Pilot Program will Engage High Schools Students in Engineering Principles and Design
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has introduced a three-year, $4 million pilot aimed at developing a well thought out and effective curriculum that will focus on Engineering Principles and Designs. The main advantage for the students is that this high school course will be transferable as college credit.
The fact that this course will be accepted worldwide in colleges is something that will be a point of attraction.
The purpose of teaching this course to high school students is mainly to ‘burst the bubble’ which surrounds critical degrees related to science and especially engineering. It is a subject that many students consider but many have no idea what the field really creates.
In this course, students look closely and examine the field and get a chance to explore it more to see if they want to pursue a career in it in the future. Students can think of this course as a chance to explore a field that is widely in demand in today’s world.
With insight into what college courses are actually like, this addition in their curriculum will democratize the learning of the field.
The program will be led by some top-notch universities including the University of Maryland, Arizona State University, Vanderbilt University, and Virginia Tech. All of these institutes will partner together to collaborate, disseminate, and evaluate the curriculum that will be devised.
The course’s main center of attention will be engineering principles and like any other high school and college course, will demand a student project at the end of the term.
The NSF is currently targeting all urban as well as suburban and rural highs schools to make sure no stone is left unturned and this pilot is able to reach to a vast majority of students. The program will be diverse, as it will cater to all students regardless of race and ethnic background. The figures indicate that this pilot will cover approximately 1400 students from 40 different schools.
To ensure that the plan of credit transfer to undergraduate colleges shall not face any hindrances, the pilot will of course follow the course of College Board and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).
The authorities are pretty affirmative about this addition and eagerly looking forward to it. However, the response by students shall be determined in the future once the addition is made.
Indications suggest that a chance to learn something related to a successful field will help students take their future plans more seriously.
An insight into what happens in a serious field will give them a chance to rethink and reassure their choices in order to select a suitable field and career for themselves.
The National Science Foundation is all set to spend a good amount of money on this pilot; they are proud of this decision and are looking forward to a positive response from the students.
The course: Engineering Principles and Design, will surely be an addition that will be considered as a highlighted part of high school curriculum history.
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