Engineering Connections in Grades 11-13 Science and Math Courses

Northeastern University, Boston MA

Investigators

Abstract

PROPOSAL NO.: 0230642 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Gilbert, Thomas INSTITUTION NAME: Northeastern University TITLE: Engineering Connections in Grades 11-13 Science and Math Courses ABSTRACT This proposal describes a year-long planning process to develop a model of teaching that reflects current cognitive learning theory and that will create a common pedagogical framework for science and math courses taken by juniors and seniors in high school and college freshmen. The overarching goal of this project is to recruit and retain a large and diverse population of young people to programs of study leading to careers as: 1) engineering professions in which they are master problem solvers and developers of new solutions to engineering challenges; and 2) high school math and science teachers who understand and are critical consumers of technology, and who can extrapolate fundamental concepts to engineering applications. The planning team consists of Northeastern University (NU) faculty from engineering, biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics and Boston Public School (BPS) math and science teachers. They will form a community of reflective teaching practitioners spanning across disciplines and the high school-university divide. These communities will meet to assess and enhance their own teaching practices and will collaboratively design: 1) a 3-week Urban Engineering Summer Camp for juniors from the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science in Boston; 2) engineering activity modules for G11 and 12 math and science courses; 3) math and science courses taken by first-year engineering majors that are based on solving a series of engineering problems; 4) math and science courses taken by undergraduates in NU's School of Education that emphasize the connections between these courses and issues from engineering and technology; and 5) comprehensive, conceptual tests to assess student understanding of the principles of math and science and their abilities to apply these principles.