Guest Viewpoint: Engineering belongs in K-12 classrooms

A recent report from the National Academy of Engineering, Technically Speaking: Why All Americans Need to Know More About Technology, summarizes research showing that children and adults know shockingly little about technology and engineering. The vast majority of our citizens have a very narrow conception of technology, believing that the term refers only to computers and electronics, and that engineering and science “are basically the same thing.”

Most people spend more than 95 percent of their time interacting with products of the human-made world (technology). But few can explain the process by which the products come to be (engineering).

To continue to maintain the vitality of our country and to help address the challenges that societies worldwide face, we must expand our students’ understandings of technology and engineering and broaden the pathways people can take to engineering and scientific careers. A diverse array of talented students should pursue careers in these fields.

Most important, we must ensure that all people are literate in engineering, technology, and science so they can function and make decisions in our society. To prepare students for the world of their future, education about engineering and technology should be part of the K-12 educational experience.

There are many reasons to introduce engineering in K-12 schools:

• Children are born engineers. They are fascinated with building and taking things apart to see how they work. Describing their activities as “engineering” when they are engaged in the natural design process can help them develop positive associations with engineering and increase their desire to pursue such activities in the future.

• Engineering projects integrate other disciplines. Engaging students in hands-on, real-world engineering experiences can enliven math and science and other subjects. It can motivate students to learn math and science concepts by illustrating relevant applications.

• Engineering fosters problem-solving skills, including problem formulation, iteration, and testing of alternative solutions.

• Engineering embraces project-based learning, encompasses hands-on construction, and sharpens children’s abilities to function in three dimensions -- all skills that are important for prospering in the modern world.

Learning about engineering will increase students’ awareness of and access to scientific and technical careers.

The number of American citizens pursuing engineering is decreasing. Early introduction to engineering can encourage many capable students -- especially girls and minorities -- to consider it as a career, so that they enroll in the necessary science and math courses in high school.

• Engineering and technological literacy are necessary for the 21st century. As our society increasingly depends on engineering and technology, our citizens need to understand these fields.

The National Center for Technological Literacy (NCTL) at the Museum of Science, Boston, is working to integrate engineering and technology into state standards and curricula.

Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to have K-12 engineering standards and assessments for all students. The NCTL is partnering with states across the nation to help them include engineering and technology concepts into their state education frameworks.

The center also is developing engaging K-12 engineering curricula.

“Engineering the Future: Designing the World of the 21st Century” is a full-year engineering and technology course for students in their first or second year of high school that is equivalent in academic credit to a core course in physics, biology, or chemistry.

The course includes a textbook written by 32 practicing engineers, so that students learn about a diversity of engineering professions from men and women in the field, as they learn how to apply science and math in the context of real-world problems.

An Engineer’s Notebook guides students through hands-on problem-solving activities on structures, engines, and electrical circuits.

A central goal of the course is to communicate how everyone is influenced by technology and how they, in turn, influence future technological development by the choices they make as workers, consumers, and citizens.

Teaching the engineering design process in elementary school is especially important -- before students develop stereotypes that so often discourage girls and minorities from enrolling in technical courses in high school and college and considering careers as engineers.

The “Engineering is Elementary” (EiE) curriculum is designed to introduce students in grades 1-5 to engineering concepts and principles. EiE integrates engineering into elementary science topics and highlights connections to language arts, social studies, and mathematics.

Central to the project are illustrated children’s storybooks. Each one features a child from a different country who, with the help of an engineering mentor, solves a problem using the engineering design process. Teacher lesson plans, student duplication masters, and assessments are also included.

One of the core commitments in developing materials was to make sure they are attractive and accessible to girls and underserved populations. As a result, the curricula:

• emphasize the human side of engineering and provide role models through accounts by people of both sexes and all races and ethnicities;

• focus on engineering challenges that help society, people, or animals;

• establish an easy entry point to engineering activities by using low-tech instead of high-tech materials; and

• create engaging activities that focus heavily on teamwork and collaboration.

Early national pilot and field testing of both of these curricula has suggested that they engage all students equally and that students of all genders, races, and ethnicities have similar learning outcomes.

As we embark upon the 21st century, it is vital that we capitalize upon and cultivate the creativity and problem-solving capabilities of every child. An introduction to engineering is one way to do so.