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Society's Grand Challenges in Engineering as a context for middle school STEM instruction: Briefing on proposed project

Society's Grand Challenges in Engineering as a context for middle school STEM instruction: Briefing on proposed project. January 19 and 21, 2010 Investigators: Amy Wendt, Susan Hagness and Steven Cramer (Engineering) Kimberly Howard and Allen Phelps (Education). NSF ITEST Program.

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Society's Grand Challenges in Engineering as a context for middle school STEM instruction: Briefing on proposed project

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  1. Society's Grand Challenges in Engineering as a context for middle school STEM instruction:Briefing on proposed project January 19 and 21, 2010 Investigators: Amy Wendt, Susan Hagness and Steven Cramer (Engineering) Kimberly Howard and Allen Phelps (Education)

  2. NSF ITEST Program • The National Science Foundation is seeking solutions to “help ensure the depth and breadth of the STEM workforce.” • ITEST: Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers • STEM: science, technology, engineering and math • Program solicitation link • NSF proposal deadline: early February • Letters of support from participating schools needed by Feb. 1 • Project duration: 3 years • our proposed dates: 9/1/2010-8/31/2013

  3. UW ITEST proposal • Project goal: • create interest in engineering among a larger and more diverse population of middle school students • Strategy: • Introduce grand challenges in engineering (GCE) in math and science instruction • Create a school-based GCE community of teachers & counselors to: • Develop, implement and evaluate GCE instructional resources • Increase awareness of grand-challenge related careers that utilize math and science skills • Collect and use data to: • evaluate: • classroom implementation of instructional materials • changes in student perceptions about engineering and its relation to personal goals • improve/expand instructional resources

  4. Motivation: Diversity in Engineering • Source: American Society of Engineering Educators, 2008 • Down from 19.5% in 2005 and 21.2% in 1999 • Compared to ~ 50% in biological sciences

  5. Diversity in Engineering

  6. Diversity in Engineering • Women’s Experiences in College Engineering Project • Survey of ~25,000 undergraduate women in engineering programs at 53 institutions,1999-2001 • A top reason why women enter engineering: • attraction to the altruistic kind of work engineers do • Critical factor in retention: • exposing women early on to how engineering has led to improvements in society and the quality of people’s lives “Final Report of the Women’s Experiences in College Engineering (WECE) Project,” Goodman Research Group, Inc., Cambridge, MA, April 2002.

  7. Grand Challenges in Engineering http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/ Sustainability • Make solar power economical • Provide energy from fusion • Develop carbon sequestration methods • Manage the nitrogen cycle • Provide access to clean water • Restore and improve urban infrastructure Vulnerability • Prevent nuclear terror • Secure cyberspace • Health • Advance health informatics • Engineer better medicine • Reverse-engineer the brain • Joy of Living • Enhance virtual reality • Advance personalized learning • Engineer the tools of scientific discovery

  8. Background: New GCE course at UW • InterEgr 102: Cross-disciplinary approach to first-year engineering education • Builds on NAE themes • Highlights opportunities to positively shape the world’s future • Case studies format: • Modules prepared by both instructors and students • Based on existing literature – news articles, government reports and research journals • Wide range of presentation topics • Students: • Write written reports • Prepare/deliver • Oral presentations • Poster presentations

  9. GCE at UW: course for 1st year students Theme 1: Engineering challenges on a personal scale Diagnosis/treatment of disease, assistive technologies, rehab engineering, biometrics, … Theme 2: Engineering the Wisconsin IdeaEnergy, regional eco-systems, transportation, security, … Theme 3: Engineering for developing communities Water, housing, health care, lighting, energy, information, … Theme 4: Engineering the megacity Pollution, transportation, energy, natural disasters, security, … Theme 5: Global engineering challenges Energy, terrorism, biodiversity, pandemics, climate change, … Theme 6: Engineering beyond planet Earth Space travel, inhabiting space, near-earth objects, extraterrestrial communication, …

  10. GCE at UW: example course content • Topic: early detection/warning to prevent earthquake damage • Seismometers commonly used to locate the epicenter after the quake has occurred • How? • Exploit differences between P and S waves1 • Nondestructive P (primary) wave speed: 6-7 km/s • Destructive S (secondary) wave speed: 3-4 km/s • Interactive illustrations on National Geographic web site: • http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/interactive/index.html?section=e • Locate an earthquake – Lab 6 • Let’s try it ourselves!

  11. Snapshot from GCE case study Determining location of earthquake epicenter • Seismometers commonly used to locate the epicenter after the quake has occurred • Example: 3 stations record seismic activity • Where is the epicenter? tp=10 s ts=30 s B C tp=20 s ts=50 s 60 km A tp=0 ts=10 s • P wave speed: 6 km/s • S wave speed: 3 km/s

  12. Snapshot from GCE case study Determining location of earthquake epicenter • Seismometers commonly used to locate the epicenter after the quake has occurred • Example: 3 stations record seismic activity • Where is the epicenter? B C 60 km A How far away? • P wave speed: 6 km/s • S wave speed: 3 km/s

  13. Snapshot from GCE case study Determining location of earthquake epicenter • Seismometers commonly used to locate the epicenter after the quake has occurred • Example: 3 stations record seismic activity • Where is the epicenter? B C 60 km A 60 km • P wave speed: 6 km/s • S wave speed: 3 km/s

  14. Snapshot from GCE case study Determining location of earthquake epicenter • Seismometers commonly used to locate the epicenter after the quake has occurred • Example: 3 stations record seismic activity • Where is the epicenter? How far away? B C 60 km A • P wave speed: 6 km/s • S wave speed: 3 km/s

