Signal Processing - May 2017 - 71

Theoretical support for precollege
engineering education
Student-related engineering program designs are supported by a sociopsychological theoretical framework that
synthesizes elements of the expectancyvalue model and the theory of planned
behavior. Career choice has often been
associated with outcome expectations or
the anticipation of probable results from
chosen actions [47]. This construct is partially explained by the expectancy-value
model, which suggests that behaviors are
based upon two considerations: the anticipation of actual outcomes and the importance or value attached to that choice
[48]. Students generally do not choose
careers in which they do not feel competent, and they do not see their relevance
and social value early in the academic
pipeline; this is particularly true for traditionally underrepresented students in
math-intensive fields such as engineering
[49]. The choice of engineering majors
and persistence in the field has been
linked to whether students possess an engineering identity that is consistent with
their sense of self [50].
The theory of planned behavior [51]
built upon the expectancy-value model by
suggesting that one's controllability of
career choice is predicated by self-efficacy. The theory states that human behavior
is guided by likely consequences, the normative expectations of others, and beliefs
about inhibiting factors. Engineering may
be viewed as an achievable career choice
if students have the confidence that they
can overcome potential obstacles along
the way. For example, undergraduate
engineering majors have often experienced declines in self-efficacy early in
their academic majors, and social supports are necessary for overcoming their
self-doubts [52]-[54]. Our educator-related project designs also incorporate expectancy value and the theory of planned
behavior in professional development; we
believe teachers must be aware of these
constructs in appropriately advising students about engineering careers.

Current outreach efforts
in the United States
Research has shown that early exposure
to engineering activities can significant-

ly increase student awareness of engineering as a rewarding career path.
Effective engineering programs in K-12
education have tended to incorporate inductive teaching approaches, which are
referred to as problem-based or discovery learning. Collaborative knowledge
construction is another strategy for
modeling engineering practices [55],
[56]. When working with diverse groups
of students, engineering pedagogy that
is interactive and student centered helps
students recognize their cultural capital
and improves their overall engagement
[57]. Engineering education based upon
NGSS and ASEE guidelines can improve engineering knowledge and skills
as well as the scientific literacy necessary to understand and solve real-world
problems [58]. These pedagogical principles have guided many engineering
education projects. We provide some examples of these existing programs to situate our own work in building upon
successful models.
The core objective of many outreach
efforts is to align activities and workshops consistent with ASEE's goal that
all Americans will be able to apply concepts of science, technology, and mathematics to engineering processes and
problems [5]. Previous work in the field
has generated engineering curricula for
students and research on their impacts
has been mostly positive [58], [59], [60].
Some curricula are for full-year courses
specifically in engineering. For example,
Project Lead the Way (PLTW) [61]
developed curricula for one-year high
school courses in introductory engineering, aerospace engineering, civil engineering, digital electronics, and other
engineering-related focus areas. They
provide professional development,
resources, and ongoing training for
teachers to implement PLTW curricula
effectively. A review of PLTW research
revealed that participating students performed as well or slightly better than
non-PLTW peers, while teachers reported increasing their STEM integration
over time [62]. Engineer Your World, a
high school curriculum developed by
UTeach at University of Texas Austin
[63], is a one-year engineering design
course based on socially relevant issues.
IEEE Signal Processing Magazine

May 2017

Students learn about engineering design
and habits of mind while also exploring
the breadth of engineering professions.
Other engineering education innovations were designed for teachers to
incorporate engineering in their existing science, technology, or mathematics curricula. The Infinity Project [64]
provides two-day professional development for teachers to create and implement individual design projects in their
middle and high school classrooms.
Engineering Is Elementary was created
for elementary and middle school
teachers to include engineering activities related to real-world problems
[65]. Out-of-school time (OST) programs, such as In the Middle of Engineering (IME) [66], provide informal
exposure to engineering activities that
parallel their school-based science
and physics curricula. IME is targeted
toward girls in middle and high
school and involves women engineers
as teachers and role models. These
programs and others have resulted in
increased STEM interest among participating students [17], [67], an internal
construct that often leads to further
STEM persistence.

Current outreach efforts at SBU
Our current outreach efforts focus on
OST programs targeting high school
students. Participation in OST programs
has been shown to improve students' interest in STEM study and careers [68],
so we have developed these programs to
increase the number of students who intend to major in engineering. We describe two of our outreach initiatives
here to illustrate how research and best
practices informed our project designs.
The first one is an engineering summer
camp for high school sophomores and
juniors. The second program comprises
school and SBU-based OST engineering programs for freshman, sophomore, and junior students. For both
programs, special emphasis has been
placed on recruitment of underrepresented and high needs students and financial
support has been obtained to promote
their inclusion.
The goal of these programs is to expose students to the challenge, passion,
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