ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Formulating a Concept Base for Secondary Level Engineering: A Review and Synthesis
Author: Custer, Rodney L.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Engineering Education,Research Design,Qualitative Research,Elementary Secondary Education,Focus Groups,Faculty Development,Professional Development,Researchers,Literature Reviews,Synthesis,Concept Teaching,Scientific Concepts,Mathematical Concepts,Concept Formation,Knowledge Base for Teaching

There is a growing awareness that an engineering presence within the K-12 curriculum provides an authentic contextual base for mathematics and science concepts. One large scale initiative focused on pre-college engineering is the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education (NCETE) funded through the National Science Foundations' (NSF) Centers for Learning and Teaching program. One key problem that emerged from a multiple case study project of engineering teacher professional development funded by NCETE was the lack of a well-defined conceptual base for K-12 engineering. The development of meaningful learning, teaching, and assessment is problematic in the absence of a clear understanding of the conceptual base of the subject matter--in this case K-12 engineering. Given the current ambiguity of the conceptual base of secondary engineering, and the need for conceptual clarity in curricula, professional development, and research, this study was designed to coalesce a body of engineering concepts for the secondary level. The purpose of the study was to identify and refine a conceptual base for secondary level engineering education. Operating under an emergent qualitative research design, an adaptive approach to data collection was utilized. Four sets of documents were reviewed and three focus groups were conducted. The outcomes of the study consisted of much more than a list of core engineering concepts and are thus worthy of discussion to shed light both on the researchers' method and in terms of implications. Although not an original purpose of the study, the process used to identify the concepts raised a number of questions and issues important for secondary level engineering education that the researchers felt necessitated discussion. In addition, the peer debriefing participants were asked to reflect on these issues as they were deemed by researchers as being just as important as the list of concepts. (Contains 2 tables.)
Academic Preparedness as a Predictor of Achievement in an Engineering Design Challenge
Author: Mentzer, Nathan
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Design,Grade Point Average,Academic Achievement,Achievement Tests,Technology Education,Predictor Variables,Engineering Education,Achievement Gains,Problem Based Learning,Learning Experience,Statistical Significance,Concept Teaching,Correlation,Problem Solving,Academic Records,Longitudinal Studies,Learning Readiness

The purpose of this study was to determine if a student's academic success, measured by grade point average (GPA) in mathematics, science, and communication courses, is correlated with student change in achievement during an engineering design challenge. Engineering design challenges have been implemented and researched in K-16 environments where engineering principles are applied to solve real world problems. For purposes of this research, an engineering design challenge was defined as a team-based activity in which students engage in solving a real world problem. This approach is initiated by negotiation of the problem definition. Design teams and clients work together to establish their problem and constraints. Previous quasi-experimental research has established that engineering design challenges are successful in increasing student achievement. To build upon this research base, the current study addressed the potential relationship between students' academic history, measured by GPA, and their experience during an engineering design challenge, as measured by an achievement test. In this research, student achievement was significantly correlated to science GPA, but not significantly to mathematics or communication GPA. Therefore, a student participating in this study was likely to perform better on the achievement test if their science GPA was higher. The differences are not only statistically significant, but they are practically significant. Results from this study indicate that while achievement gaps exist, these gaps are not widened while introducing engineering design concepts into a technology education classroom. Special education students performed poorly on the achievement test as did lower science GPA students, however, growth among these groups was not statistically different than their peers. Thus, engineering design infused into technology education does not disadvantage student growth as measured by an achievement test over time. (Contains 1 figure and 6 tables.)
EnviroTech: Enhancing Environmental Literacy and Technology Assessment Skills
Author: Rose, Mary Annette
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Strategies,Environmental Education,Ecology,Program Effectiveness,Technological Literacy,Educational Opportunities,Environmental Influences,Environmental Standards,Sustainable Development,Appropriate Technology,Technology Education,Technology Planning,Technology Uses in Education,Skill Development,Science Process Skills,Science Course Improvement Projects,Teacher Attitudes,Program Descriptions,Influence of Technology,Human Factors Engineering

