Thinking like an Engineer
Thinking like an Engineer is a two-year project (2014-2016) co-ordinated by the Centre for Real-World Learning (CRL) at the University of Winchester on behalf of the Royal Academy of Engineering. We are working with teachers in schools and colleges who are incorporating our six Engineering Habits of Mind (EHoM) into their teaching of STEM-related curriculum subjects.
The aim is to see if, by deliberately focusing students’ learning on these habits of mind, we can encourage them to think more like engineers and develop the aspiration to engage with the underpinning STEM subjects that will enable them to access careers in engineering in the future.
In year one (2014/15) five schools in the Hampshire/SW Sussex region, Reading College and the JCB Academy in Rocester participated, and in year two (2015/16) they have been joined by five more schools and two more colleges.
In July we held a project conference in London to celebrate the end of the first year and disseminate outcomes. Reports and presentations from that event are available here.
On June 21st 2016 we organised a second conference to discuss the EHoM interventions that have been implemented this year. Project members and supporters came together to celebrate the energy and commitment of all our ‘teacher heroes’. You can see the presentations here.
For further details about the schools and colleges involved Click here.
Partners
Tinker Tailor Robot Pi
We are collaborating with the Science and Engineering Education Research and Innovation Hub at the University of Manchester, where a parallel project is being conducted with schools in the North West. For more details about Tinker Tailor Robot Pi, click here.
Primary Engineer
In our second year we have been joined by a group of teachers in Scotland who are working with Primary Engineer. For more details, click here.
Winchester Science Centre
In the first year of our project Winchester Science Centre played an important role in recruiting schools and STEM ambassadors to our project, and hosted our workshops. We are grateful to them for their support and for further details about the resources they offer schools, Click here
Impact
In our report ‘Thinking like an Engineer’ we identified six EHoM that engineers use regularly when engaged in ‘doing’ engineering, illustrated in the diagram below. This chart is being used by the Royal Academy of Engineering in its promotional activity, including the Engineering Your Future Exhibition at the Science Museum.
The six EHoM also guided the questions used in a survey of parents, young people and engineers for the publication ‘Big Ideas in Engineering Education’ published by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Royal Academy of Engineering in March 2016.
One of the recommendations of ‘Big Ideas in Engineering Education’ is to focus on the integrative possibilities of Design and Technology for engaging young people in engineering, and Bill Lucas was invited to comment on the importance of D&T in the curriculum for Ingenia, the quarterly journal of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Bill and Janet have had an article on EHoM and signature pedagogies published in the May 2016 issue of the International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy (IJEP), available here: Lucas and Hanson 2016 IJEP.pdf
Project Events:
EHoM Action Research Workshop Primary Engineer® in Scotland led by Dr Janet Hanson
21 September 2016
Glasgow
Introduction to Thinking like an Engineer & Engineering Habits of Mind for Primary Engineer® in Scotland led by Professor Bill Lucas
23 June 2016
Glasgow
Second Project Conference 2016
21 June 2016
Royal Academy of Engineering, London
EHoM Coaching Workshop for Primary Engineer® in Scotland
24 November 2015
Glasgow
Workshop for Activate Learning Participants
9 October 2015
Reading College
Project Conference 2015
09 July 2015
Royal Academy of Engineering, London
Review of Action Plans – Drop-In Support Session
21 May 2015
University of Winchester
Teacher Professional Development Workshop 2 – Coaching and Check-In
24 Feb 2015
Winchester Science Centre
Thinking Like an Engineer Professional Development- Workshop 1
23 Jan 2015
Winchester Science Centre
Thinking like an Engineer Project Launch
10 December 2014
Winchester Science Centre
For support with project activities and research, contact
Dr. Janet Hanson: janet.hanson@winchester.ac.uk
For website queries: eednet@winchester.ac.uk
