On the benefits of using the engineering design process to frame project-based outreach and to recruit secondary students to STEM majors and STEM careers

Abstract

The pedagogical premise of our outreach program is project-based learning. Although there is some variation in the literature as to what elements of an intervention are required in order for it to be considered "project-based learning,"1,2 there seem to be some essential components.3,4 Land and Zembal-Saul3 have described these (citing Blumenfeld et al.4) as follows: 1) "use of long-term investigations that emphasize iterative and progressive deepening of understanding"; 2) "solution of a driving question that organizes and defines learning needs"; and 3) "production of a series of project artifacts [e.g., reports, presentations, posters] that represent understanding of the driving question." In our High School Enterprise (HSE) program, teams of secondary students work on STEM projects that are authentic and long term, usually spanning multiple academic years. The projects vary from team to team insofar as what the students are actually working on because the students and their teacher-coach select the team's project. A unifying and key focus of our program is that we actively and visibly (to secondary teachers and students) use the engineering design process to frame project work. This makes our program uniquely poised to address many of the issues and obstacles related to promoting STEM awareness and to achieving STEM engagement among secondary students. This paper outlines the aspects of engineering design and of our program implementation that address these issues and obstacles. We cite literature to support our views regarding the benefits of using the engineering design process and provide evidence of benefit from our program assessment. In making these aspects and benefits for secondary education evident, the authors hope to impart to post-secondary educators a broader perspective on the outcomes possible in teaching the process of engineering design. © 2012 American Society for Engineering Education.