This paper is based on the premises that the purpose of engineering education is to graduate engineers who can design, and that design thinking is complex. The paper begins by briefly reviewing the history and role of design in the engineering curriculum. Several dimensions of design thinking are then detailed, explaining why design is hard to learn and harder still to teach, and outlining the research available on how well design thinking skills are learned. The currently most-favored pedagogical model for teaching design, project-based learning (PBL), is explored next, along with available assessment data on its success. Two contexts for PBL are emphasized: first-year cornerstone courses and globally dispersed PBL courses. Finally, the paper lists some of the open research questions that must be answered to identify the best pedagogical practices of improving design learning, after which it closes by making recommendations for research aimed at enhancing design learning.

Engineering Design Thinking, Teaching, and Learning

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Engineering design thinking, teaching, and learning

Laboratory-based courses play a critical role in scientific education. Automation is changing the nature of these laboratories, and there is a long-running debate about the value of hands-on versus simulated laboratories. In addition, the introduction of remote laboratories adds a third category to the debate. Through a review of the literature related to these labs in education, the authors draw several conclusions about the state of current research. The debate over different technologies is confounded by the use of different educational objectives as criteria for judging the laboratories: Hands-on advocates emphasize design skills, while remote lab advocates focus on conceptual understanding. We observe that the boundaries among the three labs are blurred in the sense that most laboratories are mediated by computers, and that the psychology of presence may be as important as technology. We also discuss areas for future research.

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Hands-on, simulated, and remote laboratories: A comparative literature review

The global urgency to improve STEM education may be driven by environmental and social impacts of the twenty-first century which in turn jeopardizes global security and economic stability. The complexity of these global factors reach beyond just helping students achieve high scores in math and science assessments. Friedman (The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century, 2005) helped illustrate the complexity of a global society, and educators must help students prepare for this global shift. In response to these challenges, the USA experienced massive STEM educational reforms in the last two decades. In practice, STEM educators lack cohesive understanding of STEM education. Therefore, they could benefit from a STEM education conceptual framework. The process of integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in authentic contexts can be as complex as the global challenges that demand a new generation of STEM experts. Educational researchers indicate that teachers struggle to make connections across the STEM disciplines. Consequently, students are often disinterested in science and math when they learn in an isolated and disjoined manner missing connections to crosscutting concepts and real-world applications. The following paper will operationalize STEM education key concepts and blend learning theories to build an integrated STEM education framework to assist in further researching integrated STEM education.

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A conceptual framework for integrated STEM education

Engineering as a profession faces the challenge of making the use of technology ubiquitous and transparent in society while at the same time raising young learners' interest and understanding of how technology works. Educational efforts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (i.e., STEM disciplines) continue to grow in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade (P-12) as part of addressing this challenge. This article explores how engineering education can support acquisition of a wide range of knowledge and skills associated with comprehending and using STEM knowledge to accomplish real world problem solving through design, troubleshooting, and analysis activities. We present several promising instructional models for teaching engineering in P-12 classrooms as examples of how engineering can be integrated into the curriculum. While the introduction of engineering education into P-12 classrooms presents a number of opportunities for STEM learning, it also raises issues regarding teacher knowledge and professional development, and institutional challenges such as curricular standards and high-stakes assessments. These issues are considered briefly with respect to providing direction for future research and development on engineering in P-12.

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Advancing Engineering Education in P-12 Classrooms

An integrated teaching and learning (ITL) program was initiated in 1992 by a team of faculty and students who articulated an ambitious vision for undergraduate engineering education reform: ` . . . to pioneer a multidisciplinary learning environment that integrates engineering theory with practice and promotes creative, team-oriented problem-solving skills.' The ITL Laboratory was dedicated in 1997 to support this college-wide vision. This paper describes the development process of this new facility and its major features. The underlying educational value is also discussed. Outreach activities are described, including a unique on-line system where experimental modules are made available on the WorldWideWeb.

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Hands-on Engineering: Learning by Doing in the Integrated Teaching and Learning Program*

– This longitudinal study is an investigation of the impact on student retention of a First-Year Engineering Projects (FYEP) course at a large public research university. Student retention was measured at the third, fifth and seventh semester for student takers and non-takers of a first-year, team-based design/build course. Retention data were analyzed across eight years for 5,070 students, representing 2,128 students who took the FYEP course (42%) and 2,942 students who did not take the course (58%). Significant retention gains were found for all student takers. The authors compare these results with reported retention data from other engineering institutions and discuss possible causes and ramifications of the findings.

