a broad overview of research themes with a description of how these themes will be more sharply focused over the next five years. The paper briefly outlines the doctoral program and the technology teacher program. It concludes by describing some first year goals.

Introduction

Professional communities across the country are concerned with the future of the science and engineering (S&E) workforce. A report by the National Science Board of the National Science Foundation (NSF) highlights two important trends that imperil the workforce: 1) global competition for S&E talent is intensifying, and the United States may not be able to rely on the international S&E labor market to fill unmet skill needs; 2) the number of native-born S&E graduates entering the workforce is likely to decline unless the Nation intervenes in educating S&E students from all demographic groups.1

One NSF program that addresses the national workforce need is the Centers for Learning and Teaching (CLT) program. The CLT program has three goals. First, Centers are expected to renew and diversify the cadre of national leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Second, Centers will increase significantly the number of highly qualified K-12 STEM educators. Third, Centers will conduct research on the nature of learning, teaching, educational policy reform, and outcomes of standards-based reform.

The NSF 04-501 program solicitation focused on areas that represented gaps in the existing CLT portfolio. One identified gap was a Center focused on engineering and technology education with a requirement that a Center guide the expansion of engineering and technology education in the schools. In 2003, a team of faculty members from nine universities met to develop a proposal in response to the program solicitation, NSF 04-501. The goal of this team was to develop a proposal for a Center that would link engineering and technology education faculty in a partnership to build capacity and benefit the profession. The result was the formation of the

“Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education”

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Erekson, T., & Becker, K., & Thomas, M., & Hailey, C. (2005, June), National Center For Engineering And Technology Education Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--15293