what is engineering?

Meagan RossPh.D. Student

Engineering EducationPurdue University

WHAT IS ENGINEERING?

A partnership with the Dallas Women’s Foundation

01 December 2010

Tegwin PulleyStrategic Planning &

DiversityWomen of TI Fund

Objective

You will learn about engineering in the context that appeals to students, and you

will be prepared to use these messages to introduce students to engineering

according to their work values.

In groups of 2, make a list of 20 things

you’ve used TODAY that have been

engineered.

Activity

Can you identify ONE thing that you used today that wasn’t touched

by an engineer?

Activity

Life takes engineering

Application

How can you use these activities to talk about engineering with

your students?

Do you know an engineer? What do they do?

Engineers make a world of

difference and help shape the futureDiscussion


difference and help shape the futureExample


difference and help shape the future

Tom LandryIndustrial Engineer

Example

• The most common undergraduate degree among Fortune 500 CEOs is Engineering.

• 1 in 5 CEOs have an engineering degree.

Source: Spencer Stuart 2005 Report


difference and help shape the futureExample



Business Leader

Doctor

Marketing& Sales

Patent Lawyer

Teacher

Chemical

Mechanical

Civil

Electrical

Environmental



Application

How can you use real life Examples to introduce engineering

to your students?

What do engineers look like & how do

they work?Stereotype vs. Actual

ActivityDiscussionActivity

Divide into two teams. Team 1 will make a list describing the

stereotypical engineer. Team 2 will make a list describing an

actual engineer.

How do engineers think & work?

Engineering Design Process

Boston Museum Of Science

Engineersare creative and

collaborative problem-solvers

Engineersare creative & collaborative

problem-solvers

Application

How can you use this knowledge to advocate career/education opportunities

in engineering to your students?

Engineering is Essential to our

Health, Happiness, & Safety

Work in groups of two, read through the matrix of engineering jobs and categorize according

to health, happiness & safety

Activity

Engineering is Essential to our

Health, Happiness, & Safety

How can you use what you learned in this activity to describe engineering to

students or teachers?

Application

Engineer Your Life> Videos <

http://engineeryourlife.org/

What is Engineering?

Engineers make a world of difference and help shape the future

Engineering is essential to our health, happiness & safety

Engineers are creative & collaborative problem-solvers

REVIEW

SteM Careers, Preparing StudentsGender Bias & Stereotypes

ImplementationSurvey

Questions & Closing

Work Valuesintrinsic values typically refer to the importance

placed on autonomy and interest

social values refer to an importance placed on

working with people and making contributions to

society

extrinsic values refer to an importance to make money and have job

security

prestige values refer to an importance placed on

having a prestigious and respected occupation

Work Values

White

African Amer.

Asian

African Amer.

Asian

Latino/amales

females

• Divide into four groups.• Each group will take a quadrant from the

work values table and prepare a short blurb on how to introduce engineering to a student with that value.

• Take notes, and be prepared to share with the group.

Activity

• What is the student’s passion or primary interest? Relate this to a career in engineering.

intrinsic values typically refer to the importance

placed on autonomy and interest

Engineering is here to stay… demand for

jobs!extrinsic values refer to an

importance to make money and have job

security

prestige values refer to an importance placed on

having a prestigious and respected occupation

Engineering makes a world of difference and is

Essential to our Health, Happiness, & Safety

social values refer to an importance placed on

working with people and making contributions to

society

Engineering is collaborative & interdisciplinary

Role Play

• Practice with a partner counseling a student on engineering based on their work values. – Ask the student questions to determine their

interests & values– Use what you’ve learned today to “sell”

engineering.

StrategiesUse common technology artifacts to initiate

conversations (food packaging, office supplies, electronics) to introduce STEM careers.

Use the environment around you (construction sites, news articles, healthcare, etc.) as tools to introduce importance & value of STEM careers.

Connect students with mentors or host guest speakers. (DFW-STEC)

Take advantage of course selection conversations to navigate students toward STEM careers.

Talk to parents about encouraging their children to consider STEM careers.

Application

for Introducing Students to Careers in STEM

AwarenessInterestConfidence

3-2-1 Reflection

List 3 things you’ve learned in this session

List 2 things you will do differently given this knowledge

List 1 actionable item based on what you’ve learned

Backup

Status

STEM is necessary for sustaining US capacity and

global competition for technological innovations

Approximately 50% of middle school students indicate that they do not plan to

take mathematics and science courses beyond what their schools require.

However, the same students indicate that they would be interested in going to college, and taking college-level mathematics courses.

C1970: A survival manual for the girl who wants it allWhy shouldn't a girl have everything: career, husband, children, and a fascinating social life.

Implicit bias

About 70% of more than half a million Implicit Association Tests completed by citizens of 34

countries revealed expected implicit stereotypes associating science with males

more than with females

GirlsGirls earn more credits in math & science

courses than boys

Female high school graduates have a higher combined GPA in math & science

courses than boys

In 2009, 55 percent of AP test-takers were girls, but in STEM-related areas on 41%

While more females are participating in AP math & science, they are not performing

at the levels of their male counterparts

Application

In Math & Science

AwarenessInterestConfidence

Gender Gap in Engineering

• Remaining steady over the past two decades, only 18.6% of undergraduate engineering students are women.

• In the workforce, only 1 out of 10 engineers is a woman.

Computer Engineer 2010 Barbie Doll

Leaky Pipeline

Chilly Climatevs.

Attracting and retaining more women in the STEM workforce will

maximize innovation, creativity, and competitiveness

Strategiesteaching females students that success in mathematics

and science is not based on innate ability

increasing exposure of female students to successful female mathematicians, scientists, & engineers

providing “prescriptive, informational feedback”

Application

strategies to encourage females in STEM

creating classroom environments that engage and create lasting interest in science and

math

Have girls recruit girls: attain a critical mass

Emphasize usefulness and relevance

Start early and young

Objectives You will be able introduce students to

careers in engineering based on artifacts, news, and the environment around you

You will learn about the gender gap in engineering, and be prepared to address

issues impeding girls’ entry into engineering

Backup

References

Closing the gap in engineering

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