IU Indianapolis ScholarWorks :: Browsing by Author "Sorge, Brandon"

Browsing by Author "Sorge, Brandon"

Now showing 1 - 10 of 24

Developing an understanding of the implementation and impacts of high school pre-engineering programs: Making the case for a benefit-cost analysis
(IEEE, 2017-10) Sorge, Brandon; Hess, Justin L.; Technology and Leadership Communication, School of Engineering and Technology
With the ongoing demand for improved K-12 STEM education, a push for dual-credit courses, and the goal of college and career-ready high school graduates, schools have implemented numerous STEM programs including those focused on engineering. Curricular programs, such Engineering by Design, Project Lead the Way (PLTW), and EPICS High are being executed by schools across the country with varied amounts of success as measured by student-level outcomes. Exploring costs of these program implementations and their associated outcomes is vital in deciding the best means for preparing our future engineering workforce. This paper utilizes cost analysis to provide initial insights into the relative impact of one of the most common high school engineering program, PLTW. Specifically, by relying on data reported in select literature, we investigate the impacts versus the costs of implementing PLTW in high schools. Cost data includes select variables such as student section size, school size, and school type. These findings will provide a baseline for understanding cost variations of the PLTW curriculum across contexts, as well as what impact cost variations may have on student outcomes.
Developing an understanding of the implementation and impacts of high school pre-engineering programs: Making the case for a benefit-cost analysis
(IEEE, 2017-10) Sorge, Brandon; Hess, Justin L.
With the ongoing demand for improved K-12 STEM education, a push for dual-credit courses, and the goal of college and career-ready high school graduates, schools have implemented numerous STEM programs including those focused on engineering. Curricular programs, such Engineering by Design, Project Lead the Way (PLTW), and EPICS High are being executed by schools across the country with varied amounts of success as measured by student-level outcomes. Exploring costs of these program implementations and their associated outcomes is vital in deciding the best means for preparing our future engineering workforce. This paper utilizes cost analysis to provide initial insights into the relative impact of one of the most common high school engineering program, PLTW. Specifically, by relying on data reported in select literature, we investigate the impacts versus the costs of implementing PLTW in high schools. Cost data includes select variables such as student section size, school size, and school type. These findings will provide a baseline for understanding cost variations of the PLTW curriculum across contexts, as well as what impact cost variations may have on student outcomes.
Development of Undergraduate STEM Students through Global Service-Learning in a Medical Context
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2016-04-08) Scheive, Melanie; Fore, Grant; Sorge, Brandon
Global service-learning and study abroad programs have the potential to affect students’ personal, social, and professional development. The exact ways in which this development is influenced by international medical service-learning has not been thoroughly explored in the literature. This study analyzes the motivations, experiences, and outcomes of undergraduate STEM students participating in a weeklong international medical service-learning and study abroad trip to Las Canas, Dominican Republic. Participants had various backgrounds, STEM majors, and career goals. Utilizing a mixed-methods research approach consisting of observations, interviews, participant reflections, and pre- and post-trip surveys, several of the meaningful motivations, experiences, and outcomes for the participants were identified. Additionally, two case studies were produced by qualitatively collecting data from multiple sources and reporting the description and themes of the cases. The specific aims of this study were understanding: 1) the individual experiences during a health science-based study abroad trip that are instrumental in refining and solidifying STEM interest; and 2) the personal, social, and professional student-level outcomes produced by an international medical service-learning experience. Through the case studies, the combined impact of past and trip experiences was explored as it relates to experiential learning and identity development. For case study participants Brianna and Hannah, the trip combined multiple experiences that were relevant to their career goals, such as working with underserved populations and involvement with global health.
The Efficacy of Project Lead the Way: A Systematic Literature Review
(American Society for Engineering Education, 2016-06) Hess, Justin L.; Sorge, Brandon; Feldhaus, Charles; Department of Technology and Leadership Communication, School of Engineering and Technology
Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is a non-profit organization offering project-based STEM education curricula for K-12 students. As of 2015, PLTW was by far the largest pre-engineering program implemented throughout the United States with a presence in over 6500 schools. Since its conception in 1997, PLTW rapidly expanded and today covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The PLTW Engineering curriculum offers a sequence of courses that students may take over the course of high school, and many university programs allow students who complete this sequence the opportunity to earn college credit. The PLTW Gateway curriculum targets students in Grades 6-8 and the PLTW Launch curriculum targets K-5 students. See the PLTW website for current program titles. They now simply use PLTW Engineering, PLTW Gateway and PLTW Launch. This study investigates the efficacy of PLTW efforts through a systematic literature review process. Specifically, we explored the following research questions: • To what extent has PLTW been an area of scholarly investigation and what has been the nature of these investigations? • What primary strengths and weaknesses of PLTW have these investigations identified? • What gaps in PLTW literature exist and what future research is needed? After an initial data collection and literature reduction processes, we synthesized 31 articles that collected and analyzed empirical data related to PLTW. Our gathered literature included 16 journal articles, 11 dissertations, and 4 theses. Using an emergent coding process, we found that primary strengths of PLTW curricula include motivating students to pursue STEM degrees, providing teachers with professional development opportunities and support, and facilitating student interest in STEM subjects. However, weaknesses of PLTW include minimal evidence supporting PLTW in improving students’ mathematics and science abilities, scheduling and space issues, and moderate financial costs for schools to participate in PLTW. Altogether, the literature collected varied widely and, as a result, each of these strengths and weaknesses requires further investigation. This study concludes with an identification of gaps in PLTW literature that can focus future PLTW-related investigations and, if investigated, help improve future PLTW-related interventions.
Evaluating K-12 STEM Education Programs in Indiana: The SERI/I-STEM Partnership
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2013-04-05) Sorge, Brandon; Walker, Bill; Feldhaus, Charlie
The Indiana Science Initiative (ISI) is a K-8 systemic science and literacy program managed by the I-STEM Resource Network involving 2,000+ teachers and 53,000+ students in grades K-8 using research-developed curricular modules. The poster will present data and preliminary analysis on three key program evaluation areas. First, initial data will be presented on student performance at ten schools where all teachers at all grade levels implemented the ISI during both the pilot and first year. Secondly, the poster will present the preliminary analysis of data from the Lilly Science Coaches, which is a program that places Lilly staff and scientists with ISI teachers to support science program implementation through regular or semi-regular classroom visits. Finally, results of change in teachers’ self-efficacy as measured via the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI) will be reported. The early indications of these data are positive towards the success of the programs. This evaluation represents a partnership between the STEM Education Research Institute at IUPUI (SERI) and the I-STEM Resource Network. A summary of implications for this type of partnership are also presented.
Identifying Connections and Potential Synergies among IUPUI STEM Education Initiatives
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2013-04-05) Gavrin, Andy; Fore, Grant; Sorge, Brandon
SERI is the new STEM Education Research Institute at IUPUI. One of its initial projects is a search for potential synergies among the many STEM education initiatives ongoing at IUPUI. The ultimate goal of this project is to establish best practices for identifying and implementing such synergistic connections among STEM education initiatives within a single large campus or consortium of geographically connected smaller campuses. The project will be implemented in three phases. During Phase 1, which is currently underway, SERI researchers will non-intrusively identify and categorize campus STEM education initiatives through IUPUI websites, institutional reports, and funding reports from foundations such as NSF and NIH. In Phase 2, researchers will both conduct fact-checking interviews with IUPUI faculty/staff and develop a comprehensive and accessible database of current STEM education initiatives across campus. With Phase 3, researchers will conduct an analysis of IUPUI’s initiatives using the database and, when needed, additional faculty/staff interviews both to assess internal synergy and cost-saving and to identify the potential for additional synergistic development at IUPUI. Following the completion of this tripartite process, results will be gathered and assembled into an NIH or NSF proposal requesting funding to formalize the process and expand it to a sample of other campuses.
Impact of Sustainability Study Abroad Course on Students
(ASEE, 2018-06) Fox, Patricia; McIntyre, Charles; Sorge, Brandon; Technology and Leadership Communication, School of Engineering and Technology
