engaging all students in stem engineering as an agent for

Engaging ALL students in STEM – Engineering as an

Agent for Social Justice

Mihir Ravel and Cary Sneider

NSELA Leadership Summit

Virtual Conference

May 13, 2021

Session ArchitectureOur Flow Today: from Big Picture to Actionable Tools

• A Little History - Context of Science and Engineering Education

• What Engineering Education Research Tells Us About Students Attitudes and Benefits

• Effective & Inclusive Methods for Engaging Students in Engineering

• Effective Engineering Education – Inclusive and Inviting Methods that Resonate with Science Teachers

• Video Examples

• Discussion

• Resources

• Acknowledgements

Ravel/Sneider, Engaging ALL Students in STEM, 2021May

Technology & Science Education Has a Deep History

• Archaeological evidence shows that starting about 250,000 years ago, Neanderthals began making a wide variety of stone tools from a single obsidian core.

• The technology of stone tools was supported by materials science. (If a tool-maker did not learn the difference between obsidian and basalt, their small band would not survive.)

Reconstruction of Neanderthal woman (makeup by Morten Jacobsen). Author: Bacon Cph. Cretive Commons 2.5

Obsidian core, 5,400 to 4,000 BCE. Author: Bjoertvedt. Creative Commons 4.0.

Stone scrapers, Mousterian Culture, Israel, 250,000-50,000. Author Gary Todd. Creative Commons 1.0.



• Science began to flower after the retreat of the last ice age in Southern Egypt, where this stone circle with astronomical alignments was built about 7,000 years ago, long before Stonehenge.

• A science of astronomy was needed to create a calendar for agriculture, and later for organizing large groups of people for religious or secular reasons.

• In the case of astronomy, technology (for observing and recording movements in the sky and moving large stones) supported the science of astronomy.

Nabta Playa, Africa, Wikipedia Commons. Author: Raymbetz. Creative Commons 3.0.

Nubian resident 1200-100 BC. Author: XXGfHXx Creative Commons 4.0.



• Cross-cultural transmission of knowledge expanded after the Middle Ages, when the nearly-lost legacy of Ancient Greece became known in the West, along with the very vibrant science of the Moslem world.

• For example, Alhazen, known as the father of the science of optics was the first to clearly show that we see objects because light reflects from them, and to explain the phenomenon of refraction.

• Galileo relied on optical theory that probably originated with Alhazen, transmitted through various intermediaries to Europe.

Alhazen 1647. Author: artwork drawn by Adolph Boÿ, engraved by Jeremias Falck. Public domain.

Galileo showing his telescope to the Doge of Venice in 1610. Fresco painted by Bertini, Public Domain.



• As science and engineering progressed, the two fields did not just support each other. They drove each other forward.

• Individuals who exemplify the interaction between science and engineering include:

Ada Lovelace (1810-1852), who wrote the first computer software even while the first computer was on the drawing board, and

Author: Unknown. 1832 Public Domain.

Marie Curie (1867-1934), discoverer of radium and winner of two Nobel Prizes.

Author: Henri Manuel. Public Domain.



The foundation of our current education system was established in 1892 by the Committee of Ten, Led by Charles Eliot, President of Harvard, which called for:

• 8 years of elementary school, followed by 4 years of high school.

• All high schools should teach chemistry, physics, and natural science (which we now call biology), with the following principle:

“Every subject which is taught at all in a secondary school should be taught in the same way and to the same extent to every pupil as long as he pursues it, no matter what the probable destination of the pupil may be, or at what point his education is to cease.”

Charles William Eliot (1869-1909), President of Harvard and Chair of the Committee of Ten. Author: Underwood & Underwood. Public Domain.



• Over the years, there were efforts to inject the practical arts into the curriculum, both to get kids interested in the sciences and to teach them something useful in the event they decided not be become scientists.

• That changed after WWII, with Vannevar Bush’s report Science: The Endless Frontier, which established the NSF, and focused education on “pure science,” which many people assumed was solely responsible winning the war.

First nuclear detonation. Author: US Department of Energy. Public Domain.

Vannevar Bush. US Department of Emergency Management. Public Domain.



• Over the past three decades, standards documents such as Science For All Americans, Benchmarks for Science Literacy, and the National Science Education Standards all called for a substantial focus on engineering as a part of science, but they had little effect.

• Finally, in 2012, A Framework for K-12 Science Education and the subsequent Next Generation Science Standards sparked a serious effort to bring science and engineering back together as a fundamental part of education for ALL students.


• Children and adults in the U.S. have narrow conceptions of technology as things to plug in.

• Most students think that engineers build or fix things, such as install wiring or fix cars.

• According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), more than half of the nation’s 8th graders are not proficient in technology and engineering literacy.

