Assessing the Effects of Authentic Experiential Learning Activities on Teacher Confidence with Engineering Concepts

Publications

There is a growing concern in the US about the lack of student interest and aptitude in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines. Research indicates that engineering and technology integration in K-12 improve students’ content understanding and skill development, understanding of interactions among the STEM disciplines, and interest in STEM careers. Many in-service STEM teachers have limited experience and/or educational background in engineering and technology. These teachers have limited confidence to incorporate engineering and technology in their classroom.At a

Read More

Building Automation and IoT as a Platform for Introducing STEM Education in K-12

Publications

There is growing concern in the United States about the lack of interest and aptitude in science, math and, in particular, technology and engineering disciplines. Certainly one reason for this could be the lack of true engineering experiences available to students when they are in junior high and high school. This is in part due to the fact that while most teachers are well versed in math and science through their formal education, very few have experience and/or educational backgrounds in engineering and technology. To promote STEM careers, a partnership among university engineering faculty

Read More

IoT-based Building Automation and Energy Management

Publications

As part of a NSF-funded ITEST grant, the ETID Department at Texas A&M University is developing a STEM Teacher Education initiative that helps secondary education math and science teachers to better understand advanced technology concepts. This new initiative will be presented to approximately twelve teachers for three consecutive summers to create a cadre of educators who are able to excite high school students and motivate them to choose engineering/technology career paths as they enter their undergraduate degree programs. This paper presents an overview of and results from the two-week

Read More

Maximizing Accessibility: Providing Summer Engineering Experiences for Racially, Ethnically, and Economically Underrepresented Youth

Publications

The drive for broader participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has resulted in a growing interest in out-of-school programs that bring enriching educational experiences to children from ethnic and racial groups that are traditionally underrepresented, particularly children from low-income households. Ideally, such programs would have clear strategies for recruiting students from low-income communities, thereby minimizing barriers to participation, such as transportation and cost. Although many local organizations are clear in their purpose, strategies that

Read More

Strengthening the STEM Pipeline for Elementary School African Americans, Hispanics, and Girls by Scaling Up Summer Engineering Experiences

Publications

With the rapid growth of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) jobs in the United States, stakeholders are investing more resources to expand participation in these fields in terms of overall numbers as well as representation across demographics. Although there has been a steady stream of federal and corporate investments in STEM programs, reaching and engaging youth from underrepresented communities remains a challenge. Attempting to disrupt this trend, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is leveraging over ten years of experience to further develop and expand

Read More

Investigating the Fit Between Students’ Personal Interests and Their Perceptions of Engineeringin a National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Pre-college Summer Workshop (Fundamental Research)

Publications

Concern over the underrepresentation of women and certain minority populations in engineering has been a concern for the last few decades. Government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private companies have invested significant money and resources to address this concern (Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE), 2017; Gibbin & Davis, 2002); however, the numbers of women and underrepresented minorities participating in engineering remains dismal (National Science Foundation & National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 2017). Much of this money has

Read More

Board 98: Findings from the First Year of a Project that Partners Engineers and Educators in Rural Schools

Publications

One significant barrier to broadening participation in engineering and recruiting future engineers is the pervasive lack of understanding or even misunderstanding of what engineering is and what engineers do. The challenges to broadening participation in engineering are further complicated as underrepresented groups often report constructs, such as cultural milieu and outcome expectations, as more important than interest in influencing career choices. Addressing such issues is difficult and single exposure interventions are unlikely to make engineering careers seem more relevant or attainable

Read More

Engagement in Practice: STEMEngagement through Mentoring

Publications

Less than 30% of students enrolled in the U.S. are proficient in science or mathematics. The landscape becomes more troubling among students who traditionally are underrepresented in STEM. For instance, in 2015, fourth grade Black students scored on average 24 points lower than their White counterparts, and 35 points lower than their Asian American counterparts. When data are disaggregated further by sex, underrepresented males, Black males in particular, underperform Black girls on fourth grade mathematics assessment. Additionally, underrepresented males who graduate from high school complete

Read More

Engagement in Practice: Lessons Learned Partnering with Science Educators and Local Engineers in Rural Schools

Publications

Our NSF-funded ITEST project focuses on the collaborative design, implementation, and study of recurrent hands-on engineering activities with middle school youth in three rural communities in or near Appalachia. To achieve this aim, our team of faculty and graduate students partner with school educators and industry experts embedded in students’ local communities to collectively develop curriculum to aim at teacher-identified science standard and facilitate regular in-class interventions throughout the academic year. Leveraging local expertise is especially critical in this project because

Read More

Robust Head Detection in Collaborative Learning Environments Using AM-FM Representations

Publications

The paper introduces the problem of robust head detection in collaborative learning environments. In such environments, the camera remains fixed while the students are allowed to sit at different parts of a table. Example challenges include the fact that students may be facing away from the camera or exposing different parts of their face to the camera. To address these issues, the paper proposes the development of two new methods based on Amplitude Modulation-Frequency Modulation (AM-FM) models. First, a combined approach based on color and FM texture is developed for robust face detection

Read More