Improving Engineering Student Retention through Hands-On, Team Based, First-Year Design Projects

This study evaluates the impact on student retention of the First-Year Engineering Projects (FYEP) course at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Student retention was measured at the third, fifth and seventh semester for student takers and non-takers of the FYEP design/build course. Data were analyzed for 2,581 students over five years, representing 1,035 students who took the FYEP course (40%) and 1,546 students who did not take the course (60%). Significant gains in retention were found for student takers, and even higher retention rates were observed for students typically underrepresented in engineering — women and students of color. This paper compares these results with reported retention data from other institutions and discusses possible causes and ramifications of the findings.

Staying In Engineering: Effects Of A Hands On, Team Based, First Year Projects Course On Student Retention

One approach to address the dilemma of poor mathematics and science performance of U.S. students on standardized tests and lagging enrollment in U.S. engineering colleges is engineering outreach to the K-12 community. Engineering outreach has been a core mission of the Integrated Teaching and Learning (ITL) Program since its inception. Team-based design spans the entire K-16 hands-on learning curriculum, integrating math and science fundamentals through creative, self-directed learning. Experiencing design provides a context for undergraduates to develop advanced technical skills, and motivates youngsters to pursue an engineering path. This paper describes how design pervades the diverse ITL K-16 spectrum, including a variety of engineering curricula for K-12 students, as well as undergraduate engineering courses. I hear – I forget I see – I remember I do – I understand — Confucius c. 500 BC I. Design as a Motivator Design is the raison d’etre for engineering, articulating the distinction between engineering and science. As Bordogna states1: Scientists investigate what is; they discover new knowledge by peering into the unknown... Engineers create what has not been; they make things that have never existed before... Design is an ideal focus for hands-on learning, serving to anchor and provide context for theoretical foundation concepts. It is, by its very nature, open-ended and multidisciplinary, and forces effective teamwork skills, especially if the project is complex enough (in other words, realistic). By creating and implementing designs, students come to appreciate that engineering is about creating things for the benefit of society, a premise that has broad appeal to a diverse population. We believe that a great way to increase the quality and diversity of young people pursuing careers in engineering and technology is to expose students to the joys (and 1 Joseph Bordogna, Deputy Director, National Science Foundation Designing Engineering Education 2 Figure 1. One of two hands-on laboratory plazas in the ITL Laboratory. Figure 2. The Pythagorean Fantasy ball machine by sculptor George Rhoads is one of many interactive learning exhibits in the ITL Laboratory. frustrations!) of engineering early in their academic pursuits. And, because design projects are both fun and creative, they inspire students from a broad spectrum of ages. This paper presents an overview of the many design-based activities offered by the Integrated Teaching and Learning (ITL) Program, where the spirit of discovery learning spans the K-16 continuum.

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Exploiting Design to Inspire Interest in Engineering Across the K-16 Engineering Curriculum*

Supported by the National Science Foundation, the GK-12 Fellows program at the University of Colorado at Boulder explores innovative ways for engineering graduate students to use engineering as the vehicle to provide K-12 classroom instruction and hands-on experiences that integrate physical sciences, mathematics, engineering and technology. Engineering “Fellows” fill a crucial gap in the two-way exchange of content and pedagogy between the College of Engineering and Applied Science and the K-12 community of learners. The active presence of real world, engineering role models in K-12 classrooms improves the quality of math and science content, and introduces engineering to teachers and young students as a potential career path. Working through the University's graduate program legitimizes K-12 outreach as a valid, and satisfying, academic endeavor for graduate students.

Lawrence E. Carlson

Papers

Hands-on Engineering: Learning by Doing in the Integrated Teaching and Learning Program*

Improving Engineering Student Retention through Hands-On, Team Based, First-Year Design Projects

Staying In Engineering: Effects Of A Hands On, Team Based, First Year Projects Course On Student Retention

Exploiting Design to Inspire Interest in Engineering Across the K-16 Engineering Curriculum*

A K‐12/University Partnership: Creating Tomorrow's Engineers*