Instructional Strategies in K12 informal engineering education -Deep case study approaches to educational research

June 26th, 2018 | RESEARCH

K-12 informal engineering education can support student confidence, interest, and awareness of the field of engineering. Studies have suggested that K-12 informal learning can influence students’ awareness of the fields of engineering as potential career opportunities. Researchers have also found that engineering activities outside of school can engage youth in disciplines of which they are unfamiliar because of a lack of engineering opportunity in K12 formal education. In this paper, we provide a rich case study of one lesson’s implementation in a 5th-6th grade girls afterschool program. Our intention is to provide an in-depth description of a lesson, the corresponding assessment using a validated assessment tool for informal learning of science and engineering, and data that suggest the concepts that were (and in some cases, were not) taken up by girls following the activity. We argue that a deep study of implementation can complement survey and large-scale studies that are more typical in engineering education research, as it allows for nuance in understanding how to effectively influence youth regarding engineering.

Document

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Team Members

Sarah Hug, Author, Colorado Evaluation & Research Consulting
Suzanne Eyerman, Author, Fairhaven Evaluation
Tania Tauer, Contributor, Techbridge Girls
Emily McLeod, Contributor, Techbridge Girls

Funders

Funding Source: NSF
Funding Program: AISL
Award Number: 1323776

Related URLs

Full Text at ASEE
Techbridge Broad Implementation: An Innovative Model to Inspire Girls in STEM Careers

Tags

Access and Inclusion: Women and Girls
Audience: Educators | Teachers | Middle School Children (11-13) | Museum | ISE Professionals
Discipline: Engineering | General STEM | Technology
Resource Type: Conference Proceedings | Reference Materials
Environment Type: Afterschool Programs | Public Programs