Research Adaptation and Adjustments in an Informal Engineering Learning Program

• In Event: Research in Informal Learning Environments During COVID-19

Abstract

Objectives or purposes
Our guiding research questions are 1) In what roles and in what ways do caregivers influence youth to identify with or as engineers?; 2) How might caregiver involvement motivate youth to become aware of, interested in, and prepared for engineering careers?; and 3) What does this look like when conducted in familiar home environments? Our unifying interest is the inclusion of caregivers as key members in this process. To date, we have developed and implemented a program that integrates and emphasizes the engineering design cycle and practices into home environments of families from different community types in our local area.
Perspective(s) or theoretical framework
Our work is informed by the educational model of collaborative learning which has been found to foster dialogue and social interaction that facilitates learning and empowers greater performance amongst all types of learners (Rutherford, 2014). Collaborative learning is informed by sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978) which considers learning as processes of social interaction.
Methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry
Phase one included take-home engineering kits with instruction guides, materials, and tools that encouraged the use of recycled materials and items easily accessible at home. During the pandemic, multiple kits were delivered to individual participant doorsteps once a month. Phase two involved the identification and development of personal engineering projects. Youth and caregivers identified projects of interest in their homes or communities and worked to brainstorm, design, test, and modify prototypes.
Data sources, evidence, objects, or materials
Participant recordings and photos of kits and self-identified projects conducted at home became the central source of information and evidence, supplemented by the recorded group sessions held via Zoom. Further, informal communication and engagement between participants and researchers as well as semi-structured interviews conducted at the completion of the program have provided invaluable insights and evidence to support research.
Results and/or substantiated conclusions or warrants for arguments/point of view
Initial results indicate significant caregiver influence on phases of the engineering design cycle, youth understanding of the field of engineering, and the development of youth self-efficacy and interest in engineering. Preliminary evidence suggests that youth thinking around engineering at home (i.e. fixing, building, making) increases with participation in a structured program that facilitates steps in the engineering process in a familiar, informal learning environment. Interviews indicate that youth interest in engineering, confidence, independent thinking, and leadership skills, are positively impacted through participation in an approachable and manageable project structure conducted in their immediate, familiar, and informal home environments.
Scientific or scholarly significance of the study or work
This work contributes to the development of research-based engineering educational materials and programs for use by educators and families in informal learning spaces. Findings demonstrate unique ways caregivers and home environments influence youth identity and self-awareness of their engineering identities. Further, pandemic adaptations in program provision and data collection provide tangible examples of ways existing programs or engineering curriculum might shift or evolve to facilitate greater flexibility and utility for participants and researchers working in informal learning environments.

Authors

• Peter N. Knox, University of Vermont

• Amber Simpson, Binghamton University - SUNY