Transcript Slide 1

NSF SPIRIT Workshop
2006
Engineering Recruitment:
The Crisis of the 21st Century
How to Identify and Propel
High Potential Engineering Students Across
Gender, Cultural, & Racial Boundaries
The Crisis
• 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
The Need
• “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 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.”
A Call to Action –
What Do We Do Now
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
boundaries.
3. Propel High Potential Engineering students
toward an Engineering Career Path.
Expose All Students to Engineering
• What is engineering?
• Engineering is FUN, Interesting, Creative!
– TekBots!
• Achieve a technically-literate population.
Identify students with High
Potential for Engineering
• Why?
– Junior High students of 2006 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
Questions to Answer
• How does the 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?
Core Qualities of a Student With
High Engineering Potential
• High demonstrated ability for math and science
• Inquisitive –wants to understand “why” and
“how” things work:
–
–
–
–
Kinesthetic – Hands-on learner, explorer
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
Lesson Plan Item
(Applying Engineering Design Elements)
• What will you do to engage student
populations that face boundaries to envisioning
a career in engineering?
– Girls, African American students, Latino students?
– Other students?
• Observe & Record the impact of these and 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?
Some Ideas…
• 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
Propel High Potential Students
toward an Engineering Career Path
• 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!)
Students …
Engineering …
OUR FUTURE!
• Plant the seed.
• Nurture these students.
• Help to grow up the next generation of
engineers for our country!
• Capture all of our resources – can afford
to leave no one behind!
The Engineer of 2020
• "What attributes will the engineer of 2020 have?"
• That engineer "will aspire to have the
ingenuity of Lillian Gilbreth, the problemsolving 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
Resources
• 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) – PreCollege 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
Credits
• Created by: Alisa N. Gilmore, P.E.
20, 2006.
July