Using Disciplinary Literacies to Enhance Adolescents' Engineering Design Activity

Abstract

This comparative case study describes the literacy practices of two groups of adolescents as they sought to solve authentic problems through engineering design processes. Three types of data were collected as the groups addressed these problems: video-and audio-recordings of their conversations; adolescent-generated products; and pre-and post-challenge interviews. The authors used existing coding schemes of engineering design activity to identify when the adolescents enacted different stages of engineering design, as well as a modified form of constant comparative analysis to identify the literacy practices that corresponded with each stage.The analysis indicates that applications of literacy practices at each stage of the engineering design process enhanced the adolescents' overall design activity, whereas the absence of literacy practices often impeded the viability of their final designs. The authors suggest implications for high school engineering and science teachers who seek to enhance their students' design activity through literacy instruction.Keywords: disciplinary literacy, engineering literacy, engineering design, adolescent literacy Teaser Text: Engineering and literacy? Yes! Although science, mathematics, and technology are usually cited as partners to engineering, this article describes ways that literacy can enhance adolescents' engineering activity as well. 3 Using Disciplinary Literacies to Enhance Adolescents' Engineering Design ActivityOver 56 million K-12 students are currently enrolled in some type of engineering coursework (Katehi, Pearson, & Feder, 2009), a number that is only expected to increase due to the publication of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013), which require engineering principles to be integrated into K-12 science instruction. Moreover, within the United States, over 41 states include standards that address principles of engineering (Carr, Bennett, & Strobel, 2012).Despite this current and growing emphasis on K-12 engineering instruction, very little research has been conducted on how fundamental literacy-or the interpretation and production of texts (Norris & Phillips, 2003)-can enhance adolescents' understanding and practice of engineering. The purpose of this comparative case study was therefore to examine the ways in which two groups of adolescents used reading and writing to solve authentic problems through engineering design processes. Disciplinary Literacy in EngineeringA large and growing body of empirical and theoretical literature has argued that text interpretation and production are profoundly embedded within disciplinary activity (Moje, 2008).Within the discipline of engineering, one defining activity is design (Dym et al., 2005), described as "a systematic, intelligent process in which designers generate, evaluate, and specify concepts for devices, systems, or processes whose form and function achieve clients' objectives or users' needs while satisfying a specified set of constraints" (p. 104).Although scores of engineering p...

Reading and Engineering: Elementary Students’ Co-Application of Comprehension Strategies and Engineering Design Processes

“…For instance, Loveland (2014) asserted that the application of comprehension strategies can support students' comprehension of relevant information in textbooks. Similarly, our previous work (Wilson, Smith, & Householder, 2014) indicated that high school students who applied comprehension strategies while reading their clients' problem statements understood the scope of the problem more fully than students who did not apply comprehension strategies while reading their clients' problem statements.…”

“…Authors of practitioner-oriented articles (Lacivita, 2006;Loveland, 2014;Wilson-Lopez & Gregory, 2015a) strategies can support students' comprehension of relevant information in textbooks. Similarly, our previous work (Wilson, Smith, & Householder, 2014) indicated that high school students who applied comprehension strategies while reading their clients' problem statements understood the scope of the problem more fully than students who did not apply comprehension strategies while reading their clients' problem statements. Collectively, these articles suggest CSI can support students' understandings of clients' problems and their understandings of relevant scientific information needed to solve those problems.…”

Integrating Literacy and Engineering Instruction for Young Learners

“…In this article, the authors—Amy, who specializes in literacy, and Stacie, who is a professional engineer—offer suggestions for incorporating engineering and literacy instruction with upper elementary students. These suggestions are based in previous research literature (Wilson, Smith, & Householder, ), in national science standards (NGSS Lead States, ), and in our experiences with co‐teaching monthly literacy‐infused engineering units in third‐ and fifth‐grade classrooms.…”

“…In sum, practicing comprehension strategies with carefully selected texts is one way to help students engage in engineering design processes (cf. Wilson et al, ). Summarizing the text can help students to review and define the problem; asking questions can help students to clarify aspects of the problem that are still confusing; predicting can help students generate ideas in relation to the problem; and inferring can help students to evaluate solutions or to identify constraints inherent in the situation, which are oftentimes left implicit (Dym & Little, ).…”

Elementary Student Engagement with Digital Engineering Notebook Cards (Fundamental)

“…Recognizing that language and literacy are central to the sociocultural practice of engineering, we draw upon work in disciplinary literacies (Wilson, Smith, & Householder, 2014) and engineering design thinking (e.g., Crismond & Adams, 2012) to identify the various ways that educators might help their students represent and communicate meaning during engineering learning experiences.…”