Asee peer logo

Why Do You Think So? Asking Effective Questions in Engineering Activities

Download Paper |

Conference

2015 ASEE Workshop on K-12 Engineering Education

Location

Seattle, Washington

Publication Date

June 13, 2015

Start Date

June 13, 2015

End Date

June 13, 2015

Page Count

6

Page Numbers

18.32.1 - 18.32.6

DOI

10.18260/1-2--17105

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/17105

Download Count

465

Paper Authors

biography

Chantal Balesdent Museum of Science

visit author page

Chantal Balesdent is a professional development provider for Engineering is Elementary at the Museum of Science, Boston. She received her B.A. in chemistry from Colby College and her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Oregon. At UO, Chantal was active in local science outreach, and as an NSF GK-12 fellow she taught hands-on science to elementary school students in rural Oregon.

visit author page

Download Paper |

Abstract

WORKSHOP PROPOSAL FORM 2015 Annual ASEE K-12 Workshop on Engineering Education “Authentic Engineering: Representing & Emphasizing the E in STEM” Presented by Dassault Systems Saturday, June 13, 2015 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. Sheraton Seattle | Seattle | WAPlease complete this form, save it as a PDF file only and upload it through the ASEE PaperManagement system as shown in the K12 Workshop Presenter’s Kit.All notifications will be by email from the ASEE Paper Management system.NOTE: To ensure that emails are not obstructed by spam blockers, please make sure to WHITELIST theemail addresses: monolith@asee.org and conferences@asee.org and s.harrington-hurd@asee.org.Direct questions to Stephanie Harrington-Hurd, ASEE K-12 Activities Manager, at s.harrington-hurd@asee.org. Additional workshop details are available at: http://www.asee.org/K12Workshop.Thank you! Deadline Friday, January 23, 2015 by 5:00PM EST Presenters will be notified of acceptance status by March 14. Late submissions will not be accepted. Advanced Workshop Registration will open December 6, 2013. SUBMISSION INFORMATIONProvide the first and last name of each presenter, including affiliations. If there is more than onepresenter, designate one person as the organizer and provide only that person’s contactinformation. The organizer is responsible for communicating to co-presenters.Number of Presenters:Presenter Name(s):1) Last: Balesdent First: Chantal Affiliation : Museum of Science, EiE2) Last: McManus First : Shannon Affiliation: Museum of Science, EiE3) Last First AffiliationContact Person’s Name: Shannon McManusContact Person’s Email: smcmanus@mos.orgContact Person’s Phone: 617.589.4296Contact Person’s Alternate Phone: 617.589.42432015-ASEE-K12-Proposal-Form Page 1 of 5 WORKSHOP PROPOSAL FORM 2015 Annual ASEE K-12 Workshop on Engineering Education “Authentic Engineering: Representing & Emphasizing the E in STEM” Presented by Dassault Systems Saturday, June 13, 2015 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. Sheraton Seattle | Seattle | WAPlease provide a one-paragraph bio for each presenter (in the order listed above). The bio shouldnot exceed 70 words and should be written as you would want it to appear on the ASEE websiteand program materials.1) Chantal Balesdent is a professional development provider for Engineering is Elementary at theMuseum of Science, Boston. She received her B.A. in chemistry from Colby College and herPh.D. in chemistry from the University of Oregon. At UO, Chantal was active in local scienceoutreach, and as an NSF GK-12 fellow she taught hands-on science to elementary schoolstudents in rural Oregon.2) Shannon heads up the professional development team at Engineering is Elementary. Shebrings to EiE seven years of experience teaching high school physics and integrated science andadditional experience as an outreach coordinator for nonprofits including the Rhode IslandStormwater Solutions Program and the Massachusetts-based Buzzards Bay Coalition. She holdsa B.A. in physics education from the University of Delaware and an M.S. in environmentalscience and management from the University of Rhode Island.3) WORKSHOP INFORMATIONProposed Title:Why Do You Think So? Asking Effective Questions in Engineering ActivitiesAbstract: Please provide a concise description that includes the workshop’s learning objectives(maximum 750 characters). The abstract is used on the ASEE website, program materials, andotherK-12 Workshop promotional activities.Developing engineering habits of mind in students requires that teachers ask effective questionsthat encourage students to think critically about their designs and persevere through failure. Inthis activity, participants will observe and analyze the process that students go through as theyengineer and think carefully about the kinds of questions that they can ask students, specificallyas students test their engineered technologies, that will help them to think critically about theirdesign decisions and how they might improve their designs.2015-ASEE-K12-Proposal-Form Page 2 of 5 WORKSHOP PROPOSAL FORM 2015 Annual ASEE K-12 Workshop on Engineering Education “Authentic Engineering: Representing & Emphasizing the E in STEM” Presented by Dassault Systems Saturday, June 13, 2015 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. Sheraton Seattle | Seattle | WAWorkshop Description. Please provide a detailed description of the proposed workshop that, atminimum, explicitly addresses the following (maximum 4,000 characters): a. Learning objectives b. Hands-on activities and interactive exercises c. Materials that participants can take with them d. Practical application for teachers and outreach staffHow can we delve deeper into students’ thinking around engineering? In this activity,participants gain experience fostering the engineering habits of mind in students, throughquestioning, as they observe students engaging in an engineering activity, and using theengineering design process to solve a problem by designing a technology.Participants will put their “teacher hats” on as they watch classroom video footage