• Databytes
  • GLOBAL EXPLOSION OF ENGINEERING UNDERGRAD DEGREES
    
    
    
• Congressional Hotline
  • COSTELLO A CINCH TO HEAD HOUSE S&T COMMITTEE?
  • NASA REEMPHASIZING CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION
  • FUNDS FOR HOMELAND SECURITY RESEARCH GET PANEL'S O.K.
    
    
  
  
• Teaching Toolbox
  • FLOURISHING CLUBS STRESS THE ‘E' IN STEM
    
    
    
• JEE Selects
  • EFFECTIVE FACULTY WORKSHOPS
    
    
  
  
• JOBS, JOBS, JOBS
  • A SELECTION OF CURRENT OPENINGS
    
    
    
• Coming Attractions
  • ARE YOU ATTENDING ASEE'S 117th ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXPOSITION IN LOUSVILLE?
    
    
    
• Community Announcements

• National Instruments

  NI ELVIS -
  Educational Design and Prototyping Platform
  www.NI.com
  

• Agilent Technologies

  Tools for Educators and Researchers
  www.agilent.com
  

• Case Western Reserve University

  engineering the unexpected
  engineering.case.edu
  

• NCEES

  National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying
  www.ncees.org
  

I. Databytes

GLOBAL EXPLOSION OF ENGINEERING UNDERGRAD DEGREES

The number of undergraduate engineering degrees awarded in various countries continues to grow. From AY1999-00 through AY2005-06, degrees increased from 1,011,000 to 1,652,000 (63%). Most of this increase (508,000) was due to degree growth in Asian (396,000) and European (112,000) countries. Western Hemisphere growth during this period was 81,000.

The accompanying graph shows the growth trends of the seven countries that awarded 71% of the undergraduate engineering degrees in AY2005-06. It is noteworthy that several counties that previously exhibited significant annual degree increases are now showing no growth or slight declines. Only four of these countries continue their degree growth trends; China, 162% since AY2000-01, Mexico, 145% since AY1998-99, Russia, 63% since AY1998-99 (through AY2006-07) and Taiwan, 171% since AY1998-99.

In AY2005-06, China awarded 35% of the undergraduate engineering degrees in the World. This fraction will likely exceed 40% in AY2009-10 based upon extrapolations of the most recent data.

The international data for this article are from the Science and Engineering Indicators 2010 report on the National Science Foundation Web site. The data for US colleges of engineering are from the annual surveys of the American Society for Engineering Education.

This article was provided by Engineering Trends. For more information, visit Engineering Trends at engtrends.com.

TOPˆ

II. Congressional Hotline

COSTELLO A CINCH TO HEAD HOUSE S&T COMMITTEE?

Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), currently the second-ranking Democrat on the House Science and Technology Committee, is expected to replace departing chairman Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.). Costello wants the job and other senior Democrats on the panel have endorsed him.

NASA REEMPHASIZING CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION

Whatever becomes of President Obama's plan to scale back NASA's return-to-the-moon Constellation program, the space agency is changing its research approach. "We had gotten to the point where risk was a dirty word and failure was a dirty word," said Deputy Chief Technologist Richard Howard. NASA aims to foster a culture of creativity and innovation, particularly regarding workforce development, he said, and looks to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for inspiration. Howard made his comments at a National Academies forum on the Small Business Innovation Research program, which requires federal agencies to set aside 2.5 percent of their research budgets for small business grants. At NASA, SBIR is being integrated into the newly created office of the chief technologist, a move Howard says will help bridge the "valley of death" between R&D and the government or private market. Congress is in the process of reauthorizing SBIR. Lawmakers and the executive branch are wrestling with whether to increase grant awards and the set-aside percentage; devote some of the set-aside for management and allow firms to compete even if they're majority-owned by venture capitalists. University representatives worry that an increase in the set-aside would mean less money for other government-funded research, a concern echoed by Tom Peterson, head of the National Science Foundation's engineering directorate.

Meanwhile, the Chronicle of Higher Education reports that Obama's planned five-year, $6 billion hike in NASA's budget is likely to mean new financing opportunities for university-based research. It cites Donald A. Kniffen of the Universities Space Research Association.

FUNDS FOR HOMELAND SECURITY RESEARCH GET PANEL'S O.K.