• Far fewer girls are interested in engineering than boys, although they score significantly higher on NAEP’s assessment of technology and engineering literacy.

During the high school years, the percentage of males interested in a STEM career remained stable (from 39.5 to 39.7), whereas for females it declined from 15.7 to 12.7.*

* Sadler, P.M., Sonnert, G., Hazari, Z., & Tai, R. (2012). Stability and volatility of stem career interest in high school: A gender study. Science Education, 96(3), page 411.

Museum of Science, Boston. Photographer: Andrew Brilliant. Printed by permission.

Insights from the Last Two Decades of K-12 Engineering Education Research: Student Conceptions


• Early interest—before 6th grade—is a strong predictor of aspirations for a career in engineering.

• Parents’ attitudes strongly affect their children’s aspirations.

• Students of color and from low-income communities have reduced awareness, initial interest, and support for developing an identity as a STEM learner. Those who are interested face numerous obstacles.

* Barnett, M. (2005). Engaging inner city students in learning through designing remote operated vehicles. Journal of Science Education and Technology 14(1): 87-100

Barnett (2005) taught physics using remotely operated vehicles (ROVS) in an urban school where students often skipped class. He compared his students with another class of 32 who studied the same physics topics in a traditional class. Attendance increased for students engaged in in the ROV class as students learned physics and learned to value its importance.*

Insights from the Last Two Decades of K-12 Engineering Education Research: Attitudes and Support


There is strong evidence that when engineering is included as a part of science instruction:

• Integration helps students develop engineering knowledge and skills while also learning science.

• Engineering engages students in thinking about science.

• Success in learning science through engineering depends on well how well it is taught.

Foster & Ganesh (2013) tested Engineering an Artificial Heart in a 6th grade classroom with 32 students. The results shows positive learning gains for knowledge of major structures and functions of the heart, directional flow of blood, and function of the heart’s valves (p < .001). Students also achieved the engineering objectives, including problem definition, gathering information, developing, comparing, and testing solutions, identifying aspects of the design that performed best, and optimizing the solution.*

Image courtesy of 4-H National Council

* Foster, C., & Ganesh, T. (2013). Engineering the human heart in the sixth-grade classroom. In 2013 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) (pp. 1293-1295). IEEE.

Insights from the Last Two Decades of K-12 Engineering Education Research: Integration with Science


Engineering Increases STEM Motivation and Identity. There is strong evidence that engineering challenges:

• Shift initiative from the teacher to the students.

• Motivate students (provided the activities have clear goals and a chance to test ideas, share feedback, and redesign.)

• Helping to solve community problems can increase STEM confidence and identity .

• Courses in engineering can increase interest in engineering careers.

Mehalik et. al., (2008) compared pre-pst-test scores of 585 8th grade students who studied electricity by designing an alarm system with scores of 466 students who learned the same electrical concepts using a scripted inquiry method. Students who learned with the design approach had significantly higher gains (p < .001) on electrical concepts. African American students benefitted the most; their gains were six times higher than the control group.*

* Mehalik, M.M., Doppelt, Y., and Schunn, C.D. (2008). Middle-school science through design-based learning versus scripted learning: Better overall science concept learning and equity gap reduction. Journal of Engineering Education 97(1) 71-85.


Insights from the Last Two Decades of K-12 Engineering Education Research: Benefits


• Can increase creativity.

• Can increase idea fluency.

• Can help students develop communication and teamwork skills.

• Can help students develop persistence and resilience.

Engineering builds 21st century skills. There is considerable evidence that engineering activities:

Barton & Tam (2018) documented their ethnographic study of 41 middle school maker projects in a high-poverty urban community. The researchers explained how the middle school students’ creative practices were grounded in their own lived experiences. Projects included a heated sweatshirt, more accessible library resources, an anti-bully app, and a rape alarm jacket.*

* Barton, A.C., and Tan, E. (2018). A longitudinal study of equity-oriented STEM-rich making among youth from historically marginalized communities. American Education Research Journal.


Insights from the Last Two Decades of K-12 Engineering Education Research: Benefits


Engaging Students in Engineering– after the “Why”, now let’s talk about the “How”

Everyone loves M&M’s:

Models and Methods (and a bit about Materials)

• Models of Engineering that can help traditional Science Teachers

• Methods for inclusive engagement and success for ALL students

• And then a few Examples


Models of Engineering and Science

The Purposes Differ: Science Creates Knowledge of Nature

Engineering Creates Solutions for People

BUT good news: the Processes are Very Similar!

Theory Experiment Analysis

Improve

Model Prototype Test

Improve

Science

Engineering

Engineering Starts with Society!


Engaging Science Teachers in Engineering:Authentic Science has Engineering Inside!

