PROJECTS MANAGED BY OTHER NSF PROGRAMS
AND CO-FUNDED BY ATE
New Awards (1997)

The ATE Program is contributing funds to several proposals that were submitted to and funded through other programs. The ATE co-funding will ensure that these projects make the education of technicians a priority. Below, the ATE contribution is listed first, and the total award from all NSF sources is given in parentheses.


Technology for All Americans--Phase II

ESI 9626809
FY1997, $250,000 (total: $501,905)
FY1998, $200,000 (total: $419,755)
FY1999, $250,000 (total: $539,060)
General Technology

William E. Dugger
International Technology Education Association
Technology for All Americans Project
1997 S. Main St., Suite 701
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0353
tfaa@bellatlantic.net
(540) 953-0203

This project will extend work funded in previous years under ESI 9355826 and ESI 9641641.
          The document Technology for All Americans: A Rationale and Structure for the Study of Technology, produced by the International Technology Education Association, identifies the following elements of technology that should serve as a foundation for developing students’ technological literacy: (1) designing and developing technological systems, (2) determining and controlling the behavior of technological systems, (3) utilizing technological systems, (4) assessing the impacts and consequences of technological systems, (5) knowledge of contextual relationships, (6) knowledge of the nature and evolution of technology, and (7) technological concepts and principles. Using these elements as a guide, this project is developing standards for what technological concepts and processes students should understand and be able to apply in grades K–12, with benchmarks at grades 2, 5, 8, and 12.
          The standards are being compiled by a small central staff. A standards team—consisting of administrators, technology educators (both teachers and teacher educators), and representatives from science, mathematics, and engineering—provides the content. An advisory group, consisting of individuals who have been involved in developing other standards, provides recommendations for the standards development process. Consensus on the standards is being developed through hearings conducted at professional conferences and through reviews conducted via mail and via the World Wide Web. Third party evaluation is being used to monitor the content and the process, to ensure that the standards will be useful in a variety of contexts.

 

Revitalizing Classroom Teaching andLearning: A Beginning for Two-Year College Mathematics

DUE 9653224
FY1997, $49,799 (total: $99,799)
Mathematics

Elizabeth T. Higgins
Greenville Technical College
Dept. of Mathematics
P.O. Box 5616
Greenville, SC 29606-5616
higgineth@vltec.edu
(864) 250-8095

This project will provide a model for curriculum reform that focuses on problem solving and real world applications in introductory mathematics at two-year colleges—specifically, in college algebra and statistics, two courses that have great importance for the technical workforce. The project has three objectives: (1) to revise the mathematics curriculum, incorporating work-based experiences, technology, and an interactive learning environment; (2) to expand faculty dialogue to include perspectives from the secondary level as well as the two- and four-year postsecondary levels; and (3) to provide opportunities for faculty development in support of collaborative teaching methodologies, student engagement in learning, and curriculum development.
          To accomplish the above objectives, the project will give faculty members opportunities (1) to interact with local businesses and industries through site visits, shadowing, and internships; (2) to increase teamwork and faculty interaction by participating in professional development activities; (3) to improve their understanding of learning styles, collaborative learning, and the use of technology as a tool for problem solving; and (4) to engage in team efforts to develop, pilot, refine, and implement new teaching methods, work-based problems, and strategies for student interaction. The participating faculty will keep diaries of mathematics applications in the workplace as they visit local businesses and industries. They will also develop teaching portfolios, which will detail the types of learning activities and methodologies they have introduced into classes, discuss why some strategies were more successful than others, and describe students’ reactions.

 

SPIRAL Physics Active Learning Workbooks

DUE 9653228
FY1996, $33,360 (total: $66,360)
Physics

Paul D’Alessandris
Monroe Community College
Dept. of Engineering Science and Physics
1000 E. Henrietta Rd.
Rochester, NY 14623
pdalessandri@monroecc.edu
(716) 292-2490

In response to increasing evidence of the ineffectiveness of traditional introductory physics courses in improving students’ conceptual understanding of physics and their problem solving abilities, a series of workbooks, SPIRAL Physics, has been developed and used in place of a standard textbook in the introductory physics course sequence at Monroe Community College during the past several years. These workbooks, designed for use in an active learning environment, arrange topics such that students receive repeated exposure to concepts over an extended period of time, with each exposure presenting an incremental increase in conceptual complexity. The workbooks make extensive use of alternative problem types, such as ranking tasks, goalless problem statements, and critical analysis tasks.
          This project will expand and modify the workbooks to make them a more attractive alternative to traditional physics instruction at other institutions. In addition, support materials, including an instructor guide, student guide, and textbook, will be developed. An advisory committee drawn from both the two-year college physics community and the community of physics education researchers will supervise the revision of the workbooks and support materials. The project will give special emphasis to community college students in ATE programs to ensure that SPIRAL Physics provides them appropriate learning opportunities.

 

Industry–Education Conference on Workforce Development forthe U.S. Semiconductor Industry

DUE 9653429
FY1996, $50,000 (total: $100,000)
Semiconductor Manufacturing

David M. Hata
Portland Community College
Dept. of Microelectronics Technology
18624 NW Walker Rd.
Beaverton, OR 97006
dhata@pcc.edu
(503) 533-2929

Developing a competitive, world-class technical workforce for the U.S. semiconductor industry is a big challenge today. Major expansions in this critical industry are occurring in Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, Virginia, and Maine. Community colleges and secondary schools in these states are ramping up programs to prepare the needed workforce.
          This project will continue a successful national conference on advanced technological education in semiconductor manufacturing, which has served as a forum for educators and industry representatives to share best practices, discuss industry’s needs, and enhance faculty capability through presentations and workshops. The project will fund annual conferences in 1997 and 1998.