of studentsasking questions about how to capture the wind’s energy to turn the blades of a windmill andexploring different materials as they “catch” the wind from a fan. Participants then examineactual windmill designs that are typical of students’ first windmill designs—however, none ofthese windmills successfully catch the wind.Participants are challenged to identify why their students’ windmills are not working.Understanding why a student’s design is not working is an important first step when thinkingabout the kinds of questions a teacher might ask his or her students. They then work in smallgroups to think carefully about the kinds of questions that they can ask students, specifically asstudents test their windmills, which will help them to think critically about their design decisionsand how they might improve their designs.As participants share their brainstormed questions with peers, they begin to see how certainquestions may target student understanding, while others may scaffold students through thedesign process. From this experience, participants develop questioning strategies for problem-solving activities that encourage students to access their scientific knowledge, consider materialproperties, be creative with their designs, and persevere in solving problems.Authentic Engineering Connection. Identify and describe how you will explicitly address theways in which your lesson or activity is representative of the processes, habits of mind andpractices used by engineers, or is demonstrative of work in specific engineering fields.i At leastone of those must be within the first four listed, below; i.e., do not only check “other”. Check allthat apply: X Use of an engineering design process that has at least one iteration/improvement X Attention to specific engineering habits of mind2015-ASEE-K12-Proposal-Form Page 3 of 5 WORKSHOP PROPOSAL FORM 2015 Annual ASEE K-12 Workshop on Engineering Education “Authentic Engineering: Representing & Emphasizing the E in STEM” Presented by Dassault Systems Saturday, June 13, 2015 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. Sheraton Seattle | Seattle | WA X Attention to engineering practices (as described in the NGSS/Framework and as practiced by engineers) Attention to specific engineering careers or fields related to the lesson/activity Other (please describe below)Provide a description of how you will explicitly address these aspects of authentic engineering inyour workshop (maximum 2,000 characters):Participants will use classroom video to observe students engaging in the engineering designprocess. After observing the classroom, participants will take a step out of the video to analyzeactual technologies that are similar to those of the students. Participants will discuss the kinds ofquestions they could ask students during the testing phase of the engineering design process thatwill encourage students to develop their engineering habits of mind and think critically abouttheir designs. As participants brainstorm questions, they will discuss how they might use certainquestioning strategies to help develop agency, creativity, and perseverance as students engineer.Diversity. This year is the American Society for Engineering Education’s “Year of Action onDiversity.” It is essential that we have a diverse engineering workforce to solve diverseproblems. To do that and to have an engineering-literate public, it is essential that we reach everypreK-12 student with high-quality engineering education, drawing on issues of access and equityin the classroom and in the curriculum. Reviewers would like to know how your proposedworkshop will address diversity.Provide a description of how you will explicitly address diversity – e.g., diversity with respect togender/sex, ethnicity or race, special education inclusion, socio-economic status, or LGBT status– in your workshop (maximum 2,000 characters):The classroom video footage that is viewed during the activity explicitly portrays diverseelementary students engaging in the engineering design challenge. The workshop will focus onresources and strategies that foster the engineering habits of mind in all students.Are there any online components to the proposal or presentation? (Note that these onlinecomponents may only be available to presenters or those who have their wireless subscriptions,since wireless may not be available during the workshop sessions.) X No Yes Please describe:2015-ASEE-K12-Proposal-Form Page 4 of 5 WORKSHOP PROPOSAL FORM 2015 Annual ASEE K-12 Workshop on Engineering Education “Authentic Engineering: Representing & Emphasizing the E in STEM” Presented by Dassault Systems Saturday, June 13, 2015 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. Sheraton Seattle | Seattle | WAGrade Level Target Audience (check all that apply):X Primary (EC–2)X Elementary (3–5) Middle School (6-8) High School (9-12)Maximum Number of Participants:25 If this number is greater than 25, please describe how your workshop will equally engage all participants.All Seating is Classroom (tables and chairs).Audio Visual Equipment Requests:Note: An LCD projector, screen and podium with attached microphone are provided. Requestsfor additional equipment or resources (e.g., internet connection or laptops) will incur extracharges. If you do not have additional requests, please indicate with “Not applicable.”Speakers for classroom video. Reminder:Presenters must register and pay the registration fee to support their workshop attendance and audio/video costs. Thank you for completing this proposal form! Please review this document prior to submitting it to ensure that all items are complete. ASEE USE ONLYDate Received:Received By:Proposal ID Number:2015-ASEE-K12-Proposal-Form Page 5 of 5

Balesdent, C. (2015, June), Why Do You Think So? Asking Effective Questions in Engineering Activities Paper presented at 2015 ASEE Workshop on K-12 Engineering Education, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/1-2--17105

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2015 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015