How to Identify and Propel High Potential Engineering Students

Across Gender, Cultural, & Racial Barriers

NSF S.P.I.R.I.T. Workshop2007

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

2. Identify students that possess High Potential for Engineering.

◦ Identify & ascend above any gender, cultural, & racial barriers.

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

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

◦ TekBots! Achieve a technically-literate population.

Why?◦ Junior High students of 2007 will be the Engineers

of 2020! How?

◦ 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 Racial Factors

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

How does culture, racial 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?

High demonstrated ability for math and science

Inquisitive –wants to understand “why” and “how” things work:◦ Kinesthetic – Hands-on learner, explorer –take it apart◦ Visual – Uses vivid images to capture & hold ideas◦ Verbal/Aural – Captures ideas by Hearing & Talking◦ Reading/Writing – Intakes information in written form

Creative & Imaginative Analytical Thinking & Problem Solving Ability

Limited view of “engineer” Gender-based preconceptions Racial/Ethnic Group perceptions Economic, Cultural Factors Lack of exposure to “what is engineering” 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?◦ Any other students?

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

What will you do to identify those high potential engineering students?

Observe & Record the impact of these action items and record any unforeseen boundaries you discover along the way.

Seek & Implement Solutions (Support at Fall Meetings).

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?

Have class write a paper on “What is an Engineer”. Then, define engineer & dispel common stereotypes of “engineer”.

Provide information about achievements and examples of a diverse group of engineers.

Create class dynamics to empower all students, not just a certain group, to have confidence experimenting with technology.

Expose students to engineers and/or engineering students they can easily relate to. ◦ Videos ◦ CEEN students ◦ Guest Speakers or Videos of Speakers

Educate, involve, engage Parents Encourage participation in all math &

science classes, special teams & projects Encourage participation in all opportunities

available: ◦ Mentoring◦ College campus visits◦ Competitions◦ Tours of local industries (most involve applications of

engineering!)

• Plant the seed.

• Nurture the vision.

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

• Capture all of our resources – can afford to leave no one behind!

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

The SpelBots with Advisor Dr. Andrew Williams

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

In 2005, they were the ONLY undergraduate team in the US to qualify.

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

It is an International Competition that utilizes robotic soccer to advance research in robotics and artificial intelligence.

The 2007 Atlanta Competition included 321 teams from 29 countries.

The competition utilizes both humainoid and Sony AIBO robots.

"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

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

National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) – Pre-College Initiative http://www.nsbe.org/precollege/index.html

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE)http://www.swe.org/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=5

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers SHPE.org

Barriers and Enablers for Women in Engineering (an article by National Academy of Engineers Vice President)

http://www.nae.edu/nae/bridgecom.nsf/weblinks/NAEW-4STKTF?OpenDocument

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

Updated & Enhanced July 2007

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