Transcript K-12 Engineering Outreach Impact on University Teaching Fellows

Impact of K-12 Engineering
Outreach Programs on Teaching
Fellows
1999-2004
Presenters: Glenda T. Kelly, Ph. D.
Research Associate and Program Manager
K-12 Engineering Outreach Initiatives
Neera Desai, M.S. GK-12 Engineering Teaching Fellow
Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC
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Fellows assist partnership teachers with the creation and
delivery of lessons and activities that integrate meaningful
math, science and engineering exercises into partnership
classrooms
Since 1999, Pratt School of Engineering placed 95
undergraduate and 33 graduate Engineering Teaching
Fellows in 19 schools in 7 counties in North Carolina
serving over 6,500 students
Four K-12 Engineering Teaching Fellows Program at Duke:
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Duke-NCSU Engineering Teaching Fellows in Elementary
Education
(NSF GK-12 Track 1 Program, 1999-2002)
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MUSCLE: Math Understanding through the Science of Life
(Sponsor GE Foundation Math Excellence Program 2001-2004)
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Techtronics: Hands-on Exploration of Technology in Everyday Life
(After school Technology Enrichment Program; Sponsor Burroughs
Wellcome Fund Science Enrichment Program) 2001-Present
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Math Understanding through Science Integrated with Curriculum
(MUSIC) (Track 2 NSF GK-12 Teaching Fellows Program) 2004Present
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Graduate and undergraduate Engineering
Teaching Fellows develop important skills
through participation in K-12 STEM outreach
programs
K-12 teaching experience augments the
traditional university educational experience of
the Fellows in several ways
Fellow Impacts include improved skills in:
Communication
Time Management and Organization
Patience
Leadership
Lesson Planning & Creativity
Summative Impacts on Engineering Teaching Fellows: 1999- 2004
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Data from 63 End of Year Fellow Completed Surveys for 1st
three programs above
Questions covered program administration, students,
partnership teachers, and self-reported impacts on fellows
Response to question: “Regarding your personal
development, what skills that you developed will carry over
into your post-school life?”
Response Categories
Number of
Responses
Communication
Time Management and Organization
Patience
17
6
6
Leadership
5
Lesson Planning and Creativity
4
Communication Improvement
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Majority of fellows indicated
fellowship helped develop a
variety of communications
skills
Engineering Teaching Fellows
learn a great deal from
opportunities they have to
practice rethinking complex
concepts and explaining them
in age-appropriate terms to K12 students
Skills attained particularly
salient for engineers post-grad
since real-world jobs require
simple communication of
complex ideas to laypersons
inside & outside companies
Subcategories of Communication
Improvement Skills
Number of
Responses
General Communication Skills
4
Ability to talk in front of a group
4
Ability to explain complex concepts in simple terms
4
Teamwork
4
Facilitation
1
Improved Classroom Communication Skills for majority of fellows
“My classroom communication skills improved over the course of
Scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree)
X= 4.3,
the year,”
N= 63 fellows
Improved Understanding of Engineering
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Teaching K-12 engineering integrated into other curricula
requires fellows to study content more thoroughly &
rethink/present material at K-12 appropriate level
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Fellows report more in-depth learning of content due to
teaching it in hands-on inquiry based modality
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Track 2 Fellows, receiving benefits of our new intensive
inquiry-based training program, request more of their
undergraduate classes be taught in an inquiry-based
manner
Improved Knowledge Outside Discipline
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Track 2 GK-12 Engineering Teaching Fellows Program
partnered with Duke Marine Lab Track 1 GK-12
Teaching Fellows Program in coastal NC
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Partnership generated over 60 inquiry-based lesson
plans published on TeachEngineering.com, a National
Science Digital Library mapped to national and NC
educational standards
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Marine/Engineering lesson plans feature use of
technology to solve marine/ecology problems that excite
children such as the problem of dolphin entrapment
Surveys of fellows attending joint Marine/Engineering training workshops:
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Engineering Fellows reported improved
science content in lesson plans via input from
marine fellows
Marine Fellows reported engineers helped
them better visualize and form ideas into
activities and added expertise to create
lessons applying technology to solve
marine/ecology problems
Both Engineering and Marine/Ecology
viewpoints resulted in more comprehensive
lesson plans
Engineers reported more ease in applying
engineering concepts to something tangible for
kids with input from Marine Biology Fellows
Most meaningful parts of interdisciplinary
workshop to fellows: brainstorming, teamwork
& getting to listen to other fellows' ideas
Increased Awareness of the Importance of K-12 Education
“How did your experience as fellow impact your career outlook/plans?”
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Response Categories
Number of
Fellows (n=29)
Already thinking about being a teacher when they started and still want to be a teacher
3
Considering being a teacher because of the program
5
Planning on a career that does not involve education but this program has caused them to want to stay involved in
education in some other capacity
10
Indicated that the program taught them something about themselves that has led them to a career other than teaching
through learning about their leadership abilities, engineering, desire to be a pediatrician, or knowledge that they do not
want to be teachers.
7
Indicated that the program has not impacted their career outlook
4
Approximately 1/3 Fellows Now Considering Becoming a Teacher
One- third Fellows (10 out of 29) plan to stay involved in education in
some capacity (tutoring, volunteering, etc.)
One-third felt program taught them something about themselves/helped
them make career decisions beyond teaching, including Fellows who
did not want to become teachers,
80% of fellows surveyed reported intent for future involvement with
schools, either as a volunteer or advocate
SUMMARY: Positive Impacts for Fellows Across 4
Duke Engineering Teaching Fellows Programs
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improved skills in leadership, organization, time management &
communication
increased knowledge both within and outside disciplines
requests for change in graduate/undergraduate instruction to
inquiry-based, hands-on instruction
intent for future involvement with community schools
These positive impacts suggest that STEM Teaching
Fellows programs are useful augmentations to university
educational experiences for STEM students