National Center For Engineering And Technology Education

This exploratory multiple case study describes the cognitive activity of two groups of adolescents as they used engineering design processes to address authentic challenges. These challenges were 'authentic' in the sense that they aligned with the students' interests, were illstructured, and met the needs of actual clients. The following data were collected in relation to these students' design processes: pre-and post-challenge interviews with each of the seven students, transcriptions from video-recordings of their conversations during the challenge, and products made during the design process (e.g., sketches). Constant comparative analyses revealed differences and similarities across the two groups in terms of their problem definition strategies, research strategies, and communication strategies. Neither of the groups outlined criteria and constraints in the problem definition stage; instead, these criteria and constraints were only articulated in the 'evaluate the solution' stage as the students evaluated individual ideas for the design. Moreover, the groups generally did not consider competing criteria and constraints in their evaluations. The study concludes with possible instructional implications for high school engineering teachers to consider as they seek to enhance their students' cognitive activity at each stage of the engineering design process.

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A Conceptual Framework for Engineering Design Experiences in High School

Denson¹,

Lammi²

2014 ASEE Annual Conference &Amp; Exposition Proceedings

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The infusion of engineering design into high school settings can help develop students' critical thinking skills and expose them to engineering careers at an early age. However, since the advent of engineering design in pre-college milieus, researchers, educators, and curriculum developers alike have been brooding over ways to introduce this equivocal subject into the k-12 realm. Due to its interdisciplinary nature engineering design has also struggled to find a home in classroom settings moving between technology education, to science classrooms and even informal learning environments. These factors considered it is our belief that the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field as a whole has failed to provide educators with an adequate literature-based framework for the infusion of engineering design experiences into the classroom. This includes determining proper sequencing of engineering design activities and establishing what types of engineering design problems high school students are able to work or solve. This paper will attempt to ameliorate some of these issues by promulgating a conceptual framework for introducing engineering design experiences to high school students. We will address the following areas in regards to engineering design in high school settings: situating engineering design in the curriculum, sequencing the engineering design experience, selecting appropriate engineering design challenges and assessing the engineering design experience. It is our contention that proper attention to these four areas will support the infusion and investigation of proper curricula and pedagogy needed to provide successful engineering design experiences for high school students.

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National Center For Engineering And Technology Education

Cited by 13 publications

References 5 publications

A Context for Change – A Charge to Consider

A Context for Change – A Charge to Consider

High School Students’ Cognitive Activity While Solving Authentic Problems through Engineering Design Processes

A Conceptual Framework for Engineering Design Experiences in High School

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