| _version_ | 1866901543361445888 |
|---|---|
| author | Purzer, S. |
| author_facet | Purzer, S. |
| contents | Engineering education has gained momentum in K-12 education in recent years. However, available curricula and teaching materials take a variety of approaches, guided by limited research identifying or comparing these approaches. Using content analysis, I analysed, classroom-tested and published engineering lessons used in middle school grades (ages 13-15). The evaluation resulted in five types of implementation: design-build-test projects, experimentation tasks that highlight engineering science principles, contextualised problem solving through integrated STEM units, innovation projects where students identify a need and pursue their own projects, and optimization tasks with a focus on improving a suboptimal system. These implementation methods differ based on their goals, what part of the design process they engage, and the activities they emphasize. The variations in teaching models suggest differences need to be well-understood by educators and curriculum designers. Future research is necessary examining differences in student learning outcomes associated with the differences in the implementation models. |
| format | Recurso digital |
| id | zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_14672574 |
| institution | Zenodo |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | Zenodo |
| record_format | zenodo |
| spellingShingle | How different are engineering design projects? An analysis of middle school lessons and units Purzer, S. design K-12 education Engineering education has gained momentum in K-12 education in recent years. However, available curricula and teaching materials take a variety of approaches, guided by limited research identifying or comparing these approaches. Using content analysis, I analysed, classroom-tested and published engineering lessons used in middle school grades (ages 13-15). The evaluation resulted in five types of implementation: design-build-test projects, experimentation tasks that highlight engineering science principles, contextualised problem solving through integrated STEM units, innovation projects where students identify a need and pursue their own projects, and optimization tasks with a focus on improving a suboptimal system. These implementation methods differ based on their goals, what part of the design process they engage, and the activities they emphasize. The variations in teaching models suggest differences need to be well-understood by educators and curriculum designers. Future research is necessary examining differences in student learning outcomes associated with the differences in the implementation models. |
| title | How different are engineering design projects? An analysis of middle school lessons and units |
| topic | design K-12 education |
| url | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14672574 |