K-12 Engineering Education Standards: - International Technology ...

Research indicates that individuals learn and apply broad 21st century skills within the context of specific bodies of
knowledge (National Research Council, 2008a, 2000; Levy and Murnane, 2004). At work, development of these skills is
intertwined with development of technical job content knowledge. Similarly, in science education, students may develop
cognitive skills while engaged in study of specific science topics and concepts.
1. Adaptability: The ability and willingness to cope with uncertain, new, and rapidly changing conditions on the job,
including responding effectively to emergencies or crisis situations and learning new tasks, technologies, and
procedures. Adaptability also includes handling work stress; adapting to different personalities, communication styles,
and cultures; and physical adaptability to various indoor or outdoor work environments (Houston, 2007; Pulakos, Arad,
Donovan, and Plamondon, 2000).
2. Complex communications/social skills: Skills in processing and interpreting both verbal and nonverbal information from
others in order to respond appropriately. A skilled communicator is able to select key pieces of a complex idea to express
in words, sounds, and images in order to build shared understanding (Levy and Murnane, 2004). Skilled communicators
negotiate positive outcomes with customers, subordinates, and superiors through social perceptiveness, persuasion,
negotiation, instructing, and service orientation (Peterson et al, 1999).
3. Nonroutine problem solving: A skilled problem-solver uses expert thinking to examine a broad span of information,
recognize patterns, and narrow the information to reach a diagnosis of the problem. Moving beyond diagnosis to a solution
requires knowledge of how the information is linked conceptually and involves metacognition—the ability to reflect on
whether a problem-solving strategy is working and to switch to another strategy if the current strategy isn’t working (Levy
and Murnane, 2004). It includes creativity to generate new and innovative solutions, integrating seemingly unrelated
information; and entertaining possibilities others may miss (Houston, 2007).
4. Self-management/self-development: Self-management skills include the ability to work remotely, in virtual teams; to work
autonomously; and to be self-motivating and self-monitoring. One aspect of self-management is the willingness and ability
to acquire new information and skills related to work (Houston, 2007).
5. Systems thinking: The ability to understand how an entire system works, how an action, change, or malfunction in one part
of the system affects the rest of the system; adopting a “big picture” perspective on work (Houston, 2007). It includes
judgment and decision-making; systems analysis; and systems evaluation as well as abstract reasoning about how the
different elements of a work process interact (Peterson, 1999).
Table 3. Examples of 21st Century Skills*
* National Research Council Workshop on 21st Century Skills
The power and position of science and mathematics in
STEM education and the tendency to say STEM when
one really means science or mathematics is a significant
barrier. The S, T, E, and M are separate and not equal.
The inequality really becomes clear, for example, when
one considers the fact that science, technology, and
mathematics have national standards, and by 2012 all three
will have national assessments. It should be noted that the
National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) approved
a special national assessment of technological literacy for
2012. Work on the assessment framework is underway and
coordinated by WestEd.
In addition, science and mathematics are prominent in
the international assessments, “Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study” (TIMSS) and “Program
for International Student Assessment” (PISA).
A constellation of obstacles exist when one considers the
educational infrastructure. For instance, state standards
and assessments currently only include mathematics and
science, and these dominate the views of policymakers,
school administrators, and classroom teachers. The
financial situation for most states and school districts
simply will not support the major changes in curriculum,
instruction, and assessment implied by new national
standards for engineering education.
Developing national standards for the “E” in STEM
could create another “silo.” National standards for
science, technology, and mathematics already exist and
have a dominating influence on the educational system.
Developing engineering education standards with little or
no recognition of the other disciplines could be a disservice
to STEM education, especially when one considers
27 • Technology and Engineering Teacher • February 2011