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Engineering in K-12 Education: Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospects
Engineering education in K-12 classrooms is a small but growing phenomenon that may have implications for engineering and also for the other STEM subjects-science, technology, and mathematics. Specifically, engineering education may improve student learning and achievement in science and mathematics, increase awareness of engineering and the work of engineers, boost youth interest in pursuing engineering as a career, and increase the technological literacy of all students. The teaching of STEM subjects in U.S. schools must be improved in order to retain U.S. competitiveness in the global economy and to develop a workforce with the knowledge and skills to address technical and technological issues.
Engineering in K-12 Education reviews the scope and impact of engineering education today and makes several recommendations to address curriculum, policy, and funding issues. The book also analyzes a number of K-12 engineering curricula in depth and discusses what is known from the cognitive sciences about how children learn engineering-related concepts and skills.
Engineering in K-12 Education will serve as a reference for science, technology, engineering, and math educators, policy makers, employers, and others concerned about the development of the country's technical workforce. The book will also prove useful to educational researchers, cognitive scientists, advocates for greater public understanding of engineering, and those working to boost technological and scientific literacy.
Engineering in K-12 Education reviews the scope and impact of engineering education today and makes several recommendations to address curriculum, policy, and funding issues. The book also analyzes a number of K-12 engineering curricula in depth and discusses what is known from the cognitive sciences about how children learn engineering-related concepts and skills.
Engineering in K-12 Education will serve as a reference for science, technology, engineering, and math educators, policy makers, employers, and others concerned about the development of the country's technical workforce. The book will also prove useful to educational researchers, cognitive scientists, advocates for greater public understanding of engineering, and those working to boost technological and scientific literacy.
- GenresEducation
594 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2009
About the author
National Research Council
6,266 books43 followersThe National Research Council (NRC) functions under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The NAS, NAE, IOM, and NRC are part of a private, nonprofit institution that provides science, technology and health policy advice under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln that was originally granted to the NAS in 1863. Under this charter, the NRC was established in 1916, the NAE in 1964, and the IOM in 1970. The four organizations are collectively referred to as the National Academies.
The mission of the NRC is to improve government decision making and public policy, increase public education and understanding, and promote the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in matters involving science, engineering, technology, and health. The institution takes this charge seriously and works to inform policies and actions that have the power to improve the lives of people in the U.S. and around the world.
The NRC is committed to providing elected leaders, policy makers, and the public with expert advice based on sound scientific evidence. The NRC does not receive direct federal appropriations for its work. Individual projects are funded by federal agencies, foundations, other governmental and private sources, and the institution’s endowment. The work is made possible by 6,000 of the world’s top scientists, engineers, and other professionals who volunteer their time without compensation to serve on committees and participate in activities. The NRC is administered jointly by the NAS, NAE, and the IOM through the NRC Governing Board.
The core services involve collecting, analyzing, and sharing information and knowledge. The independence of the institution, combined with its unique ability to convene experts, allows it to be responsive to a host of requests.
The portfolio of activities includes:
* Consensus Studies: These comprehensive reports focus on major policy issues and provide recommendations for solving complex problems.
* Expert Meetings and Workshops: By convening symposia, workshops, meetings, and roundtables, the NRC connects professionals as well as the interested public and stimulates dialogue on diverse matters.
* Program and Research Management: At the request of state and federal agencies, the NRC manages and evaluates research programs, conducts program assessments, and reviews proposals.
* Fellowships: The NRC administers several postdoctoral fellowship programs.
Free Scientific Information: Publishing more than 200 reports and related publications each year, the institution is one of the largest providers of free scientific and technical information in the world. Most of it is now on the Web at www.nap.edu.
The mission of the NRC is to improve government decision making and public policy, increase public education and understanding, and promote the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in matters involving science, engineering, technology, and health. The institution takes this charge seriously and works to inform policies and actions that have the power to improve the lives of people in the U.S. and around the world.
The NRC is committed to providing elected leaders, policy makers, and the public with expert advice based on sound scientific evidence. The NRC does not receive direct federal appropriations for its work. Individual projects are funded by federal agencies, foundations, other governmental and private sources, and the institution’s endowment. The work is made possible by 6,000 of the world’s top scientists, engineers, and other professionals who volunteer their time without compensation to serve on committees and participate in activities. The NRC is administered jointly by the NAS, NAE, and the IOM through the NRC Governing Board.
The core services involve collecting, analyzing, and sharing information and knowledge. The independence of the institution, combined with its unique ability to convene experts, allows it to be responsive to a host of requests.
The portfolio of activities includes:
* Consensus Studies: These comprehensive reports focus on major policy issues and provide recommendations for solving complex problems.
* Expert Meetings and Workshops: By convening symposia, workshops, meetings, and roundtables, the NRC connects professionals as well as the interested public and stimulates dialogue on diverse matters.
* Program and Research Management: At the request of state and federal agencies, the NRC manages and evaluates research programs, conducts program assessments, and reviews proposals.
* Fellowships: The NRC administers several postdoctoral fellowship programs.
Free Scientific Information: Publishing more than 200 reports and related publications each year, the institution is one of the largest providers of free scientific and technical information in the world. Most of it is now on the Web at www.nap.edu.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 6, 2017
The researchers discuss the current state of K-12 engineering education in the US, which, as you might expect, isn't very prevalent. When engineering education is implemented, it isn't consistent, and so the engineering programs out there are difficult to compare to one another. They ultimately recommend that the language of engineering education be standardized and that more research is done to understand the status of K-12 engineering education.
This book is probably best for administrators and those interested in engineering from a large-scale perspective. There are a few recommendations for teachers, including the recommendation of using mathematics in engineering education and focusing on the nature of engineering (including optimization, trade-offs, and iterations--or design and redesign), but I think a lot of their recommendations were difficult to follow without an existing engineering background. I struggled to make sense of some of them, and it would have helped if they included concrete examples. Here's one such recommendation for teachers:
"One strategy is to help students build schemas for analyzing multivariable systems, such as the strategy for assuming additive and consistent effects while controlling independent variables. Although these concepts can be explained at the meta-level, evidence suggests they can be taught to young children by explicit instruction or experimentation."
Ultimately, I thought this book was informative but too challenging to get much use from without more of an engineering background, but I did like some of the engineering curriculum examples they used (like the glider and an investigation of scales) and saved some of those ideas for possible future use.
This book is probably best for administrators and those interested in engineering from a large-scale perspective. There are a few recommendations for teachers, including the recommendation of using mathematics in engineering education and focusing on the nature of engineering (including optimization, trade-offs, and iterations--or design and redesign), but I think a lot of their recommendations were difficult to follow without an existing engineering background. I struggled to make sense of some of them, and it would have helped if they included concrete examples. Here's one such recommendation for teachers:
"One strategy is to help students build schemas for analyzing multivariable systems, such as the strategy for assuming additive and consistent effects while controlling independent variables. Although these concepts can be explained at the meta-level, evidence suggests they can be taught to young children by explicit instruction or experimentation."
Ultimately, I thought this book was informative but too challenging to get much use from without more of an engineering background, but I did like some of the engineering curriculum examples they used (like the glider and an investigation of scales) and saved some of those ideas for possible future use.
Displaying 1 of 1 review