While it has been recognized that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education requires an interdisciplinary approach, integrating multiple subjects in a meaningful way remains challenging for teachers. This study aimed to design a STEM curriculum, emphasizing explicit and continuous scaffolding of students' reflection on…

Drawing on Bakhtin's (Discourse in the novel, University of Texas Press, 1981) notions of dialogism and appropriation, this case study explored how a 5-year-old Latina named Lucia negotiated the gender discourses involved in designing and building robots. The study findings revealed that Lucia performed her gender by appropriating different gender…

Digital electronics is a fundamental subject for engineering students, and it enables the students to learn design-based approaches and solve complex engineering problems. Students learn about minimization techniques for reducing the hardware components and size of the circuit by solving complex Boolean equations. The Karnaugh map (K-map) is one…

Despite the adoption of modern educational approaches such as activity-based, laboratory-based, technology enhanced science education, it is known that in most cases, students have difficulties in achieving desired learning goals such as developing inquiry skills and engineering knowledge. The efforts of science educators to ensure that students…

Research on self-regulated learning (SRL) in engineering design is growing. While SRL is an effective way of learning, however, not all learners can regulate themselves successfully. There is a lack of research regarding how student characteristics, such as science knowledge and design knowledge, interact with SRL. Adapting the SRL theory in the…

It is well accepted that many mechanical engineering (ME) design processes are complex. We believe that many ME design approaches include unnecessary complexity, intended to assist the teaching of engineering knowledge. This technical complexity has contributed to many critical issues in ME education, including decreased enrolments in many…

Based on observations of global design classes at different institutions, students selected technologies without justification for the suitability of the technology to support their collaborative design activities. To best support students in their collaborative endeavours, a short online course in computer-supported collaborative design was…

Background: Through the human-centered design process (HCD), students, referred to as learners, can use a personal lens to contextualize engineering concepts and solve real-world problems (Goldman and Kabayadondo 2016). The Ignite program, created by the Center for Global Women's Health Technologies (GWHT) at Duke University, integrates the HCD…

In teaching an integrated circuit (IC) design course, many benefits can be gained by offering an industry-relevant project associated with a training to a bundle of electronic design automation (EDA) tools and design methodologies. However, few open-source projects were able to cover the key qualifications needed by industry. Therefore, this…

The interpretation and reuse of previous design solutions, or precedents, is central to design. This paper describes qualitative research conducted over three years at two institutions, aimed at investigating the role of design knowledge re-use in project-based mechanical design courses. Research data were collected through participant…

Research Findings: The present study investigated the effects of a 12-week inquiry-based science and engineering (IBSE) program on preschoolers' science and engineering learning experiences. The treatment versus control condition was randomly assigned to four preschool classes, which included 122 preschoolers (M = 61.10 month, SD = 3.73).…

Secondary school, age range 11-14, technology and engineering education in England has been delivered mainly within Design and Technology (D&T). This inadvertently makes D&T teachers responsible for pupils' engineering education and motivation. This paper analyses D&T teachers' (N = 33) technology subject knowledge through…

This study outlines the development of the Design Log Instrument (DLI), which is intended for use in identifying moments of abstraction as evidence of STEM content knowledge transfer. The DLI prompts participants to be reflective during technological/engineering design challenges. During the development of this instrument, a three-phase,…

Many pedagogical innovations aim to integrate engineering design and science learning. However, students frequently show little attempt or have difficulties in connecting their design projects with the underlying science. Drawing upon the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, we argue that the design tools available in a learning environment…

This paper proposes, exemplifies and discusses a new design method that includes both artistic and scientific modes of working. It is based on the idea of integrated design processes driven by strategic implementation of what is termed sequential primary generators. The paper begins by discussing design and creative process research and then…