It is no coincidence that many of the &quot;Grand Challenges for Engineering&quot; (National Academy of Engineering, 2007-2010)--such as carbon sequestration--address environmental problems that were precipitated by human inventiveness and engineering achievements. Although people recognize their dependence upon environmental processes to provide essential resources and ecosystem services, such as food and air purification, their understanding of the interconnections between the environment and technological activities has often been insufficient to predict technological impacts upon the environment. As evidence mounts that technological actions threaten the viability of ecosystems and public health, it is imperative that all citizens improve their environmental literacy and technology assessment skills if they are to break this untenable cycle and make progress toward sustainability. Practicing technology educators need professional development opportunities to enhance both their environmental and technological literacy. The EnviroTech Project, made possible by a grant by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Ball State University, aimed to address this need. EnviroTech was a web-enabled professional development project, which occurred in the spring of 2009. This document describes the results of EnviroTech in terms of the impact it had upon a cohort of 19 practicing technology teachers. The mission of EnviroTech was to develop (1) understandings of environmental processes and systems; (2) skills for identifying, analyzing, and assessing the impacts of technology upon the environment; and (3) skills in the use of guided inquiry, an instructional strategy where teachers structure and scaffold the examination of problems and gaps in knowledge. (Contains 2 figures and 5 tables.)
A Study of Mathematics Infusion in Middle School Technology Education Classes
Author: Burghardt, M. David
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Middle School Students,Grade 8,Mathematics Instruction,Technology Education,Engineering Education,Integrated Curriculum,Student Attitudes,Knowledge Level,Mathematics Skills,Instructional Effectiveness,Pretests Posttests,Comparative Analysis

The present study examined the impact of introducing a mathematics infused engineering/technology education (ETE) curriculum on students' mathematics content knowledge and attitudes toward mathematics. The purpose of the present study was to: (a) compare the effects of a mathematics infused ETE curriculum and a control curriculum on student mathematical content knowledge; (b) compare the effects of a mathematics infused ETE curriculum and a control curriculum on student attitudes toward mathematics; and (c) examine if treatment conditions were equally effective for students' whose mathematical levels were particularly below the average. It was hypothesized that students, even those below average, who participate in mathematics infused ETE curriculum will increase their mathematical conceptual knowledge and attitudes toward mathematics, and will improve these mathematics skills at a greater rate than students who receive the control curriculum. The study used a pre/post design to examine student change in mathematical content knowledge and attitudes toward mathematics following participation in the mathematics infusion curriculum. Data were collected from students in both the infusion and control classes. In terms of mathematical content data, infusion students increased their scores from pre- to posttest for some individual multiple-choice questions, the composite multiple-choice score, all open-ended items, and for the total score assessment. When compared to control students, infusion students scored significantly higher on two multiple-choice questions, all ten open-ended questions, the multiple-choice composite, the open-ended composite, and the entire assessment. This indicates that students in the infusion group showed significant increases in content scores after being exposed to the mathematics infused curriculum. These results are encouraging, indicating that the infusion group students learned content that increased their mathematics knowledge, above and beyond increases that would exist by virtue of being in a typical technology class. (Contains 1 figure and 5 tables.)
Graduate Research in Technology and Engineering Education: 2000-2009
Author: Foster, W. Tad
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Technology Education,Engineering Education,Doctoral Dissertations,Masters Theses,Educational Research,Meta Analysis,Graduate Students,Student Research,Elementary Secondary Education,Postsecondary Education,Research Methodology,Indexing

The purpose of this study was to amass as comprehensive a collection of dissertations and theses in technology and engineering education as possible, and to conduct a modified meta-analysis of this body of research. The current study was limited to dissertations and theses completed between 2000 and 2009 that were identified using the ProQuest search engine. The total number of studies found that were clearly in the field (i.e., industrial technology education, technology education, and technology and engineering education) was 74. The titles and abstracts, and in some cases the full report, were reviewed to determine the university offering the degree, date completed, the research method employed, the keywords and subject descriptors, and the topic/focus of each study. This study was basically a replication of Foster's (1992) early study. The data indicated that the majority of the studies completed in technology and engineering education from 2000 to 2009 were focused on K-12 education (59%). The greatest percentage of those studies was completed using the survey methods (31.1%). A total of 28% of the studies could be categorized as status studies. (Contains 8 tables.)
The Effects of Solid Modeling and Visualization on Technical Problem Solving
Author: Koch, Douglas
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Engineering Technology,Spatial Ability,Visualization,Perception Tests,Problem Solving,Educational Technology,Computer Graphics,Computer Simulation,Computer Assisted Design,Computer Software,Comparative Analysis,Pretests Posttests,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Predictor Variables,Correlation,College Students,College Instruction,Freehand Drawing,Drafting,Technology Education,Models

