Bridging Engineering, Science and Technology (BEST) for Elementary Educators is designed to provide professional development for science and education faculty who prepare future elementary educators to strengthen faculty and pre-service teachers' understandings of engineering content, inquiry-based pedagogical techniques, and career pathways in technical fields. This project builds on the successful NSF-funded ATLAS project (DUE 07-02853), designed to enrich teacher education courses with engineering and technology. The BEST project expands this innovative approach to include community college science courses, which are modified to incorporate open-ended engineering design activities. The project goals are as follows: provide materials for teacher education courses using hands-on approaches to technology and engineering while integrating science and mathematics; strengthen knowledge and ability to teach technology, engineering and science; develop articulation pathways related to elementary education between community colleges and four-year institutions; create a cadre of faculty to disseminate their knowledge at state, regional, and national levels; and increase awareness of technology and engineering elementary education programs. The project partners include Greenfield Community College, MA College of Liberal Arts, Massasoit Community College, Bridgewater State College, Middlesex Community College, Fitchburg State College, North Shore Community College, and Salem State College. The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation, The Engineering Center, and the Boston Society of Civil Engineers are key educational and industry partners.
BEST targets Life Science faculty in Year 1 and Physical Science faculty in Year 2. During the first year, Faculty Leadership Teams comprised of two science and two education faculty from each of the eight colleges participate in a four-day Leadership Institute at the Museum of Science. The Leadership Institute emphasizes team building, disciplinary knowledge, modeling effective pedagogies, exploration of career options, reviewing the research and resources, examination of course models and the development of a project plan for introducing technology and engineering into STEM courses. Next, science and education faculty pilot course components and modify or create new courses with technology and engineering integration. Year 2 focuses on new course implementation and workshops for the teachers that host pre-service educators during their teaching practicum. Finally, in Year 3, the emphasis is on institutionalization, professional development, and dissemination of models, materials, and findings via conferences, publications, and websites. A statewide articulation and transfer workshop is also planned.
BEST is designed to reach 62 community college and 25 four-year college faculty. Additionally, approximately 800 pre-service educators and 7,000 elementary students are impacted. The project evaluation plan compares the technology and engineering integration models included in the ATLAS and BEST projects to determine which are most effective, sustainable and scalable. The evaluation also examines regional, state and national dissemination, development of transfer pathways, and curricular changes.
By developing course syllabi, sequences, and lesson plans, BEST documents how technology and engineering can be integrated into science and education courses for pre-service teachers. As more states include technology and engineering in their standards, the case studies, resources, and models resulting from this project can provide a powerful foundation to guide community college and pre-service efforts nationwide. BEST leverages opportunities at community colleges and four-year colleges that prepare tomorrow's teachers to enhance technological literacy.
Both technological and scientific literacy are essential for all citizens in the 21st century, and instruction in these areas can begin as early as elementary school, if teachers have been successfully educated about how to facilitate these subjects in their classrooms. Introducing engineering at the elementary level provides the foundation for further engineering learning at middle and high school and supports the goal of a technologically literate society. Furthermore, the recently released Next Generation Science Standards now include engineering. However, engineering is almost non-existent in the majority of college and university programs that educate future (preservice) teachers. The Bridging Engineering, Science, and Technology (BEST) for Elementary Educators project leveraged opportunities at community and four-year colleges that prepare tomorrow’s teachers by infusing engineering and technology concepts and skills into science and education courses taken by elementary education students. Using the Engineering is Elementary (EiE) curriculum as a springboard, the BEST project work with faculty to prepare preservice teachers who feel confident and prepared in teaching engineering with their future students. Eleven community colleges and their four-year transfer colleges in Massachusetts were involved with the BEST project from 2010-2014. The goals of BEST were to: Enrich college courses taken by preservice teachers with materials that: engage them in technology and engineering activities integrate with science and mathematics highlight engineering and technical careers Strengthen elementary educators’ ability to teach engineering, technology, and science in active, engaging ways. Develop articulation pathways related to elementary technology and engineering between community colleges and four-year institutions. Create college faculty who can disseminate models of how to infuse engineering into science and education courses to their colleagues in the region, state, and nation. Increase awareness among stakeholders about the importance of effective technology and engineering elementary education programs in prepare the next generation of engineers, problem solvers, and 21st century citizens. The BEST project changed the way entry-level science ("core") classes and education classes in participating colleges was taught. Major outcomes include: 35 faculty from 11 different institutions of higher education to developed over 30 curricular models that infuse engineering and technology concepts and skills into science and education courses required for preservice elementary education teachers. The BEST project website includes exemplars of these engineering and technology Course Integration Templates for use by faculty within the state and nation. The BEST model of sequential and sustained professional development for faculty resulted in faculty reworking their courses to use pedagogical techniques that engage elementary education students in engineering design challenges that support active hands-on learning. Science faculty have recognized the importance of exposing all students to engineering as well as science; approximately 20% of the classes they teach now contain engineering concepts. Education faculty have realized that introducing engineering engages students in open-ended investigations and fosters preservice elementary education teachers’ comfort with science and engineering. When asked about the impact of BEST on their teaching, faculty members responded that BEST helped them to understand that engineering is important to include in their courses and prepared them to implement engineering concepts and skills in their courses. The students of BEST faculty also showed significant increases in their attitudes towards teaching engineering concepts in elementary schools, their familiarity with engineering and the engineering design process, as well as their confidence in teaching engineering to elementary students. The results of the BEST project have been disseminated to the larger education community in a variety of ways: The BEST project and its products and results are shared on three websites housed within the larger Engineering is Elementary website: Bringing Engineering into Preservice Education gives an overview of the project as well as testimonials from faculty as well as a former BEST student. Evaluation of EiE Preservice Education Program shares evaluation data and results from the four years of the BEST project. Faculty Resources houses the Course Integration Templates developed by BEST faculty. The BEST team has produced four different videos about the BEST project, which can be found on the above websites: Two "Faculty Perspectives" videos showcase BEST faculty collaborators reflecting on their experiences integrating engineering into their classes for preservice teachers. In "College to Classroom: Bridging Preservice and Inservice," a young teacher reflects on how his experiences through BEST shaped his teaching. In "See it in action!" a community college instructor shares her model for integrating engineering into a biology course. BEST staff and faculty members attended a number of conferences across the United States to share BEST project work and findings with national colleagues. The BEST team has written articles and publications about the work and findings of the BEST project.
