The shortage of skilled labour in science and engineering, we will all face within the coming years, worry large and small industries all over the world. The European Union needs young boys and girls to pursue STEM based careers but it has been difficult to attract them. How can this problem be tackled? How can we promote interest in learning STEM and STEM careers and develop the culture of innovation among youth? One way is to start early and address primary schools. Introducing engineering into the curricula of formal and non-formal education could be a solution.
The ambitious goal of the Engineer project is to introduce engineering into primary schools and museums programmes throughout Europe and inspire the next generations of innovators and problem solvers.
Within the project, funded by the EC under the FP 7, twenty-six partners from twelve countries, science museums, school teachers and universities, have joined forces to develop innovative ways of getting children excited about science and engineering. Ten learning units, based on engineering challenges in different fields, were developed and tested in ten countries and already involved 27,000 pupils and 1,000 teachers. Through Engineer, teachers and science educators were able to engage pupils in real life experiences, integrate different science disciplines, increase their technological literacy, foster girls’ engagement with science and promote team work.
All the learning units are based on the engineering design process: ask, imagine, plan, create, and improve. Emphasizing the cycle as a learning tool helps teachers to foster pupils’ interest and creativity, and gives space for pupils to develop their questioning and problem-solving skills including testing alternative options, interpreting results, and evaluating solutions. An important goal is to maximize opportunities for group work, to support pupils in learning to work together and communicate their ideas effectively.
The engineering challenges as well as the teachers’ guides and materials of the ten units are already uploaded on the Engineer website and on the Scientix portal in ten languages. All units can be adapted and used by every teacher and science educator.
ENGINEER is a European project based on the successful Engineering is Elementary® (EiE®) model developed by the Museum of Science in Boston (USA). The American program is currently part of the curriculum in schools in all 50 US states, used by 4.5 million students. Running from 2004, EiE showed major improvements in increasing interest, knowledge, and skills for both girls and boys.
Contact and links:
www.engineer-project.eu
Audrey Korczynska
[email protected]
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