The House Homeland Security Committee has voted a two-year, nearly $2.3 billion authorization of Homeland Security Department's science and technology programs. University-based centers would get a total of $40 million in 2011 and $41.2 million in 2012. They would also get a review by the General Accounting Office. The panel wants to know, among other things, how research is identified, prioritized and funded; the selection criteria for the centers and how schools that aren't part of these centers can get funded.

TOPˆ

III. Teaching Toolbox

FLOURISHING CLUBS STRESS THE ‘E' IN STEM

By Mary Lord

It's a Friday afternoon, yet no one in Room 400 at Willow Canyon High School in Surprise, Ariz., is stampeding for home. Instead, students hover around a dissecting tray, wielding forceps and screwdrivers to examine a hamster-like critter called Zhu Zhu Pet. Exploring the circuitry and structure of this robotic rodent captivates even non-techies, helping to hook more students on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). "It's real science, not canned science," explains math teacher Paul Tennyson. A former biology teacher who started the STEM Club in 2007, Tennyson's aim is to "directly engage" students by pairing traditional science and math academics with engineering's applications.

Welcome to the seedbed of engineering education. From suburban Phoenix to downtown Columbus, Ohio, STEM clubs are sprouting up in schools across the nation, cultivating curiosity about STEM subjects and building a pipeline of incoming engineering majors and future professionals badly needed in the U.S. workforce.Welcome to the seedbed of engineering education. From suburban Phoenix to downtown Columbus, Ohio, STEM clubs are sprouting up in schools across the nation, cultivating curiosity about STEM subjects and building a pipeline of incoming engineering majors and future professionals badly needed in the U.S. workforce.

Some STEM clubs focus activities around national competitions, such as FIRST Robotics or the Science Olympiad. Others offer an array of integrated experiences, based on student interest. All appeal to a wider array of students than traditional math or science clubs while developing teamwork, leadership, and other life skills. The Cardinal Middle School club in Middlefield, Ohio, for instance, makes iMovies, designs games, and keeps video journals. Moreover, STEM clubs are fun – in part because of the engineering component. "Engineering and building stuff is awesome and amazing," enthuses Anthony Yu, a freshman in science teacher Joelle Miller's STEM club at River Hill High School, Clarksville, Md. Yu and his teammates light up when explaining various design tweaks they employed to improve the aim of their Maryland Science Olympiad catapult. They also joke about becoming so engrossed they lose track of time; one team accidentally tripped the school's alarm by leaving the lab after midnight. "Kids love solving problems," says Miller, who "absolutely" sees STEM club activities boosting enthusiasm and achievement in the classroom and vice versa. "I've got kids with C averages making bridges and trajectories," she notes. "Engineering designs offer something for everyone."

While the number of STEM clubs remains hard to gauge, after-school enrichment programs, field trips, and other informal opportunities to engage with STEM content have gained increasing support. "Informal learning environments can definitely play an important role in science learning for all ages," observes Leslie Goodyear, a program director in the National Science Foundation's informal science education division. That belief echoes a 2007 review of federally funded STEM education programs by the Academic Competitiveness Council and the National Science Board. It placed informal education on par with K-12 and higher education as one of three key pieces needed to produce STEM-literate citizens and future engineers and scientists. A 2009 National Research Council report found the need for extracurricular STEM learning particularly acute, given the squeezing of authentic science from school curricula in favor of math, literacy, and instruction that "focuses narrowly on received knowledge and simplistic notions of scientific practice."

The relaxed, after-school learning environment is one reason STEM clubs click with educators and students. Teachers "don't have to worry about high-stakes tests," notes Darcy Renfro, vice president and director of STEM initiatives at Science Foundation Arizona, a Phoenix-based nonprofit. Willow Canyon's Tennyson, who, with SFA, has applied for an NSF grant to build a statewide network of STEM clubs, finds that kids learn differently when freed from the daily grind of memorization and pop quizzes and given long blocks of time to ponder and solve problems. "There aren't enough courses where they can discover and fail, too," he says, noting that science is all about inquiry, trial, error, and learning from mistakes.

