Legacy Cycle As A Vehicle For Transference Of Research To The Classroom

As engineers and educators, we seek the most viable methods through which we can translate research into practice. This paper describes how we have used Legacy Cycle modules 6 within the scope of a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded outreach program, Research Experience for Teachers in Manufacturing for Competitiveness in the US (RETainUS). The six-week RET summer experience immerses high school mathematics and science teachers into the design and processes of engineering research. Teachers conduct their research alongside engineering students (undergraduate and graduate) with supervision from engineering faculty in various disciplines (mechanical, chemical, etc.). Of central importance to the project team is how to foster the translation of that research into practice, specifically into the high school mathematics and science curriculum. This paper explores the viability and flexibility of the Legacy Cycle as a vehicle to (1) train teachers to be researchers, and (2) as a planning and implementation model teachers can use to take engineering concepts and research into their classrooms. RETainUS is designed so that teachers “become” researchers in the sense that they conduct literature reviews, develop research question(s), design (collaboratively with mentors/peers) their study, and report their results. Initiating teachers into the research process in the first week of the RET experience is key. In this paper, we describe how we use a Legacy Cycle approach to train the teachers in the research process. The inquiry approach inherent in a Legacy Cycle provides teachers the flexibility to research topics and develop their interests, yet the structure of the Cycle keeps the teachers focused and progressing towards the final goal/product: their research question. Using the Legacy Cycle early in the RET experience also showcases how a Cycle unfolds when implemented. This is important since each teacher is expected to develop a Legacy Cycle aligned to state curriculum standards that integrates engineering concepts and research learned as a result of their participation in the project. Their Legacy Cycle then serves as a vehicle through which their research is translated into the classroom. This paper addresses how we have used the Legacy Cycle model to achieve project goals. We highlight the unique features of a Legacy Cycle approach and how those features contribute to the successful initiation of teachers into the research process, and to the successful translation of research into practice. Examples of the generated Legacy Cycles from the first year of the RETainUS program will be presented and distinctive features of these examples will be used to further explain the use and impact of the Legacy Cycle as a vehicle for transference of research into the classroom. Legacy Cycle as a Vehicle for Transference of Research to the Classroom Several national reports have emphasized the critical need for increased attention to developing a mathematically and technically competent workforce. 11,12 Many agree that high-quality mathematics and science education in the K–12 period is absolutely necessary to achieve the goal of creating a mathematically and scientifically literate public. Multitudes of initiatives exist to support K–12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. In P ge 15840.2 traditional National Science Foundation-Math and Science Partnership (NSF-MSP) programs, the discipline specific STEM faculty have contributed to the MSP by delivering content to preservice and in-service mathematics and science teachers as opposed to interacting with the teachers in a more sustained fashion. 10 The program for high school teachers described in this paper immersed teachers in the engineering research and design process, while simultaneously teaching the teachers how to design and implement the Legacy Cycle. Acknowledging that “engineering research” and “engineering design” processes have distinct characteristics––in design engineers typically create solutions within a set of constraints, whereas research may be considered as creating new knowledge––the teachers were afforded the unique opportunity to explore those distinctions during the program. Several teachers participated in the design and implementation of engineering apparatus that were in turn used in addressing their research questions. Another teacher designed and supervised the implementation of an engineering measurement system from the low cost materials available in the laboratory for developing the stress-strain curve for hydro-gels reinforced with nano-particles. 16 The National Research Council publication, How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School, 3 describes best practices for supporting students as they develop flexible knowledge. One outcome of the “How People Learn” (HPL) research is the Legacy Cycle; a challenge driven pedagogical sequence that inherently embraces the principles of effective instructional design. The authors of HPL define four “centerednesses” of successful learning environments: Knowledge-centered, learner-centered, assessment-centered, and community centered. 3 Students in the STEM sciences need to learn how to adapt concepts across a variety of circumstances. The Legacy Cycle taps into the four teaching principles providing a template for students to create knowledge, use knowledge, and reflect on the entire process of learning. The characteristics of each of the centerednesses are as follows: Knowledge-centered: This environment recognizes the need for students to not only acquire specific facts, but to gain a deep understanding of the field. Teachers who embrace a knowledgecentered environment help students make connections that relate the facts to the field, as well as how the field fits into the students’ entire knowledge base. 3 Learner-centered: The learner-centered environment acknowledges two principles for effective learning. Firstly, effective teachers understand that information students bring to the classroom will greatly impact how the students learn new material. Teachers must develop tools to discover and utilize students’ prior knowledge and perceptions. 15 Secondly, learner-centered environments provide opportunities for students to think about thinking, engaging them in the process of metacognition. Assessment-centered: An assessment-centered environment allows students to scrutinize their learning, identify weaknesses, and make appropriate adjustments. Assessment-centered teachers design both formative and summative assessment tools to provide students with constant feedback. 3