Strategies to Identify and Propel High Potential Engineering Students

Towards a Career in Engineering

NSF S.P.I.R.I.T. Workshop2008

Engineering enrollment in US down by 20% since the 1980’s

Since 1998, U.S. high-technology industries' imports exceed exports (aerospace, pharmaceuticals, office and computing equipment, communications equipment, and scientific instruments)

China & India, populations over 1 billion, emerging high technology & intellectual property competitors

India is #1 outsourcing destination for US companies “Many retirements from the U.S. S&E labor force are

impending. “ “U.S. 15-year-olds scored below the international

average on the 2003 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which measures students' ability to apply scientific and mathematical concepts and skills”

Collectively, African Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians/Alaskan Natives represent 10% of all college-educated persons employed in Science & Engineering Fields.

Women represent approx. 50% of the population, but only 26% of those in Science & Engineering fields

11% of all engineers are women. Source: NSF Science & Engineering Indicators 2006

http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind06/c0/c0s1.htm

“If the United States is to maintain its economic leadership and be able to sustain its share of high-technology jobs, it must prepare.”

"The years between the present and 2020

offer engineering the opportunity to strengthen its leadership role in society and to define an engineering career as one of the most influential and valuable in society and one that is attractive for the best and the brightest,"

Source: The Engineer of 2020: Visions of Engineering in the New Century (2004) National Academy of Engineering (NAE)

“The book finds that the next several decades will offer more opportunities for engineers, with exciting possibilities expected from nanotechnology, information technology, and bioengineering. Other engineering applications, such as transgenic food, technologies that affect personal privacy, and nuclear technologies, raise complex social and ethical challenges. Future engineers must be prepared to help the public consider and resolve these dilemmas along with challenges that will arise from new global competition, requiring thoughtful and concerted action if engineering in the United States is to retain its vibrancy and strength.”

1. Expose ALL students to Engineering Early.◦ Motivation for NSF ITEST / CEENBots

2. Identify students that possess High Potential for Engineering.

3. Propel High Potential Engineering students toward an Engineering Career Path.

Limited view of what an “engineer” looks like

Gender-based conceptions Racial/Ethnic Group perceptions Economic Factors Lack of exposure to “what is engineering?”,

or “it’s too hard” Belief that “it’s not achievable for me”

What is engineering? Engineering is FUN, Interesting, Creative!

◦ CEENBots◦ Hands-on Activities

Achieve a technically-literate population.

Why?◦ Junior High students of 2008 will be the Engineers

of 2020! How?

◦ Do you know the Core Qualities of a Student With

High Engineering Potential? Who fits the bill, really?

◦ Boys that have it, Girls that have it◦ Cultural and Ethnic Factors

To what extent does media influence a student’s perception of their own potential as an engineer?

How does culture, ethnic background, family upbringing influence a student’s perception of their own potential as an engineer?

Are all high potential engineers hands-on tinker-ers?

Are all fearless and experimental in math and science class?

How are girls different from boys in social, emotional, mental development at this age?

How might these differences express themselves differently in a male/female high potential engineering student?

Inquisitive –wants to understand “why” and “how” things work:◦Tinkerer: Hands-on learner, explorer –take it

apart (Kinesthetic Learner)◦Thinker: Seeks abstract, conceptual or

mathematical understanding of how it works (Visual, Verbal/Aural, or Reading/Writing Learner)

Creativity Analytical Thinking & Problem Solving Ability in and/or strong interest in math

and science

Team environment - Engineers work as a team to solve problems for all of humanity.

Diverse engineers create powerful teams, bringing different strengths, perspectives, and styles of approach to complex issues.

“Woman are integrators, team builders, experts in parallel processing, handling many things at once…”1

Together, diverse engineering teams are the strength our country needs to successfully meet and solve the complex human needs of the next century.

1 -Barriers and Enablers for Women in Engineering (From an article by National Academy of Engineers Vice President Sheila E. Widnall, April 2000)

Limited view of what an “engineer” looks like

Gender-based conceptions Racial/Ethnic Group perceptions Economic Factors Lack of exposure to “what is engineering?”,

or “it’s too hard” Belief that “it’s not achievable for me”

What will you do to engage student populations that face barriers to envisioning a career in engineering?◦ Girls, African American students, Latino

students?◦ Your predominate student population?

What will you do to encourage their participation in your planned CEENBot activities?

In what ways can you identify those high potential engineering students?

Observe & Record the impact of your action items.

Record any unforeseen boundaries you discover along the way.

Seek & Implement Solutions - Resource List

NSF Deliverable: SPIRIT Project Challenge

◦ Can we DEMONSTRATE that activities developed with this project can show improvement in academic performance in girls and underrepresented students?

CEEN (Computer & Electronics Engineering) Department ◦ Service Learning Student Visits

Society of Women Engineers ◦ Website: http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/◦ For pre-college girls: http://aspire.swe.org/

National Society of Black Engineers, UNL Chapter◦ Contact: Terri Norton, Asst. Professor, UNL Construction

Engineering, PKI 104-E, Phone: 554-2564◦ Website: http://national.nsbe.org/

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers◦ Website: http://oneshpe.shpe.org/wps/portal/national

Spelman College is a private historically Black all women’s college located in Atlanta, GA

The SpelBots with Advisor Dr. Andrew Williams

In 2005, they were the ONLY undergraduate team in the US to qualify to compete in the International RoboCup Four-Legged Soccer Competition in Osaka, Japan .

The first all-women and African American undergraduate team to compete in RoboCup in Osaka, Japan (2005) and Bremen, Germany (2006).

In 2007, they earned 2nd place in the RoboCup 2007 Atlanta Technical Challenge Passing Challenge event.

SpelBots are ranked 7th in the world in the Four-legged Technical Challenge RoboCup 2007

Achieving Gender Equity in Science Classrooms http://www.brown.edu/Administration/

Dean_of_the_College/homepginfo/equity/Equity_handbook.html#contents

Try Engineering: Life of An Engineer(8 Profiles of Real Engineers) http://www.tryengineering.org/life.php

Women In Science – 16 Historical Profiles http://www.sdsc.edu/ScienceWomen/index.html

Barriers and Enablers for Women in Engineering (National Academy of Engineers) http://www.nae.edu/nae/bridgecom.nsf/weblinks/NAEW-4STKTF?OpenDocument

Dr. Calvin Mackie of Channel Zero http://www.channelzro.com/speakinginfo/channelzro.html

• Plant the seed.

• Nurture the vision.

• Capture all of our resources …

• Grow up the next generation of engineers for our country.

"What attributes will the engineer of 2020 have?"

That engineer "will aspire to have the ingenuity of

Lillian Gilbreth, the problem-solving capabilities of

Gordon Moore, the scientific insight of Albert Einstein,

the creativity of Pablo Picasso, the determination of

the Wright brothers, the leadership abilities of Bill

Gates, the conscience of Eleanor Roosevelt, the vision

of Martin Luther King and the curiosity and wonder of

our grandchildren."

Source:

http://gtalumni.org/Publications/magazine/fall04/article1.html

Created by: Alisa N. Gilmore, P.E. , University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NSF SPIRIT, July 2006

Updated & Enhanced July 2007 & July 2008

Comments/Feedback to: alisagilmore@mail.unomaha.edu