Theory Experiment Analysis

Model Prototype Test

Science

ScientistsEngineer

Apparatus


Engaging Students in Engineering:teachers can build on familiar pedagogy

NaturalPhenomena

Engaging Science by Exploring:

TechnologicalSystems

Engaging Engineering by Designing:

Inclusivity Tip: pick familiar systems


Methods: Inclusivity and Equity in Engineering Learning Experiences*• Use narratives to develop and motivate students' understanding of

the place of engineering in the world.

• Demonstrate how engineers help people, animals, the environment,

or society.

• Provide role models with a range of demographic characteristics,

including storybooks that depict engineers of both genders, from a

variety of races and ethnicities, with different abilities/ disabilities,

and with a wide range of hobbies and interests.

• Ensure that design challenges are truly open-ended with more than

one correct answer

• Value failure for what it teaches.


* Cunningham, Christine M., and Cathy P. Lachapelle (2014). Designing engineering experiences to engage all

students. Engineering in pre-college settings: Synthesizing research, policy, and practices. 21(7), 117-142.

Inclusivity: Aim for Real vs Realistic Contexts

LifeLine - “Start from Where THEY Are”

Set an inviting, familiar context for an engineering experience that ALL students can imagine.

Use “Real” scenarios, not “Realistic”.

• Realistic

“When you go to the Aquarium…”, design the shark fishtank and calculate it’s volume

“You’re building a backyard deck with your father…”, design the deck and calculate the cost

“You’re flying to Disney World”, design a suitcase that fits 2 sets of shoes and 5 days of clothes

• Real

“Your bicycle’s seat is broken…”, now design a replacement and make a cardboard prototype

“Winter is coming…”, design a custom set of gloves using these 3 types of insulating materials

“Your neighbor’s 5 year-old daughter’s birthday is coming…”, design a gift toy that moves or

makes fun sounds and make it out of these materials


Inclusivity: Be Resourceful – waste hurts not only the planet, but the spirit

LifeLine - “Start from Where THEY Are” - The 3 R’s – Repurpose, Reuse, Recycle

Many students, in all places - urban, rural, domestic, international - are living with

incomes that make the basics of daily life precious.

Consider these common activities:

• Design and test a parachute lander that can protect an egg dropped from 10

feet

• Design, mix, and test the strongest water and flour paste for making paper

mache puppets

• Design and make a craftstick bridge/tower/etc that can hold 5 textbooks

How does a student see these when their belly is hungry?

When there is no money for home crafts?


Inclusivity: Use Culture as Context“Start from Where THEY Are” – Culture connects time and space

ALL students have unique cultural backgrounds, but often in a community there

are a handful of shared cultures that can serve as home bases and as bridges –

between students, and between student and teacher.

Cultures are rich sources of:

Needs that engineering design might solve

Ideas for solutions that have been developed over time

Developing Engineering Experiences:

Try outlining a problem/need that involves a few relevant science concepts

(strength, heat, light, buoyancy, electricity…) and ask students to talk to family and

community about possible solutions (shelter, transportation, food sources) that

have been developed in their cultural history. Then share those solutions as idea

sources to seed students new designs.

Research isn’t only sifting literature, it’s also dialogue with elders and peers.


Methods for Engagement:Start From Where They Are – preConceptions

• Start from Where They Are means understanding students starting

points: attitudes, knowledge, and skills

• Use Formative Assessment to Understand Students Incoming

Conceptions about Engineering and the Relevant Technological

Systems

• If you map engineering experiences onto real scenarios, then

students already have a starting base of knowledge and attitudes

that lend power to the experience

• Probes can be written, oral discussion, or “show&tell” with students

bringing examples of objects related to the technological system of

interest


Methods: Assessment Tools

In collaboration with NSTA, the first set of assessment probes for discovering students’ conceptions about engineering and technology

Students’ initial ideas are used to build a bridge from where the student is to where the student needs to be to understand and use core ideas and practices.


Probes are aimed at ALL students*The What, Why, Who, How of Engineering & Technology

Focus on students’ daily life: bicycles, birdhouses, backpacks, phones, pizzas…

Multi-ethnic characters in family and community

Uncover and activate students’ (and teachers’) ideas

Focus on “best thinking,” not “right answer”

Create a desire to “figure it out” or know more

Based on research on commonly held students’ ideas

Support ELL (Spanish version of each probe)

Teaching methods and references for each probe

* Keeley, P., Sneider, C., and Ravel, M. (2020). Uncovering student ideas about engineering and technology. Alexandria VA:

National Science Teaching Association. https://secure.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781681403113


https://secure.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781681403113

• Design themes should be purposeful, relevant, interesting• An old guide was “Low Barriers and High Ceilings”, now we

aim for “Easy On-Ramps and High Ceilings”• The 5E’s are a useful model. Start engaging and exploring a

technological object/system familiar to students – watch a video, use it, or reverse engineer it by taking it apart

• An “Easy On ramp” is to have a simple, common, and “improvable” starter design that all students can build to gain familiarity and initial success. Then move to custom designs unique to each student/team using formal design processes.

