ExamplemathquestionofpreandpostͲtestsurveys
•LaunchedduringthespringsessionofDAPCEP(Deroit
AreaPreͲCollegeEngineeringProgram.
•ProgramOutline
• Week1– Introduction
• Week2– SurveyingBuildings
• Week3– IntroductiontoBridges
• Week4– StrengthofMaterials
• Week5Ͳ Exposition
•Participantdemographics:
• Numberofparticipants– 12
• Gender– 2female,10male
• Gradelevel– 8th and9th gradestudents
•PreͲ andpostͲtestwasadministeredtodetermine:
• Interestinengineeringasaprofession
• Comprehensionofmathematicalconceptscovered
inclass
Week3:StrengthofMaterials
•Learnaboutthestrengthsandweaknessesofmaterials
commonlyusedinconstruction
•Testthestrengthofaclayspecimenanddetermineits
designproperties
Studentsbuildingpopsiclestickbridgedesign
Week2:IntroductiontoBridges
•Learnabouttypesofbridges,tensionandcompression
•Applytrigonometricprinciplestocomputeloadsin
simpletrusses
•Buildandtestapopsiclestickbridge
Studentexploringtrigonometrywithsurveyingtool
Week1 :SurveyingBuildings
•Discusshistoryofandmotivationforsurveying
•Learn/reviewnecessarytrigonometricprinciples
•Makeabasicsurveyingtool
•Usetooltodeterminetheheightsofvariousbuildings
GoalsofProgram:
•Increasestudent’sunderstandingofengineering
professionanditsrelationtomathandscience
•Increasestudent’sdesiretocontinuewithmathand
sciencesthroughouthighschool
•Provideintroductiontofoundationalhighschool
mathematicalconcepts(i.e.trigonometry)
Inaugural Implementation
Curriculum Development
Middle School Outreach Program
4.09
4.36
PreͲTest
2.05
0.80± 0.92
PostͲTest
2.52
2.40± 1.84
•Revisesurveystobettertestastudent’s
comprehensionofmaterialandlikelihoodtocontinue
withmathandsciencethroughhighschool
•Assesslongtermimpactoftheprogram
Future Work
1.0– VeryUncertain,4.0– VeryCertain
Avg. studentconfidencelevel
Points earned– Mean± StdDev
Statement
4Questions(worth2pointseach)thattestedstudents
abilitytoapplysine,cosineandtangentrelationships
andthePythagoreantheorem.
Math Survey Results
1.0– VeryUntrue,5.0– VeryTrue
4.55
4.27
4.64
4.91
4.09
7.Iamconfident thatIcanapplybasicmath
skillstosolveengineeringproblems.
8.IamconfidentthatIcan applybasicscience
skillstosolveengineeringproblems.
4.45
3.09
3.00
6.Iamveryconfidentinmyscienceskills.
3.55
4.65
4.55
3.55
3.55
4.27
Avg. Avg. PostͲ
PreͲTest
Test
5.Iam veryconfidentinmymathskills.
2.Iknowwhatcivil& environmental
engineeringis.
3. IwillchoosetostudyengineeringwhenIgo
tocollege.
4.Iwillchoosetostudycivilandenvironmental
engineeringwhenIgotocollege.
1.Iknowwhatengineeringis.
Statement
Interest Survey Results
Thelearningmodulesincreasedstudents’awarenessof
thediscipline,confidenceintheirability,andmathand
scienceskills
Conclusion
SixthAnnualResearchandScholarshipinEngineeringEducationPosterFair:February7,2012
Courtney A. Peckens, Jerome P. Lynch
Deepening Math and Science Skills in Middle School Students through
Civil Engineering-based Learning Modules