Presentation Transcript

1. Engagement and Persistence of Students in Engineering

   Theresa A. Maldonado, Ph.D., PE Division Director Engineering Education and Centers Division Directorate for Engineering National Science Foundation tmaldona@nsf.gov October 15, 2012
2. Today 9/11 BP Oil Spill
3. The U.S. trade balance in advanced technology reflects a tipping point around the year 2000. Includes Advanced materials Aerospace Biotechnology and life sciences Electronics, optoelectonics Flexible manufacturing IT and Communications Nuclear Weapons NSB Science and Engineering Indicators, 2010
4. Engineering enrollment in the US remains flat in numbers compared to general enrollment in higher education. National Science Board Science  and Engineering Indicators, 2010. Appendix tables 2-4 & 2-15. (NSB 10-01). Available at: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind10/c/cs1.htm.  
5. = 106 non-engineers = 106 non-engineers/year = Public = Private = 106 engineers = 104 engineers/year CAPACITY? 4 yr. college[B,C] Workforce[D] K – 12[A] Graduate[A,B,C] [A,B] [A,B] [B,C] [A,B] ? [A,D] 2 yr. college ? Udacity [A,D] Coursera [A] K-12 Non-Completion ?
6. Persistence: Engineering attainment by gender at different career junctures indicates the low participation of women in the profession. 1.3% of 57.5% are women who earned BS ENG 8.2% of 42.4% are men who earned BS ENG NSF Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2011. Special Report NSF11-309. http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/.
7. BS degrees earned by women, disaggregated by race, shown as a proportion of total degrees earned by all men and women (2009). The 57.5% women from earlier slide. The 17.9% women from earlier slide. NSF Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2011. Special Report NSF11-309.
8. BS degrees earned by men, disaggregated by race, shown as a proportion of total degrees earned by all men and women (2009). The 42.5% men from earlier slide. The 82.1% men from earlier slide. NSF Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2011. Special Report NSF11-309.
9. A changing environment: The dynamic demographic trend is certainly reflected at the Ph.D. level. 9 * *Engineering is affected more: Only ~38% PhDs are US citizen or permanent resident Source: Info Brief NSF 12-303
10. The Demand Side: What are our global grand challenges? 10 10 http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/
11. The Demand Side: What does industry want from B.S., M.S. and PhD Engineers? Specialist “T-shaped” Time Time Generalist Threshold Depth Breadth
12. And the technology and tools change rapidly over time, thus making the education of engineers a required ongoing process…. http://jobdiagnosis.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/how-to-become-a-computer-programmer/ http://anordinarychinese.blogspot.com.ar/2012_01_01_archive.html http://royal.pingdom.com/2008/04/08/the-history-of-computer-data-storage-in-pictures/ http://www.geekosystem.com/estonia-kids-programming/ http://anordinarychinese.blogspot.com.ar/2012_01_01_archive.html http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,1237,t=hopper&i=44346,00.asp http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/02/04/smartphone-shipments-top-pcs-for-the-first-time-ever/
13. So we talk about developing our 21st Century Skills. On the whole, Engineering is a mindset. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st_Century_Skills
14. How do we get the “T-shape?” And how do we ensure relevant careers over time? Challenges facing ENG Education… How to fit it all in? “Then” ENG students: 144-152 credits for BS “Today” ENG students: 120-136 credits for BS “Hard core tech” vs. “Soft skills”– curricula alignment and planning to achieve T-shaped engineer Retention and degree completion time Pathways and “quality” perspectives Opportunities for enhanced “learning experiences” and informal education? Project based learning models.
