Objective
The EU faces an alarming deficit of engineers—in 2011 Germany fell 76,400 engineers short. To address this and diversify perspectives, the EU must attract and retain more women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Findings of research I conducted as a Fulbright to Ireland in Engineering Education indicate Project-Based Learning (PBL) increases student engagement and many help address reasons women avoid STEM subjects.
Today, there is a gap in understanding why women chose engineering and how they experience PBL. Phenomenology provides an ideal framework for studying this. Two exploratory studies conducted during my Fulbright provide a foundation: 1) Designing the Identities of Engineers and 2) Using Learning Groups to Transform Engineering Education: A Phenomenological Study of Educators’ Experiences of Change.
I propose to extend this work with a Phenomenological Study of How Women Experience Engineering Education: Understanding How PBL Influences Their Decisions to Join or Leave Engineering. Participants will be women in Ireland, Portugal, and Poland from four segments of the engineering pipeline (high school, college, early career, and late career/CEOs), including those who have experienced PBL and others who have not.
I will investigate effects of PBL tools DIT and I designed (RoboSumo for college students and RoboSlam: Robot-Building Workshops for teens and facilitators/engineers). We will transfer knowledge with: 1) RoboSlam and 2) development of a new Master’s program to infuse cutting-edge research and pedagogy into engineering curricula worldwide. Both will be tested in 3 EU countries.
This project addresses leaks in Europe’s STEM pipeline that lead to shortfall—and lack of diversity—among European engineers. It will produce publications on gender and PBL, tailor phenomenology for use in engineering education research, infuse innovations and research into engineering education, and apply PBL to attract/retain diverse engineers.
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IIF
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
D07 H6K8 DUBLIN
Ireland
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.