Science Learning through Engineering Design (SLED) Targeted Partnership

通过工程设计进行科学学习的有针对性的数学-科学伙伴关系(SLED)愿景是通过开发印第安纳州第一个以工程设计为基础的综合小学/中学科学教育方法来增加3-6年级学生的科学学习。普渡大学的工程、科学、技术和教育学院与印第安纳州的四个学区合作：泰勒社区学校公司、普利茅斯学校公司、拉斐特学校公司和蒂佩卡诺学校公司。该项目正在设计一个以设计和标准为基础的课程，发明基于设计的科学教学方法，并实施持续的评估，以在印第安纳州中部的职前和在职教师教育水平为该项目提供信息。该合作伙伴关系正在利用暑期学校、与普渡大学职前教师的联系、网络基础设施、行动研究和研究生课程，为教师配备基于设计的教学技能和科学内容。由科学教育、数学教育和工程设计方面的公认专家组成的外部咨询委员会每年举行会议，为项目团队提供意见。项目有四个相互关联的部分：1)STEM学科教员和3-6年级教师之间的合作，以适应和开发基于工程设计的任务；2)在职教师专业发展计划，使合作学校的3-6年级教师能够通过真正的、以探究为基础的多学科设计单位，将工程设计作为教授科学的工具；3)职前教师教育计划，为未来的小学教师利用工程设计过程教授科学做准备；以及4)将调查3-6年级教师如何通过工程设计过程教授科学以及学生如何通过基于设计的活动学习的研究。该伙伴关系正在努力产生的具体成果包括：1)对200名中小学教师进行在职专业发展，并为100名职前教师做好准备，通过真实的、基于探究的多学科设计项目使用工程设计教授科学2)通过接触合作学校基于工程设计的课程和教师实施的活动，提高合作学校3-6年级5,000名学生的科学成绩。3)建立一个经过测试的、以设计为基础的课程材料资料库，以支持3-6年级的科学教学。4)建立一个以网络基础设施为基础的实践社区，通过工程设计进行科学教育，可传播3-6年级基于工程设计的课程材料。5)研究教师如何通过工程设计过程教授科学，以及青年学生如何通过以设计为基础的活动学习科学。6)通过开发以工程设计为重点的本科生科学方法课程、为在职教师和STEM研究生开设研究生课程以及将以工程设计为基础的课程整合到伙伴学校的3-6年级，使以工程设计为基础的创新制度化。

The Targeted Math-Science Partnership of Science Learning through Engineering Design (SLED) vision is to increase grade 3-6 student learning of science by developing Indiana's first integrated, engineering design-based approach to elementary/intermediate school science education. The partnership involves Purdue University's colleges of Engineering, Science, Technology, and Education working with four Indiana school districts: Taylor Community School Corporation, Plymouth School Corporation, Lafayette School Corporation, and Tippecanoe School Corporation. The project is devising a design- and standards-based curriculum, inventing design-informed science instructional methods, and implementing on-going assessments to inform the project at the pre- and in-service teacher education levels in central Indiana. The partnership is using summer institutes, linkages with Purdue pre-service teachers, cyber-infrastructure, action research, and graduate coursework to equip teachers with design-based pedagogical skills and science content. An external advisory board consisting of recognized experts in science education, mathematics education, and engineering design meet annually to provide input to the project team.The project has four interrelated components: 1) collaboration between STEM disciplinary faculty and grades 3-6 teachers to adapt and develop engineering design-based tasks; 2) an in-service teacher professional development program to equip grades 3-6 teachers in partnering schools to use engineering design as a tool for teaching science through authentic, inquiry-based, multi-disciplinary design units; 3) a pre-service teacher education program to prepare future elementary school teachers to teach science using the engineering design process; and 4) research that will investigate how grades 3-6 teachers teach science through the engineering design process and how students learn through design-based activities.Specific outcomes that the partnership is working to produce include:1) In-service professional development for 200 elementary/intermediate school teachers and preparation of 100 pre-service teachers in the use of engineering design to teach science through authentic, inquiry-based, multi-disciplinary design projects.2) Improved science achievement of 5,000 students in grades 3-6 in the partner schools through exposure to engineering design-based curriculum and activities implemented by teachers. 3) A library of tested, design-based curricular materials to support teaching science in grades 3-6. 4) Creation of a cyber-infrastructure-enabled community of practice related to science education through engineering design that can disseminate grades 3-6 engineering design-based curriculum materials. 5) Research on the understanding of how teachers teach science through the engineering design process and how young students learn science through design-based activities.6) Institutionalization of engineering design-based innovation through the development of an undergraduate engineering design-focused science methods course, a graduate course for in-service teachers and STEM graduate students, and the integration of engineering design-based curriculum in grades 3-6 of partner schools.