Introducing engineering into American secondary education

Media reports indicate the decline of the technological literacy of American youth, especially that students in other countries are better prepared in science and mathematics. Our active-learning program, which consists of numerous hands-on experiments, introduces engineering applications into science and math programs, that will demonstrate to students the usefulness of the theory that they currently do not see as useful. The program, when fully developed, will make optimum use of technology, especially computers and videotapes. The hands-on experiments allow students to discover fundamental principles through data analysis and then use the principles to synthesize a solution to a technological problem. This discovery-based education will help school systems better meet performance standards such as those in the Maryland School Performance Plan. The experimental approach to science education is especially important in a technology-oriented economy where children use the new technologies without understanding the principles on which they are based.