STEM outreach: Capitalizing on dissemination (Work in Progress)

Abstract

This work in progress provides examples of how engineering lessons developed as part of a K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) outreach program at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) have been created in a flexible manner that supports their adaption to multiple venues and grade levels. The design presented here simplifies the lesson creation process while supporting a broad dissemination to pre-college teachers and students. The importance of this effort is reflected in the research findings that many young students do not know what engineers do.3 The proposed approach supports faculty and graduate students in maximizing the potential impact of their outreach efforts, reaching a broader population of young students. Two specific lesson plans are presented, Mining Coal and Bridge Building. These lessons were selected because they illustrate flexibility in design and our initial efforts at embedding such flexibility. Although this outreach program has resulted in over 100 STEM lesson plans, many of these lessons have targeted individual grade levels. Efforts are underway to redesign these lessons using the approach described here. The majority of the adaptations are with respect to the mathematics involved. We have found that the engineering examples can be used at multiple grade levels as long as careful attention is given to the appropriateness of the underlying mathematics. This is illustrated in the examples that follow. We begin with a presentation of the lessons. This is followed by a description of the program for which they were developed. Next, we summarize the various grade levels and venues in which they have been implemented, illustrating the broad impact outreach can have.