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The Importance of Robotics and STEM Education It’s a familiar refrain that the United States is critically short of students prepared to perpetuate the nation’s decades-long pre-eminence in science, engineering, and the mathematics critical to both…Along with other nations’ more-aggressive prioritization of technical education, raw population trends do not favor future American pre-eminence in engineering. We view sustained investment in scientific and engineering research as well as in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, as critical elements in America’s ability to remain competitive in the world economy, and ensure its national security and homeland defense. A strong consensus is emerging in the business, education, and scientific communities that our nation’s future competitiveness in the global marketplace is directly tied to the ability of our schools to prepare children in the STEM fields. We are pleased that, over the last two years, many other business leaders, educators, scientists, and policymakers have joined in calling for stepped-up investments targeted at improving STEM education.
The STEM Education Coalition is composed of a diverse range of organizations representing all sectors of the technological workforce – from knowledge workers, to educators and education researchers, to scientists, engineers, and technicians. Our Coalition works aggressively to raise awareness in Congress and throughout the Executive Branch about the critical role that STEM education plays in enabling the U.S. to remain the economic and technological leader of the global marketplace of the 21st century. Having reviewed trends in the United States and abroad, the [Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy] is deeply concerned that the scientific and technological building blocks critical to our economic leadership are eroding at a time when many other nations are gathering strength… Although the US economy is doing well today, current trends…indicate that the United States may not fare as well in the future... Because other nations have, and probably will continue to have, the competitive advantage of a low wage structure, the United States must compete by optimizing its knowledge-based resources, particularly in science and technology, and by sustaining the most fertile environment for new and revitalized industries and the well-paying jobs they bring… Recommendation A: Increase America’s talent pool by vastly improving K–12 science and mathematics education… Action A-3: Enlarge the pipeline of students who are prepared to enter college and graduate with a degree in science, engineering, or mathematics. Nine in 10 Americans state they are concerned that today's students may not have "the math and science skills necessary to produce the science excellence required for homeland security and economic leadership in the 21st century."… When asked about how pre-college science should be taught, almost nine in l0 Americans say they favor replacing textbook-based education with hands-on science learning that helps students develop skills such as critical-thinking, problem-solving and working collaboratively with others. Nearly three out of five American teens do not believe their high school is preparing them adequately for a career in technology or engineering. The culture surrounding math and science achievement is often negative: students who succeed in these fields are often dismissed by their peers, while a culture of low expectations burdens other groups, perpetuating their underrepresentation in the professional technical labor force. To address these issues, CED [the Committee for Economic Development] calls for the implementation of a strategic plan that will increase student “demand” for and achievement in mathematics and science. CED believes that all stakeholders in math and science education policy, including state and local governments, school districts, and business, must be proactive in addressing the problems of math and science education. Engineering has been called the "invisible profession" or the "stealth profession" because most people have no clue what engineers do. This is unfortunate, because everything in society is linked to engineering. “So many people in high school have very little idea about what engineering really is,” said Mr. Waugh, a past president of the National Society of Professional Engineers. Good Traits for Engineering | · Be interested in solving problems · Be interested in working with other people · Be interested in serving human needs · Want to make things work better | · Strive for continual improvement · Be able to communicate well · Be able to adapt to a changing environment[11] | Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication and leadership. Robotics engineers design robots, maintain them, develop new applications for them, and conduct research to expand the potential of robotics. This is a rapidly developing field, with advances in computing constantly opening up new possibilities for robotics applications. Manufacturing, the first industry to invest heavily in robotics, remains the primary employer in the area, but recent years have seen rapid expansion of research and engineering in robots for such applications as agriculture, mining, nuclear power-plant maintenance, and a variety of other fields. The profession offers jobs for a wide range of temperaments... Robotics engineers must have the same disciplined attention to detail required of all engineers, but the relative novelty of the field puts an additional premium on creativity. It’s a safe bet that twenty years from now, robots will be employed in a vast range of new activities. The engineers who can best anticipate needs which can be successfully filled by robots, and who can work effectively in engineering teams to develop them, will be extremely successful in the field. The study of robotics allows teachers to give students meaningful exercises that introduce or reinforce…applied physics and mathematics concepts... At the same time, students are engaged in design activities that challenge them to develop their own original solution for each problem presented. They develop the “out of the box” thinking that is important for innovators. The reasons making robotics especially effective at the introductory level of engineering education are as follows: 1. From the beginning of their studies students acquire a holistic 'mechatronic' view of electrical, mechanical and computer engineering, and shape personal inclinations in these professional areas. 2. Students acquire basic knowledge and experience that is important for their success in more advanced engineering courses. 3. From their first year of studies students become involved in self-directed learning, interdisciplinary design, teamwork, professional communication, technical invention, and research. 4. Students learn to investigate physical environments and human factors that determine engineering designs. 5. Intensive practice in solving diverse mental and physical tasks in the robotics medium can promote development of student intelligence and creativity. Educational robotics relies on such core concepts of modern engineering education as constructionism, principal outcomes, and reflective practice. Course assessment showed that [a robotics engineering program] provided 'real' experiences to students, exposed them to practical and philosophical dimensions of engineering design, engaged them in team-based cooperative learning projects, successfully addressed many basic ABET [Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology] outcomes, and elicited a strong, positive student reaction. Compiled January, 2008, by Ms.G, Executive Director, LASA Robotics Association. |
