STEPS ReportSummer 2017

Participants:60 sixth-grade girls

32 eighth-grade girls11 Engineers, Educators, and Engineering Professors

Thanks to all who were a part of this program-what a fantastic week!

Donors:Thank you for your generous support of the STEPS (Science, Technology, & Engineering Preview Summer) program at the University of St. Thomas! Without your generous support and donations this program would not be possible. Your partnership with the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering offers middle school girls from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to get a taste of what engineering is like through this free, one-day, hands-on, engaging engineering exploration. Your continual support provides an unforgettable opportunity for students to make new friends and come to a safe, inspiring learning environment. Our heartfelt thanks and appreciation is extended to the following foundations, corporations, and individuals involved in inspiring the engineers, innovators, creators, and collaborative, skilled STEAM professionals of tomorrow.

THANK YOU! 3Mgives

Auto ID Solutions Donaldson Company

Ecolab Emerson Process Management

INCOSE Pentair

St. Jude Medical, Inc. Xcel Energy

Why STEPS?

The University of St. Thomas offered the first STEPS (Science, Technology, & Engineering Preview Summer) program to students in 2000, with the mission of expanding the population of students who are inspired to consider engineering as a career choice. In 2017, the University of St. Thomas STEPS program was updated to better meet the needs of participants. The content was carefully and thoughtfully revised as we featured both new curriculum and modifications to our previously enjoyable and effective lessons. Students worked through a lesson in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) which focused on creativity, arts, and circuitry as well as a biomedical engineering lesson which focused on finding solutions to a problem and the impact that engineers can have in improving the lives of others. New this year was also the addition of an engineering design challenge which focused on utilizing the design process and recycled materials to collaboratively make a solution to a real-world inspired problem.

STEPS instruction by teacher graduates of the Center for Engineering Education (CEE) provided students with top-notch educators bringing their strengths together to positively impact our students. These educators are STEAM leaders in their schools and communities. More information on CEE can be found at http://www.stthomas.edu/cee/ . The focus of the Center for Engineering Education is to provide PK-12 pre-service and in-service educators an integrated STEAM education with a focus on engineering education. The Center’s education research focuses and themes include engineering design, precollege engineering connections to real world engineering, engineering habits of mind, critical evaluation of integrated STEAM curriculum, engineering education curriculum construction, curriculum in Maker spaces, best practices in engineering education, innovation in learning spaces, and innovation with engineering education technology, tools, materials and equipment. As a regional leader in this area, the Center works with innovative, award winning formal and informal educators to craft academic standards based, research informed, innovative engineering education curriculum.

The goals and objectives of the STEPS program remained: 1. Build enthusiasm for STEAM at a critical stage in learners’ educational experience, 2. Target learners from underrepresented groups, 3. Motivate learners to take STEAM courses in their middle school and secondary education, 4. Energize learners to pursue STEAM degrees and STEAM related careers, 5. Encourage learners to learn about engineering and the engineering design process, 6. Increase understanding of what engineers do at work, and 7. Envision themselves succeeding in a college setting

Application and Enrollment

Why are sixth and eighth grade girls interested in a STEPs experience? Of the 173 applicants, 106 were invited to attend the program. Salient themes arose when students and parents responded to the open-ended question “Why do you want to attend STEPS?”

Applicants expressed a sincere desire for the STEPS experience. They shared …

“I knew exactly that this program would be exciting and bring together like minded girls of my age. I imagine exploring, learning, and mind opening conversations with my fellow peers and instructors”

“I think it would be a good experience for girls my age and older to get interested in engineering, so they don´t think ¨ Oh that´s for guys engineering is not for a girl.¨ I like to think of ways to fix things and make them better in the process”

“All my life, I have wondered how I can make the world a better place. How can I improve the human lifestyle? I think the STEPS program will help me learn different engineering skills and methods. I know these practices will help me achieve my dream of designing products and ideas to help solve common problems.”

“I like a challenge, and I like to find ways to build without a manual to express my style and creativity.”

“I want to be a part of a program that teaches girls to build and transform material through scientific processes. I would definitely love being a part of an all-girls team because more girls need to be engineers.”

