The Cognitive Science Perspective

The number of U.S. students who enter engineering programs in college is projected to drop, a trend that many believe will have a negative impact on the U.S. workforce (NAS et al., 2007; NAE and NRC, 2009). In addition, students who do pursue engineering degrees do not reflect the diversity of students in the United States, a pattern of enrollment that is likely to have a number of negative consequences, both for the successful practice of engineering and for the resolution of broader societal issues (NAE and NRC, 2009). Although a relatively small number of children go on to become engineers, citizens in our technology-based society need to understand engineering issues, perhaps even be prepared to work collaboratively with engineers (NAE, 2002; NAE and NRC, 2009), which requires an understanding of what engineering is and what engineers do. The number of engineering exposure programs in formal (e.g., schools) and informal settings (e.g., museums, competitions, after-school programs, summer programs) is growing, but we have a long way to go before a majority of U.S. children have significant exposure to engineering (NAE and NRC, 2009). A dramatic increase in exposures to engineering could ultimately lead to an increase in the number and diversity of engineers. Concerns about the lack of exposure to engineering for all children and ensuring a larger, more reliable supply of future engineers have been accompanied by the realization that we have not yet determined the best way to Christian D. Schunn How Kids Learn Engineering The Cognitive Science Perspective