Table 1 Engineering processes comparison
From: Engineering practices as a framework for STEM education: a proposal based on epistemic nuances
Ingenuity in Action: Connecting Tinkering to Engineering Design Processes (Wang et al., 2013) (adaptation of Engineering is Elementary (Boston Museum of Science) design process) | NASA Design Packet (NASA, 2009) | Teaching Engineering www.teachengineering.org | STEM learning through engineering design: fourth-grade students’ investigations in aerospace (English & King, 2015) (adaptation of Dorie et al. (2014)) | Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, 2016) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Step 1: Identify | Step 1: Identify the Problem | Ask: Identify the Need & Constraints | Problem Scoping (understanding the boundaries of a problem) | Identify a need or a problem |
Step 2: Identify Criteria and Constraints | Research the Problem | Research | ||
Step 2: Brainstorm | Step 3: Brainstorm Possible Solutions | Imagine: Develop Possible Solutions | Idea Generation (Brainstorming and planning) | Design |
Step 4: Select a Design | Plan: Select a Promising Solution | |||
Step 3: Build | Step 5: Build a Model or Prototype | Create: Build a Prototype | Design and Construct (Model development) | Prototype |
Step 4: Test, Refine Communicate | Step 6: Test the Model and Evaluate | Test and Evaluate Prototype | Design Evaluation (Meeting constraints) | Test and Evaluate |
Provide Feedback | ||||
Step 7: Refine the Design | Improve: Redesign as Needed | Redesign (Model redevelopment) | Communicate, Explain, and Share | |
Step 8: Share the solution |