Challenges of introducing engineering in after-school settings

Abstract

TechXcite is an informal, project-based engineering program for middle school students. The program is a partnership between the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University, the Department of 4-H Youth Development and Family & Consumer Sciences at North Carolina State University, and the National 4-H Council. The TechXcite curriculum is centered on seven themes (Wireless Communication, Biomedical Technology, Digital Imaging, Solar Energy, Transportation, Heating and Cooling, and Photonics). Within each theme are modules containing four to six 45 minute activities designed to engage kids in the engineering design process in an informal setting. Each module is intended to introduce a modern and exciting technology that children encounter in their everyday lives while encouraging meaningful exploration and use of math and science as problem solving tools. 4-H Afterschool staff, most of whom do not have any formal engineering education, teach the program. Prior to teaching a module, 4-H Afterschool staff participate in a one-day workshop held at a 4-H Extension Center. This paper examines the challenges of training after-school instructors, who often do not have a science or engineering background, to teach engineering modules. Survey data from instructors trained in California are utilized. In addition, the paper examines the impacts of the program on the students through focus group data collected from the same state. Focus groups, conducted by Compass Consulting Group who is responsible for the external evaluation of the project, have provided means for getting more detailed information on the engineering concepts students learn from the curriculum. Instructor surveys indicate an increased level of comfort with the material and that the material is of high quality for use in their after-school programs. In addition, challenges to introducing engineering in an after-school setting indicated by focus group data are discussed. © 2012 American Society for Engineering Education.