ERIC Number: EJ868621
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 20
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-1864
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Examination of Assessment Practices for Engineering Design Projects in Secondary Technology Education (Second Article in 3-Part Series)
Kelley, Todd R.; Wicklein, Robert C.
Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, v46 n2 p6-25 2009
Based on the efforts to infuse engineering practices within the technology education curriculum it is appropriate to now investigate how technology education teachers are assessing engineering design activities within their classrooms. This descriptive study drew a full sample of high school technology teachers from the current International Technology Education Association (ITEA) membership list (September 2007). The sample consisted of all high school technology teachers regardless of whether they indicated they were teaching engineering design in their classroom. Results of this study show that secondary technology education teachers place the lowest emphasis on assessing the use of mathematics to optimize and predict design results. These results are strong indicators that the engineering analysis phase of the engineering design process is not emphasized very much in assessment practices. This is a major concern considering a number of leaders in technology education have indicated that a major difference between the technological design process and the engineering design process is "analysis" and "optimization". Without a strong and consistent emphasis on the analytical process to solve technological problems students and teachers are limited in their ability to utilize a comprehensive engineering design process therefore defaulting to the standard trial and error methodology to solve problems. It can be argued that the mathematical modeling and analysis is the heart of engineering design and that without this focus on the design process little or no actual engineering is taking place. This is an important issue to consider especially when it has ramification of damages to the reputation of the technology education field. (Contains 1 figure and 4 tables.) [See EJ868616, for Part 1.]
Descriptors: Instructional Effectiveness, Engineering, Technology Education, Evaluation Methods, Mathematical Concepts, High Schools, Design, Engineering Education, Educational Assessment, Student Evaluation, Secondary School Curriculum, Secondary School Teachers, Industrial Arts Teachers, Teacher Surveys, Curriculum Implementation, Educational Change, Educational Innovation, Teaching Methods, Problem Solving, School Schedules
National Association of Industrial and Technical Teacher Educators. Web site: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JITE/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education; Higher Education; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A