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Epistemic Practices of Engineering for Education
Author(s) -
CUNNINGHAM CHRISTINE M.,
KELLY GREGORY J.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
science education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.209
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1098-237X
pISSN - 0036-8326
DOI - 10.1002/sce.21271
Subject(s) - salience (neuroscience) , discipline , engineering ethics , engineering education , curriculum , creativity , biological systems engineering , construct (python library) , science education , set (abstract data type) , sociology , mathematics education , engineering , pedagogy , computer science , psychology , engineering management , civil engineering software , social science , artificial intelligence , programming language , social psychology
Engineering offers new educational opportunities for students, yet also poses challenges about how to conceptualize the disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices of the disciplinary fields of engineering. In this paper, we draw from empirical studies of engineering in professional and school settings to propose a set of epistemic practices of engineering that can inform curriculum development, teacher education, and research in science and engineering education. We examine the ways that these practices emerge from the work of engineering and serve to guide problem solving across a range of engineering fields. The proposed epistemic practices for education take into consideration social contexts of engineering, the salience of evidence for decision making, the types of tools and strategies used to construct knowledge, and need for creativity and innovation. The article concludes with suggestions for research in engineering education.