15. Tipping Point?
16. The STEM workforce continues to be a national and an international discussion. http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM0342.pdf
17. And, the rapid growth rate of underrepresented group demographics is undeniable. http://www.statesman.com/news/local/in-texas-7-in-10-children-under-age-2360672.html#.T-psxHtnYtg.email 17
18. The percentage of children in poverty in the U.S. is a concern. Children need to eat to learn. 2010 Statistics by Congressional District Kids Count Data Center The Annie E. Casey Foundation http://www.datacenter.kidscount.org
19. So what aboutthe future….
20. "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.“ Albert Einstein opportunities
21. How do we get the T-shape? NSF enriches ENG education through several approaches. For Students For the Educator Collaborative Research Centers
22. The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) has inspired many students to continue their studies in Engineering and other STEM disciplines. University of Alabama: Engineering Solutions for Clean Energy Generation, Storage and Consumption http://reu.eng.ua.edu/programs/energy/
23. Likewise, the Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program has inspired many teachers to continue their professional development in STEM and make an impact in their classrooms. http://www.retnetwork.org/
24. 1985 National Academies of Engineering charged federal agencies to: Focus on fields to strengthen US competitiveness Increase engineering faculty committed to cross-disciplinary teams Focus on engineered systems To prepare creative, innovative engineers to influence US productivity Include industrial engineers as partners to stimulate technology transfer
25. NSF Response: Create the Engineering Research Centers program with the GOAL: to “further the development of fundamental knowledge in engineering fields that will Enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. and Prepare engineers to contribute through better engineering practice.”
26. The ERC Core Elements have been sustained over time. Strategic vision for transforming engineered systems Research Systems-motivated, interdisciplinary, team-based Societal-relevant, problem-focused Education Interdisciplinary Team-based Global engagement Technology/knowledge transfer Long-term university-industry-government partnerships Mechanisms to accelerate innovation and technology transfer People Community of scholar-educators Diverse, globally competitive engineering workforce…
27. http://www.erc-assoc.org/
28. Participation of women in the ERCs outpace the national trend. 2006 2010 (in percent) National Engineering Averages are American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) data
29. Likewise, the participation of Underrepresented Minorities in the ERCs 2006 2010 (in percent) National Engineering Averages are American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) data
30. $10M for five years EHR/DUE and ENG/EEC Epicenter: http://epicenter.stanford.edu/ National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance: http://nciia.org/
31. Informal education can lead to the WOW! factor. PHOTOGRAPH BY: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times http://framework.latimes.com/2012/10/12/space-shuttle-endeavour-2/#/38 PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times http://framework.latimes.com/2012/10/12/space-shuttle-endeavour-2/#/34 PHOTOGRAPH BY: WALLY SKALIJ / LOS ANGELES TIMES http://framework.latimes.com/2012/10/12/space-shuttle-endeavour-2/#/13 PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times http://framework.latimes.com/2012/10/12/space-shuttle-endeavour-2/#/63 PHOTOGRAPH BY: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times http://framework.latimes.com/2012/10/12/space-shuttle-endeavour-2/#/48 PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times http://framework.latimes.com/2012/10/12/space-shuttle-endeavour-2/#/26 http://framework.latimes.com/2012/10/12/space-shuttle-endeavour-2/#/26 PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
32. Fab Labs and the Maker Movement are engaging more and more students – and adults. Dr. Neil Gershenfeld – MIT Media Lab The Economist 12/3/2011 The National Science Foundation STEM Guitar Project – ATE Program Fayetteville Free Library FAB LAB
33. What is Engineering Education Research? “Creating a Culture for Scholarly and Systematic Innovation in Engineering Education ,” ASEE, 2009.
34. What if we were to fund research centers to address the challenges of education ecosystems? Who are our students? (Large % non-traditional) Broadening participation – diverse groups, gender, persons with disabilities, generational Alternative pathways – community colleges, military… Cultural differences – ethnic, organizational Socioeconomic issues – poverty, Organizational behavior – business protocols, “chilly climate,” … “Innovation Ecosystem” Partnership engagement: universities/industry/government/non-profits Faculty careers Accreditation
35. NSF initiatives and programs are creating Engineers of the Future. Collaborate in an interdisciplinary nature / work well in teams Adopt systems thinking and approaches to address grand challenges Learn beyond their specialty Demonstrate leadership ability Adapt quickly to changing conditions Work in various settings from academe to industry Thrive in diverse environments