UVM/GIV Engineering Summer Institute June 28 - July 5, 2008

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EDSC 295: Developing Units Based on Engineering Design Tasks


Taught by John Clarke, Professor Emeritus, and Russ Agne, Professor, from the College of Education and Social Services.

This course was held June 22-30, 2002. Future dates are TBA.

Purpose:
Working in concert with the UVM/GIV Engineering Institute for high school students, this course examines application of situated cognition to standards-based unit design in mathematics and the sciences. As they design a standards-based unit employing engineering design tasks for field testing during the fall semester, participants will engage in four kinds of learning:
  • Thinking - relating major concepts from constructivist learning theory and high school reform literature to specific instances of engaged student learning;
  • Planning - designing a standards-based unit that engages all students in using ideas and skills from the content areas to solve real-world problems;
  • Observing - testing different techniques from problem-based learning (PBL) and "science/technology/society" (STS) in the development of engineering design tasks;
  • Reflecting - using concepts from constructivist theory to analyze student learning and critique their own unit plans.
After working through this cycle (several times), participants will produce a field-tested for publication in high schools across Vermont.

Focusing Questions:
How can educators use design tasks to improve learning for all students?
Scaffolding questions:
  • How do complex tasks affect the learning process?
  • Can teachers use a standards-based design process to engage all students?
  • Can design tasks in a standards-based format improve content-area learning?
  • How can observation, reflection, thinking and re-planning support the improvement of teaching and learning?

To register for a UVM course, go to http://registrar.uvm.edu/. You should mail all registration materials to:
Evening University
Waterman Building, The University of Vermont
85 South Prospect Street
Burlington, VT   05405-0160
For more information, contact Donna Deshler at 656-4391 or ddeshler@zoo.uvm.edu.