By encouraging flubs, STEM clubs change the dynamic between educator and students, who are more used to being directed than figuring out how. "Our hardest thing to do is to hand students a piece of material and say, ‘Make something out of it,'" says physics teacher David Button, the robotics club sponsor at Osbourn Park High School in Manassas, Va. Forced to be resourceful, STEM club participants soon learn to relish the challenge to show persistence. Briahna Workman, a junior at Vanden High School in Fairfield, Calif., always gets her homework done. But she will stay late, scour the Internet, and log countless hours testing and reworking electronics to ensure her Team Robovikes robot is ready to roll. "We failed so many times," smiles Workman, who has seen her math grades improve and has become a confident computer programmer. "We work harder for this because it's what we want to do."

STEM club educators have a few key tricks to really grab students. One is to put them in charge of setting benchmarks and planning projects. Advisers should share their own personal STEM passions, says Tennyson, but "be mindful" of dictating activities. Instead, he works with his club officers to create benchmarks, action plans, and meeting agendas. River Hill's club officers, whose ranks include engineering and math captains, "do everything," adviser Miller says. Weekly meetings might feature guest speakers from nearby tech-corridor organizations or work on bottle rockets – a "perfect" project for ninth graders.

Competitions can spur excitement and make STEM "real" to students, says Zipporah Miller, associate executive director for professional programs and conferences at the National Science Teachers Association. "Kids can't wait to get to robotics," says Peter Drozd, who teaches introduction to engineering design at Union City High School, in New Jersey, and mentors the First Robotics team. Sophomore Sarah Roudon, at California's Vanden High School, recalls "times when I would run into problems and I would not want to come to class and deal with it. Then I'd think of the competition" and get cracking, lest the team suffer.

Tapping STEM professionals to speak, host site visits, or lend expertise via E-mail also gives clubs a boost. At River Hill, experts from area universities and companies help prep students for the Science Olympiad. Many firms, including Lockheed Martin, sponsor First Robotics teams and supply employee mentors. Such contacts can open young eyes to future careers and job contacts, while the contest cracks the door to scholarships. Willow Canyon requires members to present a PowerPoint show on a STEM career of interest to help students develop realistic views of what it takes to prepare for that field, and to help bolster their communication skills.

STEM clubs require time, energy, and resources to succeed – scarce commodities for most teachers and schools. Still, the potential rewards are worth it. Anecdotal evidence suggests that STEM clubs inspire participants not only to do better in their regular science and math classes but also to pursue STEM majors and careers. Consider Willow Creek's club officers: The secretary arrived with little interest in science and planned to pursue fashion design; she now intends to become a physician and is taking community college evening STEM classes. The club's president, a National Merit scholar, will study engineering next year at Harvey Mudd College, while the treasurer, a recent immigrant, earned college credit last summer at Arizona State University and wants to become a math professor.

STEM clubs appeal to a broader mix of students than traditional math or science clubs, as strugglers and physics whizzes alike can play equally vital roles in troubleshooting projects. Minorities and women, two of engineering's hardest-to-recruit populations, seem particularly attracted to the clubs. Willow Creek's STEM club officers include three Caucasians, two Hispanics, and two Asians.

Ashlei Gray, a senior at Oxon Hill High School in Maryland, who plans to pursue electrical engineering, first tuned in to engineering while working on circuits in her middle school STEM club and this year soldered parts for the club's FIRST Robotics entry. "It's really fun, even if you don't want to be an engineer," she says. Aquilla Braxton, a junior at Cesar Chavez Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., caught the bug this year when she joined a FIRST Robotics team sponsored by the University of the District of Columbia's engineering school STEM club. "You get to cut, weld, solder, and stuff," she explains. "It definitely makes us more marketable." Braxton also discovered a talent for managing projects: "This team has brought the leader out in me."

Could STEM clubs unleash such leaders nationwide? Tennyson believes so. While American STEM clubs still fly below the radar, Tennyson would like to see that change and is taking first steps toward bringing the "many excellent and content-focused, isolated initiatives" under a national umbrella organization.

TOPˆ

IV. JEE Selects

EFFECTIVE FACULTY WORKSHOPS

By Richard M. Felder and Rebecca Brent

Staff of campus teaching and learning centers frequently complain that few engineers attend their programs, and those who come often dismiss what they hear as irrelevant to engineering. On the other hand, some instructional development programs have attracted and influenced many engineering faculty members. One is the National Effective Teaching Institute, a three-day teaching workshop given annually in conjunction with the ASEE Conference. Since 1991, it has been attended by 992 engineering faculty members from 216 institutions, most of whom have given it a post-workshop rating of either "excellent" or "good."

