The Evolution of an Engineering Problem Solver

这个工程教育研究项目将帮助一个由工程教师和教育研究人员组成的团队计划收集长期数据，以了解明尼苏达州一门独特课程的学生学习变化。铁岭工程项目从社区大学中汲取灵感，让学生参与自主的、以项目为基础的学习课程，课程涉及需要雇佣工程师的当地行业。这个项目更广泛的意义和重要性将是调查在美国很少实施的替代课程模式的有效性。对于在大多数工程项目中代表性不足的学生群体，或者希望在获得工程学位的过程中积累以前的实际经验的学生群体，铁岭工程模式有可能成为一种模式。该项目与NSF的战略目标重叠，即通过培养具有新能力和专业知识的工程人才来改变前沿。此外，通过支持创新学习系统的发展，NSF实现了为社会创新的目标。

This engineering education research project will help a team of engineering faculty and educational researchers plan to collect long term data to understand changes in student learning for a unique curriculum in Minnesota. The Iron Range Engineering program draws from community colleges and engages students in a self-directed, project-based learning curriculum that involves local industries that need to hire engineers. The broader significance and importance of this project will be to investigate the effectively of alternative curricular models that have rarely been implemented in the United States. The Iron Range Engineering model has the potential to serve as a model for groups of students who are under-represented in most engineering programs or who desire to build on previous real-world experiences in obtaining an engineering degree. This project overlaps with NSF's strategic goals of transforming the frontiers through preparation of an engineering workforce with new capabilities and expertise. Additionally NSF's goal of innovating for society is enabled by supporting the development of innovative learning systems.