• Aim for simpler steps and designs to allow time for more iterations – much of the learning occurs in the iterative cycle.

• Rotate roles in teams across research, design, prototyping, documenting, and presenting.

• “Do Less, Better” - completion > satisfaction > agency

Methods: designing an effective engineering learning experience – a few nuggets


• Clear goals: Challenges should reveal to students the exact nature of what is being asked of them. Challenges should invite students to chose (or to consider) strategies they feel appropriate to attain the goal.

• Tests against nature: Designs should be evaluated using highly reliable tests against nature and not rely on complex rubrics or subjective judgments…

• Prototype design: Students vary in their construction skills and level of confidence. Building an initial “cookbook” design, albeit a poor performer, is a necessary first step to engage students, develop rudimentary construction skills, and familiarize students with test procedures.

• Multiple iterations: Students learn from their failures as well as successes. To encourage the testing of ideas, devices should be quick to build and modify so that many tests can be performed in a short period.

• Large dynamic range: Whenever possible, device performance should increase dramatically over several days of building…

• Employ purposeful record keeping: Student records should be formative, capturing all attempts and trials. They need to function as a resource for the resolution of claims of first ideas and for the focus of class discussions

* Sadler, P.M., Coyle, H.P., & Swartz, M. (2000). Engineering competitions in the middle school classroom: Key elements in developing effective design challenges. The Journal of the Learning Sciences 9(3), 299-327.

Methods: effective design challenges – specifics*


• Age group: Middle school• Approach: Integrate engineering design with science• Purposefully aimed at important needs

• Clean water• Affordable/local food

Video Examples - engineering a better society


• Break into your groups to consider the themes and examples we discussed today.

• Which ones do you feel are of most value to your learning community?

• What challenges might you face in introducing these ideas and methods?

Breakout Discussion


Methods for Inclusive, Engaging, and Effective Engineering Design Experiences

Cunningham, Christine M., and Cathy P. Lachapelle (2014). Designing engineering experiences to engage all students. Engineering in pre-college settings: Synthesizing research, policy, and practices. 21(7), 117-142.

Sadler, P.M., Coyle, H.P., & Swartz, M. (2000). Engineering competitions in the middle school classroom: Key elements in developing effective design challenges. The Journal of the Learning Sciences 9(3), 299-327.

Tools for Understanding Students’ Understanding of Technology and Engineering

Keeley, P., Sneider, C., and Ravel, M. (2020). Uncovering student ideas about engineering and technology. Alexandria VA: National Science Teaching Association.https://secure.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781681403113

Tools for Inclusivity and Equity in STEM Classrooms

Tanner, K. D. (2013). Structure matters: twenty-one teaching strategies to promote student engagement and cultivate classroom equity. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 12(3), 322-331.

Inclusive Teaching Online Guide: https://lse.ascb.org/evidence-based-teaching-guides/inclusive-teaching/

Sources for Engineering Activities and Curricula

Rich set of activity ideas spanning grade bands and themes: https://www.teachengineering.org/

Great network of people and organizations to support engineering education: https://www.linkengineering.org/

Overview of Various Curricula: Sneider, C., Editor (2015). The go-to guide to engineering curricula. 3 volumes, K-5, 6-8, 9-12. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Resources


https://secure.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781681403113

https://lse.ascb.org/evidence-based-teaching-guides/inclusive-teaching/

https://www.teachengineering.org/

https://www.linkengineering.org/

We sincerely appreciate the assistance and productive discussions with the following individuals who have substantively contributed to the ideas that we’ve presented today.

Michael Hacker, Hofstra University, Principal Investigator of Engineering for All (National Science Foundation DRL Grant #131661), a champion and collaborator in exposing students to purposeful STEM for a better world. We thank him for permission to use the video about the project. The full-length version of the video can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQkowF2g53Q

Page Keeley, a joy to work with on using the written word to relate to students at all ages, and our collaborator over several years to develop formative assessment probes for technology and engineering.

Christine Cunningham and Philip Sadler, whose multiple years of research with thousands of students have informed our own work on developing engaging engineering activities.

Deepali Ravel, Science Curriculum Fellow and Director of Education at Harvard Infectious Disease Consortium, has been a source of insightful discussions and valuable resources on inclusive STEM for all ages.

Acknowledgements


engaging all students in stem engineering as an agent for

Documents