Engineering Design Process - Improving Motivation and Comprehension
The focus of this project centers on exploring ways to motivate students in the area of science. Through guided research and discussions we decided to implement the engineering design process for the Grade 3 “Structures” unit. We were interested in seeing if the Engineering Design Process could improve our teaching skills and student comprehension of the curriculum outcomes. We also explored how to effectively evaluate this process and explored ways to group students to encourage engagement and collaboration.
Action Research Questions;
Teacher Question: How can I use the Engineering Design Process (EDP) to improve my teaching of the Structures unit in Science?
Teacher Sub Question: How can I effectively evaluate students working through this process?
Student Question: Does the Engineering Design Process improve student comprehension of the curriculum outcomes for the science “Structures” unit?
Student Sub Question: Are there better ways to group students to encourage engagement and collaboration?
Ethical Considerations;
Prior to implementing the project a letter was sent home to parents to explain our project. A signed permission form was required for student participation. Parents had the opportunity to consent to the use of work samples, photos and videos of their child being included. As we progressed through the unit parents were kept up to date with classroom activities through our school Twitter account and individual teacher twitter accounts.