BEST: Bridging Engineering and Science Teaching

University Of Toledo, Toledo OH

Investigators

Abstract

PROPOSAL NO.: 0230588 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Pickett, Mark INSTITUTION NAME: University of Toledo TITLE: BEST: Bridging Engineering and Science Teachin Abstract BEST: Bridging Engineering and Science Teaching The goal of this project is to improve the education of Education and Engineering students, while simultaneously engaging Engineering and Education faculty in a collaboration that employs the best available pedagogy. The project will develop lower level engineering courses that utilize the strengths of both faculties. The result of this collaboration will be engineering courses that are more attractive to a diverse range of students and the development of high school teachers who appreciate engineering design and encourage their students to explore applied science design issues and careers. With this planning grant, an inquiry-based pilot course in structural design will be used to explore the role of an Engineering-Education collaboration in improving engineering education. A second-year course, ioIntroduction to Structural Designlr, will be planned and taught. It will be accessible for Secondary Education majors while maintaining the necessary technical content for Engineering students. The course will provide the rudiments of structural design for Education majors and lower-level Engineering students. Students completing the course will participate in jointly taught coursework, will learn both technical content and educational methods, and will be prepared for higher-level coursework within their major. The collaborators will develop a general methodology for team-teaching of modified engineering content that can be employed throughout the curriculum in a series of courses to provide content for Education students. If the first course is successful, a detailed plan for further collaboration including other collaborative courses, possibly involving local engineering projects, will be developed.