The School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) has offered a short study abroad course, called GO GREEN, on sustainable practices in businesses, industries and municipalities in Germany for the past 15 years. Over 150 students have participated in the course since its inception in 2003. A survey was conducted to determine what these students had ascertained from the course and to see if any of these students were using the skills acquired in this class in their work or daily lives. The survey, consisting of 23 questions, was designed to determine how students have used the interdisciplinary subject matter of sustainability in their lives and careers after taking the course, as well as, questions about key elements of the course. Some of the results of the survey will be discussed in this paper/presentation.
An Introduction to the Integrated Community-Engaged Learning and Ethical Reflection Framework (I-CELER)
(ASEE, 2018-07) Fore, Grant A.; Hess, Justin L.; Sorge, Brandon; Price, Mary F.; Coleman, Martin A.; Hahn, Thomas William; Hatcher, Julie Adele; Technology and Leadership Communication, School of Engineering and Technology
Cultivating ethical Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics researchers and practitioners requires movement beyond reducing ethical instruction to the rational exploration of moral quandaries via case studies and into the complexity of the ethical issues that students will encounter within their careers. We designed the Integrated Community-Engaged Learning and Ethical Reflection (I-CELER) framework as a means to promote the ethical becoming of future STEM practitioners. This paper provides a synthesis of and rationale for I-CELER for promoting ethical becoming based on scholarly literature from various social science fields, including social anthropology, moral development, and psychology. This paper proceeds in five parts. First, we introduce the state of the art of engineering ethics instruction; argue for the need of a lens that we describe as ethical becoming; and then detail the Specific Aims of the I-CELER approach. Second, we outline the three interrelated components of the project intervention. Third, we detail our convergent mixed methods research design, including its qualitative and quantitative counterparts. Fourth, we provide a brief description of what a course modified to the I-CELER approach might look like. Finally, we close by detailing the potential impact of this study in light of existing ethics education research within STEM.
Investing in the Future Nanos: IUPUI Nanotechnology Discovery Academy
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2016-04-08) Mirza, Qurat-ul-Ann; Bondi, Joseph; Sorge, Brandon; Agarwal, Mangilal
Nanotechnology is a rapidly advancing field that is being applied to many aspects of everyday life. Consequently, it has become crucial to increase the general population’s understanding of nanotechnology and its application. To accomplish this, STEMCorp at IUPUI has been assisting INDA with week long summer camps that work to increase high school student’s awareness and understanding of nanotechnology. The camp consists of a morning seminars, afternoon lab activities, lab tour, and end-of-camp poster presentation. Lab tours focus on showing participants the practical applications of nanotechnology and exposes them to nanotechnology research occurring in Indianapolis. Afternoon lab activities immerse the students in a hands-on application of nanotechnology, providing a deeper understanding of the concepts introduced in the morning seminars. To assess the effectiveness of the INDA Nanotechnology summer camp, students were given pre- and post-assessment surveys to measure their interest in, and understanding of nanotechnology and STEM fields. Additionally, groups of students were selected for interviews and focus groups to provide a more in-depth understanding of their experience. From these data, it was found that the summer camp was effective at increasing student’s interest in and understanding of nanotechnology. Additionally, the student interviews/focus groups identified crucial components to this success.
Learning at the Nano-level: Exploring the unseen and accounting for complexity in how (and why) secondary STEM teachers learn
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Fore, Grant; Sorge, Brandon; Feldhaus, Charlie; Agarwal, Mangilal; Varahramyan, Kody
This study utilizes IUPUI’s Nanotechnology Discovery Academy (INDA) for secondary Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) teachers (n=13) as its starting point for exploring issues related to teacher learning and professional development (PD). Pilot data was collected as part of an evaluation of INDA during the summer of 2013. Teacher professional learning is often represented as the measurable change (e.g. content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, self-efficacy, etc.) that occurs via PD “best practices.” However, following constructivism, the processes of knowledge construction are complex, and what is learned — and, more importantly, how and why it is learned — is itself an assemblage of experiences oftentimes particular to the individual learner. Our preliminary findings suggest that while teacher perceptions of their pedagogical development and confidence may increase, their learning outcomes and subsequent practice take shape in relation to each individual’s teaching/learning history and the political and socioeconomic reality of their school. With teacher PD remaining an important focus of U.S. educational policy, it is important to correctly characterize the emergent outcomes of PD interventions to better understand how teachers learn, what constrains their learning and practice, and how teacher professional learning can, in turn, be mobilized to empower both teachers and their students.

Browsing by Author "Sorge, Brandon"

Results Per Page

Sort Options