This Engineering in Action article presents a socially relevant lesson designed to intentionally teach secondary students core engineering concepts related to the practices of Engineering Design and Quantitative Analysis as well as knowledge related to Engineering Sciences (presented in the "Framework for P-12 Engineering Learning"…

The purpose of this article is to provide educators with resources to help students establish a deeper understanding of the application and role of statistical analysis within the design and innovation process. Quantitative analyses are often taught and applied through design activities, especially during testing or experimenting phases of design.…

While design-based pedagogies have increasingly been emphasized, the assessment of design projects remains difficult due to the large number of potentially "correct" solutions. Adaptive comparative judgment (ACJ), an approach based on assessors/judges working through a series of paired comparisons and selecting the better of two items,…

This article presents an investigation into the environmental impacts of plastic waste and discusses the importance of cradle-to-cradle design thinking. An example lesson is provided that aims to focus students' attention on the influences of design decisions and conceptualizes design as an iterative process, whereas previous solutions may address…

This article showcases a lesson that employs a culturally situated design context to intentionally teach students about the engineering concepts involved in material selection and the application of dynamics. Students use their classroom time to work in groups addressing the issue of how to design athletic helmets to account for cultural attire,…

Adaptive comparative judgment (ACJ) has proven to be a valid, reliable, and feasible method for assessing student performance in open-ended design scenarios. In addition to the use of ACJ for purely assessment and evaluation, research has demonstrated an opportunity to identify the design values of judges involved with the ACJ process. The…

Each year the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) releases an Annual Homeless Assessment Report that provides an estimate of the number of people experiencing homelessness (in sheltered and unsheltered situations). The report also provides estimates for specific homeless populations such as people experiencing chronic homelessness or…

Open-ended design problems have become an important component in our educational landscape (Grubbs and Strimel in J STEM Teach Educ 50(1):77-90, 2015; Jonassen et al. in J Eng Educ 95:139-151, 2006; National Research Council in Education for life and work: developing transferable knowledge and skills in the 21st Century, National Academies Press,…

Considering the challenges associated with the teaching of engineering design, and recognising potential differences in design values of individuals from various backgrounds, this study investigated the utility of "adaptive comparative judgment" (ACJ) as a method for informing the teaching and practice of engineering design. The authors…

Design within primary and secondary schools has been increasingly emphasized over the past decade. As a response to this increased interest, qualitative research examining students' cognitive processes involved in the practices of design has been on the rise. These studies have commonly employed the concurrent think-aloud research methodology to…

Research on children's experiences with designing has emphasized cognitive processes, self-efficacy, and outcomes related to designing. However, efforts have been limited towards identifying approaches children use while designing and making decisions related to design. This study, which incorporated a qualitative analysis of children's design…

Competitive growth in today's economy requires engineers to possess innovation skills to create novel designs. An entrepreneurial mindset enables people to think and then act in a certain way to discover, evaluate, and exploit opportunities by understanding the value proposition of a new idea, identifying the potential market, and adapting ideas…

Contribution: Increased understanding of the influence of a project-based multidisciplinary design and innovation course on students' engineering design thinking, specifically regarding problem framing. Background: Entrepreneurship-related education has been offered to engineering and technology students, but its influence has been discussed…

Computational thinking is a problem-solving technique traditionally employed by computer scientists to develop computer applications. However, computational thinking practices are now believed to be applicable to other fields (Google for Education, 2018), specifically those related to engineering and technology. Accordingly, the Advancing…

To be technologically and engineering literate, people should be able to "make" or produce quality solutions to engineering design challenges while recognizing and understanding how to avoid hazards in a broad array of situations when properly using tools, machines, and materials (Haynie, 2009; Gunter, 2007; ITEA/ITEEA, 2000/2002/2007).…