Results of a 2008 survey of NETI alumni surpassed the expectations of institute organizers. High percentages of the 319 respondents reported that NETI motivated them to incorporate student learning styles, learning objectives, and active learning – the three most heavily emphasized concepts in the workshop – into their teaching. Their student ratings increased, and they believed they had become more effective and scholarly teachers. NETI also inspired about half of them to give their own teaching seminars and workshops on their home campuses and over a third to engage in classroom research and/or formal educational research.

What does NETI do that might account for its success? In his 1999 book, Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn, R.J. Wlodkowski lists five keys to motivating adult learners: expertise of the presenters; relevance to the participants' needs and interests; choice in application; praxis (action plus reflection); and group work. We believe that NETI's success with engineering faculty derives largely from the degree to which it has met Wlodkowski's criteria. In every offering, some facilitators were engineering professors who have made substantive contributions to the engineering education literature, and others were pedagogical specialists.

NETI focuses heavily on engineering course design and instruction, and engineering-specific examples are used throughout the workshop. General learning theories and educational research studies provide support for suggested methods but are not ends in themselves. The participants are repeatedly enjoined not to implement every workshop recommendation in their next course but rather to try just a few ideas that seem appealing and to define for each course they teach the appropriate balances between theory and application, lecturing and active learning, individual and group work. Frequent individual and group activities illustrate every major method suggested in NETI. The participants critique good and bad learning objectives for engineering courses and then write their own, plan class activities that promote skills specified in their learning objectives, critique a poorly written engineering test, and formulate strategies for dealing with various classroom crises.

Here are ways engineering faculty development efforts can become more effective, drawn from analysis of the NETI survey:

• Design some programs specifically for engineering faculty, and engage engineering faculty members who are excellent teachers to co-present with pedagogical specialists.
• Illustrate recommended teaching methods with examples and demonstrations drawn from engineering courses, and use the methods in the program presentation to the greatest extent possible.
• Accentuate the practical, bringing in theory and research only to support recommended methods.
• Suggest, don't prescribe; give choices; and caution participants not to try too much that is new at once.

Richard M. Felder is Hoechst Celanese professor emeritus of chemical engineering at North Carolina State University and co-director of the ASEE National Effective Teaching Institute. Rebecca Brent is president of Education Designs Inc., a consulting firm in Cary, N.C., and co-director of NETI. This article is excerpted from "The National Effective Teaching Institute: Assessment of Impact and Implications for Faculty Development" in the April 2010 Journal of Engineering Education.

TOPˆ

V. JOBS, JOBS, JOBS

Job-hunting? Here are a few current openings:

1. Civil Engineering -- 1 opportunity

2. Dean -- 1 opportunity

3. Mechanical Engineering -- 1 opportunity

Visit here for details:
http://www.asee.org/classifieds

TOPˆ

VI. COMING ATTRACTIONS

Are you attending ASEE's 117th Annual Conference & Exposition in Louisville?

Be sure to visit the exhibit hall to learn more about the organizations that support ASEE and PRISM magazine including:

TOPˆ

VII. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

ASEE's Exclusive New "Engineering Education Suppliers Guide"

Visit ASEE's "Engineering Education Suppliers Guide", a new online resource designed specifically to help engineering educators locate products and services for the classroom and research. Save hours of time scanning the internet for engineering software, lab equipment, reference materials and any other engineering products by searching ASEE's new online guide.

Download the free desktop search tool here.

Are you interested in STEM education? Attending The ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition? Join us a day earlier at ASEE's annual K-12 Workshop!

Registration is now open for ASEE's K-12 Workshop, "Discovering Engineering in the Classroom" presented by Dassault Systemes, this June 19, 2010 in Louisville, Kentucky. This energizing, highly informative event will introduce educators to innovative, effective K-12 engineering education lessons, best practices, and take-away tools. Continuing professional education credits have been approved by EILA.

Free to teachers who register by June 4.

For details and to register, visit http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/category/workshop/

TOPˆ

To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please reply to connections@asee.org with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line - please include the email address that you would like removed from the mailing list.

This Newsletter was sent to you by:

American Society for Engineering Education
1818 N Street, N.W.
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036

Managing Editor: Tom Grose
Advertising Manager: Mike Sanoff - m.sanoff@asee.org