  15. Snapshot from GCE case study Determining location of earthquake epicenter • Seismometers commonly used to locate the epicenter after the quake has occurred • Example: 3 stations record seismic activity • Where is the epicenter? 120 km B C 60 km A • P wave speed: 6 km/s • S wave speed: 3 km/s

  16. Snapshot from GCE case study Determining location of earthquake epicenter • Seismometers commonly used to locate the epicenter after the quake has occurred • Example: 3 stations record seismic activity • Where is the epicenter? How far away? B C 60 km A • P wave speed: 6 km/s • S wave speed: 3 km/s

  17. Snapshot from GCE case study Determining location of earthquake epicenter • Seismometers commonly used to locate the epicenter after the quake has occurred • Example: 3 stations record seismic activity • Where is the epicenter? 180 km B C 60 km A • P wave speed: 6 km/s • S wave speed: 3 km/s

  18. Snapshot from GCE case study Determining location of earthquake epicenter • Seismometers commonly used to locate the epicenter after the quake has occurred • Example: 3 stations record seismic activity • Where is the epicenter? B C 60 km A epicenter • P wave speed: 6 km/s • S wave speed: 3 km/s

  19. Alignment with instructional standards • This instructional task (determining the location of the earthquake epicenter) directly aligns with “Mathematical Practice” standards that are being proposed for the State Common Core Standards in math. • See: http://www.corestandards.org/Standards/index.htm • Quoting the proposed Mathematics Practice standard: • Proficient students expect mathematics to make sense. They take an active stance in solving mathematical problems. When faced with a non-routine problem, they have the courage to plunge in and try something, and they have the procedural and conceptual tools to carry through. They are experimenters and inventors, and can adapt known strategies to new problems. They think strategically. • More specifically, this task requires or could be developed in ways that students are required to demonstrate the following standards: • Construct viable arguments • Make sense of complex problems • Look for and make use of structure

  20. Impact of GCE course at UW • Higher % female representation than other UW “Introduction to Engineering” courses UW GCE course Other engineering intro. courses

  21. Society’s Grand Challenges in Engineering as a Context for Middle School Instruction in STEM Proposal in preparation for submission to the NSF ITEST program

  22. UW team members • Amy Wendt, Electrical and Computer Engineering • Susan Hagness, Electrical and Computer Engineering • Steven Cramer, Civil and Environmental Engineering • Kimberly Howard, Counseling Psychology • Allen Phelps, Education Leadership

  23. UW ITEST proposal • Project goal: • create interest in engineering among a larger and more diverse population of middle school students • Strategy: • Introduce grand challenges in engineering (GCE) in math and science instruction • Create a school-based GCE community of teachers & counselors to: • Develop, implement and evaluate GCE instructional resources • Increase awareness of grand-challenge related careers that utilize math and science skills • Collect and use data to: • evaluate: • classroom implementation of instructional materials • changes in teacher/student perceptions about engineering, and its relation to student personal goals • improve/expand instructional resources

  24. Current status

  25. Goal: GCE awareness through multiple channels • Heighten awareness of GCE throughout the school: • Teachers • Counselors • Peers • Shape students’ sense that STEM careers are possible & interesting for them • Messages guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT): • Self efficacy: belief that one possesses the capability to perform STEM-related activities • Outcomes expectations: engaging in STEM-related activities advances one’s personal goals

  26. Social Cognitive Career Theory

  27. Innovation and Research Network

  28. GCE Implementation: instructional pilot • Pilot GCE module will provide alternative, context-rich approaches to teaching core content • GCE module duration: 1-3 weeks • GCE module will include instructional materials that: • Address state/regional standards for the topic • GCE material will complement instructional content to create a “story line” for the content • Before/after student questionnaire on perceptions about engineering

  29. Pilot GCE module development • UW participants will research GCE topics for inclusion in pilot module • UW and Madison area school participants will develop instructional activities to complement GCE material – academic year 2010-2011 • Summer Institute 2011: • All participants gather on UW-Madison campus for one week • UW participants will provide overviews of: • Grand Challenges in Engineering • Social Cognitive Career Theory • GCE middle school pilot module status • All will discuss, refine, modify and improve pilot module • Middle school educators will finalize module curriculum and implementation plan for their schools

  30. Timeline

  31. How to participate? • Commit a team of 3-5 educators from your school – participation from summer 2011 to the end of the 2011-2012 academic year • Local schools may also participate in GCE module development during the 2010-2011 academic year • Travel expenses – stipend and travel expenses provided for Summer Institute participation • We request letters of commitment to be included in our proposal to NSF • Use school letterhead • Submit to Prof. Amy Wendt by Monday, Feb. 1 • Email pdf copy to wendt@engr.wisc.edu • Or fax to 608-262-1267

  32. Summary (& input for letter of commitment) • UW-Madison proposal entitled “Society’s Grand Challenges in Engineering as a Context for Middle School Instruction in STEM” • To be submitted to NSF ITEST program – 3 year project • Goal: • attract and retain a more diverse pool of students, particularly women, into the technology workforce • Motivation: • studies showing an attraction among female students to the kind of altruistic work engineers do • Strategy: • develop curriculum-specific grand challenges instructional modules appropriate for middle school • teacher/counselor training to support classroom use of these materials • Evaluate changes in teacher/student perceptions about engineering, and its relation to student personal goals • Instructional materials • will be modeled after the "Grand Challenges" curriculum currently in use at the UW Madison College of Engineering • school teams (3-5 participants/school) will contribute to module development at working Summer Institutes at UW-Madison in 2011 and 2012 • will be piloted in schools during 2011-12 and 2012-13 school years

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