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the use of solid modeling software increases participants' success in solving a specified technical problem and how visualization affects their ability to solve a technical problem. Specifically, the study sought to determine if (a) students' visualization skills affect their problem solving ability; (b) the use of 3D modeling software in the design and production of a prototype for a technical design problem is more effective than using sketching; and (c) the use of 3D modeling software offsets any differences in low spatial visualization skills for solving a technical design problem. The design for this study was an experimental posttest-only design. Each participant completed the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test-Visualization of Rotations (PSVT-R). The participants were randomly assigned to either the control group or the experimental group. Caution must be used when generalizing the results of this study because the participants consisted of 47 randomly assigned engineering technology students. The results from this study also suggest that because the interaction between the type of design method and spatial visualization ability did not result in a significant difference, the design method and visualization ability were homoscedastic for this particular problem. Using solid modeling software to design a solution did not offset low spatial visualization scores or offer any advantages to those with high visualization scores. The participants that used solid modeling showed a higher probability of success above a spatial visualization score of 24. In this case using solid modeling did not offset low visualization scores and increase the probability of solving the design problem. Using solid modeling actually decreased the probability of success for participants with low visualization scores and increased the probability of success for participants with high visualization scores. (Contains 8 figures and 2 tables.)
Genesis and Early Evolution of the Yearbook Series of the American Council on Industrial Arts Teacher Education
Author: Foster, Patrick
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Education,Yearbooks,Industrial Arts Teachers,Technology Education,Industrial Arts,Bibliometrics,Intellectual History,Publications,Editing,Administrative Change,Decision Making,Influences,Planning Commissions,Performance Factors,Organizational Change,Periodicals

The Council on Technology Teacher Education (CTTE)'s 2011 yearbook is its sixtieth, making the series one of the longest-lived of its kind in the US. The yearbook series was founded in part to demonstrate the intellectual maturity of the field; today professionals in the field affirm its &quot;uninterrupted tradition of scholarly excellence and promotion of discourse in technology teacher education&quot;. On the other hand, volumes have also been characterized by uniformity in ideology and the selection of topics and authors. Neither the committee structure nor the yearbook approval process has changed since 1962. Yet, as the author argues in this article, both are fundamental deviations from the original conception of the yearbook program of the American Council on Industrial Arts Teacher Education (ACIATE)--the name under which the CTTE operated until 1986. The questions of how and why the series assumed its current form have been inadequately addressed in the literature. Aside from brief discussions in three of the yearbooks themselves, and in reviews of some individual books, Chapter 4 of Kinzy's (1973) dissertation contains the only treatment of the ACIATE yearbooks as a series. This article is an attempt to trace the development of the ACIATE yearbook series to the point at which it established the &quot;modus operandi&quot; in place today. The author sought to discover why and how the series evolved into a form so different from the original plan. This article is divided into two main sections, &quot;synthesis&quot; and &quot;analysis&quot;. In the first, the author tries to recover the early development of the yearbook series, emphasizing changes in leadership, locus of influence, and decision making structure. In the second section, he analyzes the record to address this question: How and why did the ACIATE's yearbook program evolve from its original intent into its present form? An appendix includes brief biographies of eight people who had significant impacts on the series. (Contains 6 tables.)
Looking Back, to Look Forward: Using Traditional Cultural Examples to Explain Contemporary Ideas in Technology Education
Author: Lee, Kerry
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cultural Awareness,Technology Education,Technological Advancement,Technological Literacy,Influence of Technology,Culturally Relevant Education,Appropriate Technology,Concept Teaching,Scientific Concepts,Curriculum Development,Curriculum Enrichment,Instructional Design,Adoption (Ideas),Educational Philosophy

Although the term "technology" means different things to different people, most would generally agree that it is about "stuff." For some it may be more complex than this, and for others it may simply involve using or studying high-tech gadgetry, such as computers and iPhones. Understanding the interdependence between design and culture is a critical part of technology education. In order to know what one wants and needs for the future, it is important to have a good historical and cultural understanding of technological change. Although many countries include historical, societal, cultural, and environmental emphases in their technology curriculum, these can be lost in the drive to design, make, and create. This article provides justification and examples for these notions to be key parts of a technology program. It demonstrates the ease with which contemporary technological notions can be linked to topical, local, and cultural products and issues. (Contains 2 figures.)
Collaborative Information and Multimedia to Assess Team Interaction in Technology Teacher Preparation
Author: Ernst, Jeremy V.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Control Groups,Computer Mediated Communication,Cooperation,Information Systems,Group Dynamics,Information Technology,Technology Education,Multimedia Instruction,Multimedia Materials,Knowledge Management,Teacher Education Programs,Teamwork,Experimental Groups,Pretests Posttests,Influence of Technology,Individual Differences,Video Technology,Likert Scales,Hypothesis Testing,Interaction

