Creating a Framework to Enhance the Engineering Literacy of Education Majors and the Instructional Effectiveness of Engineering Faculty

University Of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville WI

Investigators

Abstract

The goals of this project are to increase the engineering literacy of pre-service teachers and to improve the teaching skills of engineering faculty. Faculty members in engineering and education participate in a series of sessions to review current literature addressing the integration of engineering principles into the K-12 curriculum and the pedagogy of undergraduate education. Faculty members also plan and implement the pairing of an education course in teaching methods with an introductory engineering projects course. A pilot study offers selected students majoring in education an opportunity to enroll in the introductory engineering course and to participate with engineering majors in the activities of the course. In addition, all participants are expected to participate in bi-weekly seminars to assess the progress of the pilot program. Project assessment includes feedback from the seminars, surveys of student attitudes toward engineering, administration of a learning styles survey, analysis of participants' reflective journals, and measurement of engineering literacy.