Subject:
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Educational Benefits of Lego Engineering Lab
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.edu
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Date:
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Thu, 6 Jul 2000 21:21:56 GMT
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Highlighted:
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(details)
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6397 times
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Howdy,
There are many benefits to installing a Lego based engineering program
in schools. I culled the following from a white paper
my company has online (
http://academy.edventures.com/frontend/white1.html ) regarding the
benefits of creating a
Lego engineering lab. I hope the following can be used in writing
grants, and that it will spark some discussion regarding
Lego elements and education!
Richard
rwright@pcsedu.com
www.weirdrichard.com
***SNIP***
**Why is Engineering Education and Awareness Important?
"Engineering will be one of the most significant forces in designing
continued economic development and success for
humankind in a manner that will sustain both the planet and its
growing population. Engineers will develop the new
processes and products. They will create and manage new systems
for civil infrastructure, manufacturing,
communications, health care delivery, information management,
environmental conservation and monitoring, and
everything else that makes modern society function. As major 'agents
of civilization change,' today's engineers must
think about the larger context in which they
pursue their work."
---Joseph Bordogna, acting Deputy Director of the National Science
Foundation and President of The Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
"..it is clear to me today that if we, as an engineering community, in
partnership with the media and our educational
system, fail to act now to increase society's understanding of
engineering, particularly among women and minorities,
our nation's economic, environmental, and national
security will be threatened."
---Martha Sloan, Professor of Electrical Engineering at Michigan
Technological University and the first woman to be elected chair of the
American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES).
The above quotations were made in response to a recent Harris Poll (July
1998) on public perceptions of Engineers and
Engineering. As a nation, we currently face a growing shortage of
students pursuing technical careers. Much of this is due to a
lack of information about what role engineers play in our society, and
what their jobs entail. This lack of information is pervasive
and holds true for adults as well as students and if this trend is not
reversed near term, future generations will suffer seriously
from a critical shortage of technically trained personnel.
Direct Benefit of the Academy of Engineering: Immediate, visual and
tactile awareness of what engineers do, what career opportunities exist,
and why engineering is important and exciting. This benefit extends to
all who visit and see the results of the program including parents,
teachers, and visitors --– not just the participating students.
**Builds Student Self Esteem
Through the appropriate application of project based learning,
tremendous gains can be made in the building of student
self-esteem, a significant component to student success. Since the
Academy of Engineering curriculum is designed to grow
student’s knowledge and proficiency step-by-step, each student will
successfully complete projects which provide positive and
real encouragement to that student.
Direct Benefit of the AOE: Improved student self-image and confidence.
**Develops Critical Thinking and Problem Skills
The engineering projects that students work on within the Academy of
Engineering were specifically designed to foster critical
thinking and problem solving skills. The nature of the curriculum is
such that it begins by having students do activities in a
step-by-step fashion that teaches the basic principals and related
concepts of the activity. Progressive activities become more
and more open-ended and challenge based until the student is actually
mastering and applying the foundation concepts to solving
problems.
Direct Benefit of the AOE: Students who are flexible, adaptable thinkers
with the ability to creatively approach and solve
problems.
**Introduces Real World Applications of Math and Science
The PCS Academy of Engineering provides a rich source of activities and
challenges that introduce, illustrate, and reinforce
mathematical concepts and applications for students of all ages and
ability levels. This active learning environment motivates
students and actively promotes in-depth understanding of how math
principles are applied, and why they are important. A few
examples of the range of math skills that can be introduced include
measurement of distances, performance comparisons,
addition, subtraction, estimation, counting, accuracy, units of weight,
calibration, linear versus logarithmic scales, unit
conversions, multiplication and division, angles, ballistics,
trajectories, averaging, and much more.
Direct Benefit of the AOE: Real world appreciation and application of
math skills.
**Promotes Real World Work Skills
Some of the skills that are most conducive to success in the real world
are not technical or academic skills, rather they are
people skills. These include the ability to communicate clearly, work on
a team, and solve problems. The Academy of
Engineering program has a variety of mechanisms built into its
programming to foster these skills through activities that
emphasize research, communications (both written and verbal), and
cooperative and team challenges.
Direct Benefit of the AOE: Students acquire real-world skills in
teamwork, communications, and problem solving.
**Promotes a Life Long Learning Paradigm in Students
Hands-on, engaging activities that introduce students to the excitement
of science and technology can have a profound affect on
a student’s desire to learn. The ultimate goal of all educators is to
create and inspire an intrinsic desire to learn within their
students. A student who is self motivated to explore and learn because
it is a pleasure will be a successful student, and most
likely a success in life because of this outlook. The Academy of
Engineering has been demonstrated over 10 years to
significantly impact student’s attitudes about learning.
Direct Benefit of the AOE: Students who are excited about technology,
learning, and opportunities in math and science related
fields such as engineering and information technology.
**Significant Career Opportunities Exist for Students
Mechanical engineering is a ubiquitous expertise that can be found in a
variety of applications ranging from the development of
sporting equipment to space craft. Regardless of the product, nearly all
development projects require the expertise of a
mechanical engineer to produce a final, working product. Engineers with
a bachelors degree can find themselves starting out
with an annual salary of $40,000; the median salary nationwide for
mechanical engineers is over $65,000 a year. With regard to
other engineering and technology related disciplines, specifically
information technologies, the demand for technically qualified
employees is soaring in the United States and is projected to create
95,000 new jobs per year through the year 2005.
Direct Benefit of the AOE: Students who are excited about science and
technology will have huge opportunities for employment
in the coming decade.
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