The utilization of information technology to assist communication and collaboration has become a central theme in information systems research and practice. Rising information and communication technologies could considerably enhance interaction and collaboration. For the purposes of this research study, applications that permit documents and imagery transfer, video communications, audio communication, and text-based communication (whether synchronous or asynchronous) are universally identified as collaborative information and multimedia technologies. This research study was designed to investigate and identify the impacts, if any, that web-based information and communication collaborative technologies have on team-established interaction and team knowledge formation. Considering the Palit and Stein study (2008), it was determined that the inclusion of specific instruction on the use of relevant information and multimedia communication technologies as a component of the treatment has definite potential to influence associated team-based knowledge. Secondly, in this study involving knowledge formation between groups, students exhibited progression in functioning in a team structure. However, incorporating collaborative information and multimedia technologies did not enhance team interaction. This study identified differences in treatment and control groups, as well as pretests and posttests, that relate to a lack of understanding and acceptance in handling conflicts, group planning, and overall review and evaluation of group work at the undergraduate level within technology education. While information and multimedia technology can be considered useful for group collaboration and communication, as this study identified, it is limited by the level of interactivity and the amount of control of group dynamic when using collaborative tools. (Contains 17 tables.)
The Development of Technological Competence from Adolescence to Adulthood
Author: Autio, Ossi
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Employment Level,Content Analysis,Followup Studies,Technological Literacy,Adolescents,Adults,Case Studies,Interviews,Foreign Countries,Thinking Skills,Psychomotor Skills,Affective Behavior,Outcomes of Education,Education Work Relationship

This article builds on earlier research that defined and assessed technological competence among adolescents. It tracks students who took part in a measurements of technical abilities study fifteen years ago. The researcher had no previous knowledge of the test subjects' current employment status, but in favorable circumstances, these test subjects are now professionals in the field of technology. The aim of this research was to examine how technological competence was attained during the test participants' lives. This follow-up study was carried out as a qualitative case study. Data from interviews with three participants were tape-recorded and translated. The research data were then analyzed using content analysis. The analysis was carried out by assessing which of the essential elements in the participants technological competence contributed to success in their lives. These findings were later classified in terms of themes or factors and, finally, reported in the conclusions. The results from each participant interview are shown in a competence curve, which are explained in more detail. The competence curves indicate each person's development in technological competence during their life. (Contains 5 figures and 3 tables.)
The GRID[subscript C] Project: Developing Students' Thinking Skills in a Data-Rich Environment
Author: DeLuca, V. William
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Curriculum Development,Social Problems,Energy Conservation,Energy,Thinking Skills,Energy Education,Science Course Improvement Projects,Data Analysis,Data Collection,Data Interpretation,Statistical Data,Pretests Posttests,Information Utilization,Problem Based Learning,Case Method (Teaching Technique),Metacognition,Science Process Skills,Teaching Methods,Instructional Effectiveness,Concept Teaching,Scientific Concepts,STEM Education

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of using renewable energy data, obtained from a comprehensive data acquisition system, on improving students' learning and developing their higher-order learning skills. This study used renewable energy data available through a data acquisition system installed and tested by the Green Research for Incorporating Data in the Classroom (GRID[subscript C]) project. The purpose of GRID[subscript C] is to develop curriculum to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts using data collected from renewable energy technologies at the North Carolina Solar House (NC Solar House), located on the campus of North Carolina State University (NC State). This project enhances instruction and improves learning while addressing a highly relevant social issue--renewable energy. The GRID[subscript C] project gives professors, instructors, and their students the opportunity to study and evaluate the value of renewable energy systems through the use of real-time renewable energy data. The present analyses show significant gains in posttest renewable energy general knowledge scores. This indicates that the use of real-time renewable energy data was effective in instruction, providing students with valuable knowledge and skills that can be used for decision making. The results confirm the claims of previous studies that using real world data enhances instruction in various fields. The researchers also found significant gains in metacognitive performance, as measured by the metacognitive inventory. (Contains 10 tables.)