Engineering educators express concern that undergraduate engineering students solve problems procedurally without the necessary conceptual understanding. While research in engineering dynamics has focused on using technology to improve student performance, this article focuses on using representations for modelling problem solving in the lecture.…

This study involves the development and implementation of a STEM activity containing 3 D printer technology, which is commonly used in STEM education. Out of school STEM courses were organized with seven middle school students studying in the 7th grade and the activities in the course were carried out with a 3D printer. One of the activities in…

Graphene is a novel material with extraordinary promise in various nano-based applications, including increases in strength, conductivity, filtration, and electrical capacity. Graphene can be synthesized and tested in a wide variety of applications in secondary or undergraduate settings. Allowing students to choose their own application and method…

Ideas are offered to show how the science of density and displacement can be explored by students from year 5 through to year 7 (ages 9-12) through hands-on investigations to explore possibilities and solve problems. These demonstrate how the insights we gain by viewing a challenge through the multidisciplinary lenses of science, history,…

Get an inside look at the discourse interactions of third- and fourth-grade students as they consider various design proposals to solve an engineering problem and negotiate a group decision. The authors present possible factors that impact student teamwork and provide recommendations for teachers to develop students' skills for group engineering…

Contribution: This study provides an implementation of a partially flipped classroom with gamification aspects that has shown a statistically significant increase in student performance relative to traditional lecture. Background: Electronic Circuits is a challenging required course for first-year students in the Electrical Engineering degree…

A study was conducted on the views of the nature of engineering held by 114 first-year engineering majors; the study built on prior work on views of the nature of science held by students, their instructors, and the general public. Open-coding analysis of responses to a 12-item questionnaire suggested that the participants held tacit beliefs that…

In the light of ubiquitous information and communication technologies (ICT) it is essential for everyone to be digitally competent. This is particularly true for prospective engineers and teachers since their jobs play an important role in shaping our common future. We assessed engineering and science teacher students' (n=180) digital competences…

Societal changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have shown the importance of both intrapersonal and interpersonal skills in virtual environments. Two midwestern university instructors joint-taught their spring 2021 agricultural education and training program development courses, bringing students together in virtual teams during the…

In science and engineering education, the use of heuristics has been introduced as a way of understanding the world, and as a way to approach problem-solving and design. However, important consequences for the use of heuristics are that they do not always guarantee a correct solution. Learning by Design has been identified as a pedagogical…

This article describes a new and unique context for integrating STEM and literacy instruction--Novel Engineering. Oftentimes, STEM design challenges are focused on developing solutions to the big problems that humans face such as cleaning up oil spills or contrived situations in which children are tasked with building solutions to hypothetical…

This article describes a preschool art project in which students participated in the month long arts festival in Reno Nevada. Using the engineering design process, students imagined, brainstormed, made lists of materials, tested, designed and modified their design of a illuminated Chinese lantern.

Problem solving is a critical feature of highly quantitative physical science topics, such as chemical kinetics. In order to solve a problem, students must cue into relevant features, ignore irrelevant features, and choose among potential problem-solving approaches. However, what is considered appropriate or productive for problem solving is…

Spatial skills have a known beneficiary role in STEM students' academic success. This paper explores data relating to the role of spatial skills in electrical engineering problem solving which is a relatively under researched area. Data indicate a significant association between electrical engineering problem solving and spatial skills and a…

Nationwide, leaders in business and industry have increasingly acknowledged the importance of entrepreneurship. Several areas of the country showcase the importance of entrepreneurship such as Silicon Valley in California where a large number of start-up companies in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields are located. To meet the…