“I would like to attend the STEPS program because I have a thirst for knowledge and new experiences. Attending this camp would afford me the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills I need to further my education. I find myself taking toys and other things apart, just so I could find out how they were assembled.”

Recruitment is an important component of the program. Presently, participation in engineering professions is underrepresented by women and people of color. In 2015, women received 19.9% of engineering bachelor’s degrees, Black/African American students received 4% of engineering bachelor’s degrees, and Hispanic students received 10.7% of engineering bachelor’s degrees.1 The primary STEPS marketing tool is the UST STEPS website, http://www.stthomas.edu/stepscamp/ . Inquires were made to the CEE Director as early as early fall. Outreach to populations in close proximity but who have traditionally not participated in STEPS was achieved through emails to area teachers and administrators.

Applications were collected fairly; and acceptance into the program was fair and impartial. Applicants indicated their first and second choice of session preferences. Zip codes and average school income were used to give first choice of session preferences to students from locally resource challenged areas. The remaining spots were chosen at random using a random number generator. Participants were made aware of their acceptance into the program as quickly as possible in order to maximize participation. When participants were unable to attend due to extenuating circumstances, every effort was made to fill openings with participants who indicated that they would like to remain on a waiting list.

1 https://www.asee.org/papers-and-publications/publications/college-profiles/15EngineeringbytheNumbersPart1.pdf

The total number of participants was 92. In order to better understand the backgrounds and experience of the participants and to make improvements to the STEPS program, participants were invited to complete a pre-survey and post-survey of STEPS experience.

Survey Results

Our surveys gave researchers a great deal of information about what students learned at STEPS, what they knew before coming, and their interests and passions before the program and how our program impacted these goals. Before the program, we asked students on a scale of 1-5 how likely they were to agree with the statement: I could tell someone in my class what biomedical engineering is and name some things that a biomedical engineer may do. Before coming to STEPS, around 35% agreed with this statement. After the program, however, 85% of our students now felt confident in this content area, with the majority of the responses being strongly agree.

Strongly Disagree

Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

05

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811

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831 3 5

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Student Responses to: I could tell someone in my class what biomedical engineering is and name some things that a biomedical engineer may do

Response

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ntity

Figure 1: Comparison of student responses before STEPS (in orange) and after STEPS (in

yellow) to the statement “I could tell someone in my class what biomedical engineering is and

name some things that a biomedical engineer may do”

Similar trends were seen in the other survey questions which looked at the key learning objectives from our program.

Strongly Disagree

Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

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Student Responses to: I could demonstrate to a friend how a simple circuit works

Response

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Figure 2: Comparison of student responses before STEPS (in blue) and after STEPS (in orange)

to the statement “I could demonstrate to a friend how a simple circuit works”

Strongly Disagree

Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

05

101520253035

15

2419

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1 04

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Student Responses to: I think that I could explain to someone steps of an engineering design process and how to use them to solve a problem

Response

Qua

ntity

Figure 3: Comparison of student responses before STEPS (in light green) and after STEPS (in

dark green) to the statement “I think that I could explain to someone steps of an engineering

design process and how to use them to solve a problem”

One of the most compelling findings was the way in which students explained “what it means to be an engineer” before and after the program. Before STEPS, many students felt that to be an engineer meant:

“To design different things, build buildings, and create other structures.”

“Works with science, technology and engineering.”

“Someone who helps solve problems by creating inventions.”

Problem solving and making/inventing things were common themes in student responses as well as using science, technology, and mathematics.

After the program, student responses tended to focus on problem solving as well, but more specifically on solving real-world problems which improved people’s lives. After STEPS students tended to call engineers creators or improvers rather than inventors. Student responses included:

“I think it means someone who creates or improves things to make life better.”

“An engineer is a person who designs or improves technology to help people or the world.”

“I think being an engineer means that you use your knowledge and creativity to solve problems, big and small.”

