Documenting the process of inquiry, exploration, and problem solving in project based education

1. Engineering Notebooks: Documenting the process of inquiry, exploration, and problem solving in project based education Judith LaPlante Powell High School JELAPLANTE@PCSD1.ORG

2. Breadth of Students Prepared for STEM Jobs (infused & expert) Accountant Inquiry, exploration, problem solving Technical Writer Manufacturing/Assembly Project Manager Engineer/Developer/Scientist CEO Quality Assurance Architect Chief Creative Officer

3. Stacked Skills Real World Process vs Product Communication

4. Beginner

5. Your Turn • Beginner Folder • Compare • Amazing 1 and Amazing 2 • Which one is better? Why? Be Specific on where they meet the expectation for a beginner. • Compare • Dark Side of the Moon 1 and 2 • Which one is better? Why? Be Specific on where they meet the expectation for a beginner.

6. Students don’t write in complete sentences • They want to regurgitate a fact and I want proof of concept • Not capturing when student fails, what failed and why, what to try next? • Allowing them to complete the task first then write what they did • Introspection is a four letter word

7. Intermediate

8. Your Turn • Intermediate Folder • Compare: Mission 4 example 1 and 2 • Where do they meet the expectation for an intermediate? How do they fall short? Is one noticeably better?

9. Intermediate Other Examples • Mission One Aquatic Robot Plan • Detailed drawing with mathematical relationships • NXT-G Engineering Notebook • P 5 – Breakdown of tasks between team members • P 10 – poor drawings • P 11 – better idea for drawings, tasks being tracked daily • Mission 4 Engineering Notebook • P1 – requirements and constraints • P2 – images of designs • P4 – summary of testing, table of movements • Team Pandora • P3 – using parts to describe robot • P4 – Resource List and plan • P5 – math to determine distance • Final Project • P1 – cover page • P2 – great drawings • P3 – parts list and requirements • Pruney Robotics • P2 – 4 - research • P7 – drawing of plan, used the actual field • P8 – weekly feedback • Stark Industries • P1 – resource list with reasons behind their decisions

10. Students don’t know the basics • How to create a table • Can’t insert or edit an image • Can’t take and insert a screen show • Don’t know how to create a cover page • Can’t describe the problem they are trying to fix • Difficult to predict and schedule

11. Proficient

12. Your Turn • Proficient Folder • Compare: Team Scooby Snacks and No Comment Notebooks • Where do they meet the expectation for proficient? How do they fall short? Is one noticeably better?

13. Proficient Other Examples • No Comment Notebook • Title page • Table of contents • Clear description of task at hand • Entries in chronological order • Clear pros and cons lists • Images and links to more information • Obstacle Race • ELL students – lots of writing • Great drawing using tools available

14. Pros and Cons only touch the “surface” • Entries in order but don’t capture anything but the date • Students ignore constraints • Unclear goals • Reasoning and criteria for decisions muddled • Not using enough domain specific terms • Plans are too high level and don’t contain contingencies

15. Advanced

16. Your Turn • Advanced Folder • Compare: SkillsUSA notebook and Computer Science Notebook

17. Advanced Other Examples • Team SnS • Large variety of methods to convey images • Table of contents by date and topic • P3 – chart showing critical thinking • P9 – table clearly comparing three designs • P13 – clearly comparing three designs for consideration • No Comment Notebook • More developed table of contents • Good breakdown along the engineering process for organization, but did not follow it through until the end • P4 – Excellent chart for comparison • P6-7 images showing progression of design • SkillsUSA Notebook • P2 concept of engineering process and how to organize their notebook (good) didn't follow through and that is evident in their final robot project. • Trieme Robotics • P8 – star ratings to clearly compare designs • p5-10 does a good job of the journey of how they looked at arm/claw/base subsystems. • CONS - lacks any real criteria for determining and didn't close the loop on other subsystems • pg 11/12 has some good hand drawings incorporated. some good pics throughout

18. Not structuring the document to get the journey • Getting “Dear Diary” entries • Not enough peer review • Check in/ feedback on the process being ignored

19. Other Examples • Computer Science Independent Study - • “advanced” student • P1 - Cover page • P2+ table of contents, • P8 – Initial Entries document goals, problem and solution • P9-11 – Code samples, goals, external links, explanations – Off to a GREAT start! • CS - Apollo 2000 • These are “beginner” students all working on one document • Lots of drawings • Work is broken down by student so they know who is working on which part of the program • CS - RoboBomb • 7 “beginner” students working on the same document • Good use of headings • Broken down by levels and owners

20. Summary • Well designed engineering documentation assignments (short term or long term) can help make clear to the students the difference between work product and engineering process • Must scale throughout their coursework • Starts with guided questions and teaching inquiry and prediction • Moves to exploration & problem solving • Problem based learning -> project based learning -> challenge based learning • Look for the journey not the out come - the inquiry, exploration, and problem solving are most important • Create a culture where “failure IS a success” so long as the value created is the learning achieved