Certificate/Concentration in Engineering for P-12 Educators

University Of St. Thomas, Saint Paul MN

Investigators

Abstract

Engineering-Mechanical (56) In order to provide Minnesota P-12 teachers training in engineering content, this project will develop a concentration in engineering for undergraduate education majors. The concentration provides students interested in education with exposure to rigorous engineering content while meeting state standards for licensure. Specifically, the project will develop two new undergraduate courses, "engineering in the P-12 classroom" and "fundamentals of engineering." The goal of engineering in the P-12 classroom is to familiarize students with the practical aspects of presenting engineering material in a P-12 classroom. The course focuses on current P-12 engineering education programs, explores relationships between pedagogy and content, links content to national and State Academic Standards, and surveys assessment mechanisms that evaluate impact of classroom initiatives. The fundamentals of engineering course is a survey of six main engineering topics: machine design, manufacturing, thermodynamics, electronics, computer programming, and chemical engineering. The project will implement and evaluate this concentration in engineering at the University of St. Thomas. The goal is to increase achievement in P-12 students as it relates to relevant standards in STEM areas with particular emphasis on engineering.