Experiences of Engineering Design for High School Women

Abstract

This paper presents the experiences of teaching high school women during the 1991 Summer Study in Engineering Program. A project driven approach was employed in teaching the course to encourage talented women to pursue engineering careers. The course provided an introductory experience to the product development cycle by actually designing, building, and assembling a playground seesaw. Engineering concepts were taught in the classroom on an as needed basis during the design process. The students acquired computer skills through the preparation of technical reports and engineering drawings. The participating students were organized into groups and the aspects of teamwork and cooperative learning were highly stressed as the design project progressed. The women were motivated and satisfied with their academic achievements and personal development. Its impact on increasing enrollment of women students in engineering is far reaching.