Curriculum and Instruction Team

The curriculum was constructed to build engagement, excitement, and curiosity around engineering activities. Care was taken to form high functioning collaborative teams who were comfortable, respectful, and engaged. The Center for Engineering Education team was comprised of 8 hands-on instructors in charge of integrating creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking, as well as student safety and success. Instructors included: Bruce Becker, Kim Menard, Ellen Schaefer, Steve Merten, Emily Holley, Amanda Tenhoff, Abby Jagiela, and Anna Miller. The curriculum construction-lead, research-lead and program director was Jenna Laleman, advised by Dr. Deb Besser and Dr. AnnMarie Thomas. Of the 8 hands-on instructors, 75% identified as female. Additionally, 63% were current, in-service STEAM Educators, and the remaining 27% were undergraduate engineering or STEM education students.

Images: Some of our amazing staff working with students to facilitate lessons, songs, games, and challenges (top left to bottom right: Anna Miller, Bruce Becker, Emily Holley, Ellen Schafer, Kim Menard)

Curriculum used in the STEPS program was chosen for the innovative, creative, hands-on engineering elements that are otherwise not integrated into the formal learning environment. Lesson segments in electrical circuits and creativity as well as biomedical engineering actively engaged in the construction of deeper knowledge of these topics. Electric circuits and creativity for sixth graders centered on the construction of “art bots”. These simple, cost effective units allowed for everyone to build engineering self-efficacy as they were “winners” in construction their own unique electric circuit. This lesson allowed for students to create a project as unique as them, emphasizing the importance of design in their creations.

Images: 1 and 3 show students with their finished art bots. Image 2 shows two students working with their conductive dough to make an LED bulb light up

Eighth grade students worked on creating instruments from recycled materials, conductive materials, and technology through MaKey MaKey and Scratch. They learned about circuits and how to use these technological tools and collaboratively worked with a team to creatively combine these lessons into something that creates music that the students themselves programmed. Students absorbed how circuits work through their own work and just as importantly they shared their experience with others.

Images: Students worked in teams of two to make their instruments finding that conductive items including pop cans, fruit and earrings could be turned into musical notes and sounds!

The newest hands-on project featured a biomedical engineering project which focused on prosthetic hand models. Students in both the sixth and eighth grade sessions worked on their own or in collaboration with a partner to make a “hand” which could pick up a cardboard tube. They evaluated the way that hands are created to fulfil their function and focused on the design and mechanics of this challenge. Before building, students spent time planning individually and talking through multiple design ideas with their peers in order to carefully think about how to make a successful hand. Students were introduced to ways in which this concept can be expanded by learning about biomedical engineers, 3D printers, and the ways in which these two work together to serve the needs of children and adults around the world.

Images: Students worked to create a hand out of string, straws, and paper which would successfully pick up their cardboard tube. We saw a wide range of different hands, fingers, claws, and unique designs which students drew and created with collaboration and input from their peers.

The engineering design process was presented, practiced and reinforced through each lesson and was a critical component of the afternoon challenge. Students worked in groups of three to imagine, plan, create, test, and revise their “life boats”. Vessel design included size and load carrying capacity constraints as well as aesthetic goals. Students expanded their engineering and scientific academic language and conceptual understanding of buoyancy and density while they connected the design to a real-life historical event.

Images: Students worked in teams of three and under time and materials constraints like real engineers to create a visually appealing life boat which would support 5 pounds of flour. They were given a redesign opportunity which allowed for a greater success rate and encouraged the process of design.

The lessons learned and expansion of STEPS will continue with participant inspiration, quality, and safety at the forefront. The engineering education expertise that the University of St. Thomas Center for Engineering Education ensures a cutting edge, engaging curriculum which draws from area engineering educational leaders. More importantly, the Center for Engineering Education will continue to work with formal educators in these students' lives to integrate academic standards based, research informed, and innovative engineering education curriculum. The continuity provided by informal exploration coupled with quality education in the formal learning space provides both inspiration and the educational background needed to achieve the promise of engaged and energized students of today and a qualified, diverse STEM workforce of tomorrow.

We look forward to continued partnerships and conversation to strengthen our communities, future citizens, and innovators. Jenna Laleman, STEPS Lead, and Deborah Besser, PE, Ph.D., Center for Engineering Education, Director 651-962-7741 OSS 100 2115 Summit Ave. St. Paul, MN 55105 deb.besser@stthomas.edu http://www.stthomas.edu/CEE.