Introducing Engineering as an Altruistic STEM Career

Autor/inn/en	Lakin, Joni; Marghitu, Daniela; Davis, Virginia; Davis, Edward
Titel	Introducing Engineering as an Altruistic STEM Career
Quelle	In: Science Teacher, 88 (2021) 4, (7 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0036-8555
Schlagwörter	STEM Education; Engineering Education; Reputation; Career Choice; Public Opinion; Relevance (Education); Secondary School Students; Outreach Programs; Higher Education; Learning Activities; Discussion (Teaching Technique); Social Problems; Energy + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? STEM; Ingenieurausbildung; Öffentliche Meinung; Relevance; Relevanz; Sekundarschüler; Jobcoaching; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Lernaktivität; Social problem; Soziales Problem; Energie
Abstract	For years engineering educators and researchers have tried to get more students from underrepresented groups interested in engineering as a career field and college major. Many interventions designed for high school students assume that students do not know about engineering careers and just need opportunities to learn about the field. The key may not be lack of awareness but instead a narrow conception of engineering. The stereotypical view of engineering is that the field is filled with people who want to make money and prefer to work alone; this perception is reinforced by many outreach programs. This perception of engineering reduces its attractiveness as a career to those that are interested in "making a difference" in the world. Many practicing engineers would argue that this perception is wrong (Faulkner 2007); they see engineering as a way to work in teams to solve some of society's most pressing issues (National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine 2010). Highlighting this view of engineering may help engage more underrepresented groups in thinking about engineering as a career path. The National Academy of Engineering's (NAE) "Grand Challenges for Engineering" (NAE 2008) is a list of 14 critical challenges that society faces and can be addressed by engineers. These challenges highlight how important engineering is in helping others and also emphasize the collaborative, creative, and interdisciplinary work that engineers do. The challenges are intended to help the public understand more concretely how engineering innovations contribute to advancing society and to provide real-world examples of how an engineering career meets communal and altruistic goal. In this article, the authors share a few of the activities they have developed to introduce the Grand Challenges to students to demonstrate the impacts that engineering has on society and their own lives. Their work has primarily focused on summer camp experiences, where junior high and high school students come to the university campus, but these activities have also been used in formal spaces (e.g., high school and university classrooms) as well as informal spaces (e.g., community outreach events and school-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) events). (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	National Science Teaching Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: https://www.nsta.org/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01