Innovations in US Engineering Education

2. Innovations in USEngineering Education Norman L. Fortenberry, Sc.D. Executive Director ASEE

3. ASEE History Founded in 1893, ASEE uniquely • Spans all engineering disciplines • Encompasses all activities of academic engineering and lifeline learning (teaching, research, and public service) • Links academic engineering to stakeholders in business, industry, government, and NGOs • Advances global awareness and collaboration in engineering education

4. ASEE Mission Advancing education in engineering and engineering technology education by • Promoting excellence in instruction, research, public service, and practice; • Exercising worldwide leadership; • Fostering the technological education of society; and • Providing quality products and services to members

5. ASEE Membership • 448 Colleges (including 89 2-year) • 164 Corporations • 27 Non-profits • 11,709 individuals • 82.3% professional, life, retired, and global • 6.1 % student • 1.1% K-12 educator

6. ASEE Influence • Key reports – Grinter (1955), Green (1994), Creating a Culture for Scholarly and Systematic Innovation in Engineering Education (2009) • Policy Influencers • ASEE Board of Directors • Engineering Deans Council • Corporate Member Council • Engineering Research Council

7. Challenges in Engineering Education • 1960’s – The Soviet “threat” • 1970’s – The Japanese “threat” • 1980’s – The demographic “threat” • 1990’s – The global “threat” • 2000’s – The environmental “threat” • 2010’s – The Chinese “threat”

8. Responses to Challenges in Engineering Education • 1960’s – The scientific engineer • 1970’s – The transactional engineer • 1980’s – The managerial engineer • 1990’s – The global engineer • 2000’s – The holistic engineer • 2010’s – The elite engineer

9. Responses to Challenges in Engineering Education • Focus on finding and retaining students • Focus on “fixing” students • Focus on “understanding” students • Focus on “learning” • Focus on educational systems

10. Broader Challenges in Education • STEM Education for ALL (including returning Service Members) • Overcoming Impediments to Engaging Diverse Populations (including returning Service Members) • Large-Scale Faculty Development

11. Innovations in Engineering Education • Experiential Learning • Internships/Contests/Service/Venturing/Clinics • Inductive Learning • PBL, Inquiry, Case-based, JIT, etc. • Design before fundamentals • Real engineering, real early • Deployment of education research • Engineering in K-12 (stand-alone, and in S,M, & T) Note overlaps in the elements above

12. Challenges in Sustaining Innovations in Engineering Education • Achieving Institutionalization • Linking education to practice • Recognizing global commonalities

13. Possible Areas of Collaboration • Support consensus building activities for sustaining current undergraduate innovations and advancing to new innovations • Sustain resources in support of faculty-led efforts • Support exploration of recognition of promising K-12 engineering materials and programs.