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.…

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,…

The "Advancing Excellence in P-12 Engineering Education" (AEEE) project has sought to provide direction on better detailing what secondary students should know, and approaches for educators to nurture such learning experiences. Through the "Excelling in Engineering" series, the AEEE leadership offers educators socially,…

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…

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…

Interest in engineering at the P-12 level has increased in recent years, largely in response to STEM educational reform. Despite greater attention to the value, importance, and use of engineering for teaching and learning, the educational community has engaged minimally in its deliberate and coherent study. Specifically, few efforts have been…

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…

Administration and funding can cause Engineering/Technology Education (ETE) programs to thrive or die. To administrators, the production/prototyping equipment and laboratory setting are often viewed as the features that set ETE apart from other school subjects. A lab is a unique gift as well as a responsibility. If an administrator can see that…

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…

The core subjects in P-12 education have a common key characteristic that makes them stable over time. That characteristic is a steady content. For example, in the sciences, the basics of biology remain the same--the cell is the basic building block around which organisms are defined, characterized, structured, etc. Similarly, the basics of…

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).…

Broadening participation in STEM education programs and boosting the STEM workforce, specifically increasing interest in engineering, has been a growing focus of the U.S. education system (Lawrence & Mancus, 2012; Strimel, Grubbs, & Wells, 2017). The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects overall STEM employment to grow by 8.9% from 2014 to…

Cultivating students' design abilities can be highly beneficial for the learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts, and development of higher-order thinking capabilities (National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council in STEM integration in k-12 education: status, prospects, and an agenda for…