EDSC 515 - Integrating Engineering Design With Middle And High School Science Instruction

Effective science instruction that integrates engineering principles teaches students to solve complex problems and contextualizes science within real-world settings, fostering critical-thinking skills. As such, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the most recent educational science standards, emphasize the importance of integrating a basic knowledge of engineering and the engineering design process in science education. They also include engineering as one of the core science disciplines and offer educators the flexibility of designing authentic learning experiences that engage students’ interests and prepare them for college, careers, and beyond.

This course provides middle- and high-school science teachers with practical steps for introducing engineering and the engineering design process to engross students in learning science. The course includes strategies for planning, delivering, and assessing engineering-infused lessons that engage diverse learners in science content while teaching them 21st-century skills such as communication and collaboration. Additionally, the course includes ready-made activities that are designed using the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) 5E Instructional Model, a planned sequence of instruction consisting of five student-centered phases (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate), each of which helps students construct meaning in science.

By the end of the course teachers will be able to integrate engineering with science instruction in a way that cultivates problem-solving skills and promotes scientific inquiry.